By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (WARNEWS) — On Thursday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that India and Pakistan ought to reduce hostilities. However, he also noted that the U.S. has no authority over these nuclear-armed Asian nations and that an armed conflict between them would not concern America directly.
We aim for this situation to defuse as rapidly as we can. However, we cannot manage these nations,” Vance stated during an interview on the Fox News program “The Story with Martha MacCallum.
“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 war that’s fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it,” he added.
India plays a crucial role for Washington as it seeks to curb China’s growing dominance, whereas Pakistan continues to be a U.S. ally even though its significance has waned following America’s exit from nearby Afghanistan in 2021.
Some analysts and former officials suggest that due to U.S. efforts aimed at achieving diplomatic objectives in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine and Israel’s operations in Gaza, America might initially let India and Pakistan handle their disputes independently, receiving minimal direct intervention from the U.S. government.
Pakistan and India blamed each other for conducting drone strikes, with Islamabad’s defense minister stating that additional reprisals were “becoming more likely,” as intense skirmishes continued into their second day on Thursday. The conflict over two days resulted in almost 48 fatalities.
The most recent intensification of the long-standing dispute between India and Pakistan started on April 22 when Islamic extremists were responsible for killing 26 individuals in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The incident was attributed by New Delhi to Islamabad, but Pakistan refuted these claims and requested an impartial investigation instead.
Vance stated on Thursday that their hope and anticipation is for this situation not to escalate into a wider regional war or, heaven forbid, turn into a nuclear confrontation.
Recently, Washington has been engaged in ongoing discussions with both countries. On Thursday, for instance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke separately with Pakistan’s prime minister and India’s foreign minister, pressing them to reduce tensions and engage directly in conversation.
U.S. President Donald Trump called rising tensions a shame. On Wednesday, he said he hoped the two countries will stop now after going “tit-for-tat.” The State Department urged both countries to work towards what Washington terms as a “responsible solution.”
(Reported by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Edited by Michael Perry)
