Russia today hailed India's response to the crisis persisting in Ukraine as tensions between Moscow and NATO allies rises over the possibility of an attack on Ukraine.
Russia's reaction came after India said at the UN Security Council that only "quiet and constructive diplomacy" can solve the crisis and that steps leading to escalation should be avoided at all cost.
"We welcome #India's balanced, principled and independent approach," the Russian embassy in India tweeted.
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India's Permanent Representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti, had on Thursday said that there was a need for immediate de-escalation of the situation. He was addressing the UN Security Council on the Ukraine situation.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had also said India supports immediate de-escalation of tensions and vouched for diplomatic dialogue between the countries.
Control rooms in Delhi, Kyiv amid Russia-Ukraine crisis:
Control rooms have been set up in the Indian embassy in Kyiv as well as in the Ministry of External Affairs in the national capital to respond to queries of Indian nationals in Ukraine and their families in India. A 24-hour helpline has also been established at the Embassy of India in Ukraine, the ministry said on Wednesday.
Notably, Russia has over 100,000 troops along the border with Ukraine and hundreds of warships in the Black Sea. Though Russia said the movement of troops was a part of a military exercise with Belarus, the US and other NATO allies have alleged that Russia could attack Ukraine at any given moment.
Russia has, however, been denied that it plans to invade Ukraine.
With PTI inputs
