India and US bridge Ukraine differences
Live MintBridging their differences on Ukraine, India and the US recommitted to their bilateral strategic partnership, articulated their shared interest in securing a free and open Indo-Pacific and hailed Quad “as a force for global good”. The two countries meeting as part of the 2+2 ministerial dialogue also signed a memorandum of understanding on ‘space situational awareness’ and will conduct a dialogue on space and artificial intelligence this year. Defence minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister S. Jaishankar met their American counterparts, secretary of defence Lloyd J. Austin and secretary of state Antony J. Blinken, for separate bilateral conversations, participated in the virtual conversation between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, led delegation-level 2+2 talks and addressed the press on Monday in Washington. And it’s also important that democracies stand together and speak with one voice.” The secretary of state noted that India made “very strong statements” at the UN, condemning civilian killings, calling for an independent investigation and providing significant humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.