US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a telephonic conversation with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and stressed the importance of a strong collective response to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an official spokesperson said.
Blinken spoke with Jaishankar to discuss Russia's premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a readout of the call on Thursday.
"Blinken stressed the importance of a strong collective response to condemn Russia's invasion and call for an immediate withdrawal and ceasefire," Price said.
The call between the two leaders happened soon after a White House news conference by President Joe Biden during which he said his administration is going to have consultations with India on the Ukrainian crisis.
In a tweet, Jaishankar said, "Appreciate the call from @SecBlinke. Discussed the ongoing developments in Ukraine and its implications."
It is understood that India and the United States are not on the same page on the Ukrainian crisis.
In a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed for immediate cessation of violence and asserted that differences between Russia and NATO can only be resolved through "honest and sincere" dialogue.
During their conversation, Modi also sensitised the Russian President about India's concerns regarding the safety of the Indian citizens in Ukraine, especially students, and conveyed that India attaches the highest priority to their safe exit and return, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) here said.
President Putin briefed Prime Minister Modi about the recent developments regarding Ukraine, it said.
The prime minister reiterated his long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue, the PMO said.
