New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke on the phone with his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday night, reiterating that communication and diplomacy are the best ways to defuse the Ukraine situation.

India has been in contact with all parties involved as part of overall global efforts to reduce tensions following Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine, which sparked universal criticism and concerns of a wider confrontation.

In his conversations with Lavrov, Jaishankar told the Russian foreign minister that the best approach to resolve the crisis is by "communication and diplomacy."

"Just spoke with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the situation in Ukraine." The best way forward is via communication and diplomacy," the External Affairs Minister tweeted.

According to reports, Jaishankar informed Lavrov of the importance that India places on the safe evacuation of approximately 16,000 Indians from Ukraine. In another tweet, Jaishankar stated that he and Blinken discussed the current events in Ukraine and their ramifications. "Thank you for calling, @SecBlinken. 'We talked about the current events in Ukraine and its implications,' he said.

Blinken met with Jaishankar to discuss Russia's "premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustifiable" aggression on Ukraine, according to the US State Department. "Secretary Blinken emphasised the necessity of a united front to denounce Russia's invasion and demand a prompt withdrawal and ceasefire," according to the statement.

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