US welcomes efforts by India & China to de-escalate situation in Ladakh

The US has welcomed the ongoing efforts by India and China to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ladakh and said it would continue to monitor the situation closely as both sides work toward a peaceful resolution.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday announced in Parliament that India and China had reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South banks of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a “phased, coordinated and verifiable” manner. “We’re closely following reports of initial troop disengagement. We welcome the ongoing efforts to de-escalate the situation,” a State Department spokesperson told PTI.