'We could not agree more', says US on PM Modi's 'not an era of war' remark

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said that the US could not agree more with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that "this is not an era of war".

Speaking at a joint press appearance with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Washington, Blinken said that the US tried everything possible to avert the Ukraine conflict through diplomacy.

"Unfortunately, tragically, President Putin pursued his aggression, nonetheless. And now the Ukrainian people, but also the world are reaping the consequences," he said.

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Responding to questions, he said, "I really want to emphasise on what Prime Minister Modi said because I think he captured as well as anyone I've heard, fundamentally, what this moment is about as he said, 'this is not an era of war'. We could not agree more." In a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Samarkand earlier this month, Modi underlined the importance of "democracy, dialogue and diplomacy" while calling for an early cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.

"I know today's era is not of war. We discussed this issue with you on phone several times, that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue touch the entire world," Modi said in his first in-person meeting with Putin since the Ukraine conflict began in February.

Blinken said one person has the ability to stop this aggression. And that's Putin. "If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends," he added.

"I think it's very important though that voice is as consequential as India's make themselves heard. And that's why I thought that the Prime Minister's comments were so significant," he added.