The Opposition People’s National Party, PNP, has blasted the government for its handling of the situation involving several Jamaican students who are now stranded in Ukraine.

The PNP says the Jamaican students in Ukraine are in grave danger.

The Opposition is also calling out the government for what it describes as the callous handling of the dangerous situation facing the students.

The Opposition notes that on February 11 it called on the government to immediately evacuate Jamaican nationals from Ukraine, given the escalation in tension and the threat of an invasion by Russia.

It says it again urged the government on February 21, to “do the right thing as people’s lives are hanging in the balance”.

But according to the PNP, rather than ensuring the safe and swift exit of the students, the government chose to offer them loans for the cost of their safe passage out of Ukraine, which many of the students were unable to accept.

With the Ukrainian airspace now closed to commercial flights, the students are stranded.

Meantime, the PNP is concerned that the imposition of sanctions by the US and its western allies will have potential adverse implications for Jamaica’s already struggling bauxite and alumina industry, as one of the two remaining alumina refineries in operation is Russian owned.

As such the Opposition is calling on the Prime Minister to address the nation on this crisis which it says has left the world in a heightened state of fear and insecurity.