Senior US diplomat calls Foreign Secretary Shringla; discusses bilateral ties, Ukrainian situation

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday spoke to Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to discuss bilateral ties and a broad range of issues including the Russian military build-up on Ukrainian borders, a State Department spokesperson said.

''Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla today,'' State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a readout of the call.

''They discussed a broad range of issues including Russia's concerning military build-up on Ukraine's borders and regional issues,'' Price said.

The US has warned that Russia, which has amassed tens of thousands of troops near near Ukrainian borders, could launch an invasion at any point.

Sherman and Shringla agreed to remain closely coordinated on shared goals and priorities and reiterated the importance of a strong US-India partnership to mitigate the COVID-19 Omicron variant's rapid advance, the spokesperson said.

Sherman travelled to India in October last year on a three-day visit. She held extensive talks with Shringla and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during which the recent developments in Afghanistan, the need to counter cross-border terrorism and ensure peace and stability in that country, including through implementation of a UN Security Council resolution figured prominently.

According to a US official, her visit to New Delhi was seen as an opportunity for the US to deepen its strategic partnership with India and engage substantively with some of the key interlocutors on pressing regional and global security challenges like the situation in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific.

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