Trump calls rising India-Pakistan tensions a shame; Rubio speaks to both sides
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US President Donald Trump said he hoped the tensions between India and Pakistan will end quickly.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump termed rising tensions between India and Pakistan a shame, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to officials in the nuclear-armed rivals after India attacked several sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
India is an important US partner for Washington, which aims to counter China’s rising influence, while Pakistan remains an ally, despite its diminished importance after the US withdrawal from neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021.
Pakistan said it was mounting a respons
“It’s a shame, we just heard about it,” Mr Trump told reporters at the White House. “I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time.”
The US President added: “I just hope it ends very quickly.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media platform X that he was monitoring the situation closely, while adding that Washington would continue to engage the Asian neighbours to reach a “peaceful resolution”.
The State Department said Mr Rubio spoke to the national security advisers of both nations, urging “both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation”.
The Indian embassy in Washington said Mr Ajit Doval, the Indian national security adviser, briefed Mr Rubio about the military actions, which took place early on May 7 in Asia.
In recent days, Washington urged the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours to work with each other to de-escalate tensions and arrive at a “responsible solution”.
Top US leaders, including Mr Trump, offered support to India after the April 22 Islamist militant attack
In April, analysts said Washington may leave India and Pakistan on their own in the early days of the tensions, in part because it has a lot to deal with in achieving diplomatic goals in Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza.
India and Pakistan will figure out relations between themselves, Mr Trump said on April 25: “They’ll get it figured out one way or the other.”
In recent days, the US State Department has said it was in touch with the Asian neighbours at multiple levels, and Mr Rubio held calls last week with them.
Both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in full, with each controlling only part and having fought wars over the region.
India blamed Pakistan for the April 22 attack. Pakistan denied the claims and called for a neutral investigation. REUTERS
