EAM Jaishankar receives phone call from Ukrainian foreign minister

Ahead of the crucial vote at the UN Security Council on the Russian attack on Ukraine, the country's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Friday spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and shared his assessment of the current situation in Ukraine.

Jaishankar said he emphasised that India supports diplomacy and dialogue as the "way out".

"Received call from Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba. He shared his assessment of the current situation.I emphasised that India supports diplomacy & dialogue as the way out," Jaishankar tweeted.

"Discussed predicament of Indian nationals, including students. Appreciate his support for their safe return," he added.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on Friday evening on a draft resolution on Russia's military operation in Ukraine as well as the escalating situation in the eastern European country.

The draft resolution is set to condemn in the strongest terms Russia's military operation in Ukraine that has triggered strong outrage by the Western powers.

When asked at a media briefing on Thursday about India's position on the draft UN Security resolution on the Ukraine crisis, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India has seen it and that New Delhi's stand will depend on the final shape of its text.

"I am told that that would undergo considerable changes. We will wait to see the shape that the resolution takes before we can pronounce ourselves and the position that we will take on the issue," he said.

In the midst of the escalating situation in Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday during which he appealed for ending violence, and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic dialogue.

Jaishankar too held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and underlined that dialogue and diplomacy are the best way forward to deal with the crisis.