US hopes India will be ally in case of Ukraine invasion

New Delhi, February 17

Noting that India is committed to rules-based international order, the US hoped that New Delhi would stand by its side in case of an impending Russian invasion of Ukraine.

At the same time, the US appeared to rule out an international evacuation effort to get foreigners out of Ukraine and suggested that it was time for them to leave the country immediately.

“We’re certainly sharing information about the threat and the posture. But we have a special responsibility to American citizens, and our message to American citizens for some time now has been that you should leave now, using commercial or private options that are still available,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

With flights out of Ukraine turning expensive and fewer, Price said the US had worked out border crossings of American citizens through neighbouring countries. “A large number of countries are also doing it for their own citizens. We think this is a prudent step as we continue to do everything we possibly can to seek a diplomatic resolution to the crisis,” said Price.

Acknowledging that there was a discussion of Russia and Ukraine at the Quad Ministerial in Melbourne on February 11, Price said there was a strong consensus that there needs to be diplomatic and peaceful resolution to the issue. “We know that our Indian partners are committed to that rules-based international order. There are a number of tenets in that order. One of them is that borders cannot be redrawn by force,” he said. Price was asked that when Antony Blinken met S Jaishankar, did he come out with the impression that India is fully supporting the US on the issue of Russia.