US Vice-President J.D. Vance has said that the conflict between India and Pakistan is “fundamentally none of our business,” although he and President Donald Trump are encouraging both countries to de-escalate tensions.
“What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we’re not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it. You know, America can’t tell the Indians to lay down their arms. We can’t tell the Pakistanis to lay down their arms. And so, we’re going to continue to pursue this through diplomatic channels,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News.
Vance added, “Our hope and our expectation is that this does not spiral into a broader regional war or, God forbid, a nuclear conflict. Right now, we don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Vance’s remarks came after Pakistan made a failed attempt to attack military establishments in Jammu, Pathankot, and several other Indian cities. India’s air defence systems intercepted and neutralized at least eight missiles launched by Islamabad.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump called on India and Pakistan to halt what he described as “tit-for-tat” actions, saying that he would be willing to help if needed.
“Oh, it’s so terrible. My position is I get along with both. I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop, and hopefully, they can stop now. They’ve gone tit for tat, so hopefully, they can stop now. I know both—we get along with both countries very well,” Trump said in response to a question about the ongoing conflict.
“Good relationships with both, and I want to see it stop. And if I can do anything to help, I will be there,” he added.
Trump’s comments followed Indian military strikes against terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday. In response, the Pakistan Army launched artillery and mortar shelling, targeting forward villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
India launched Operation Sindoor early Wednesday, hitting nine terror targets in PoK and Punjab province in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people.
-IANS
