India-Pakistan hostilities: US calls for 'return to stability', France tells Islamabad to stop terror; how world powers reacted

As the tension escalated between India and Pakistan, nations across the world urged the governments of India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. However, the nuances of standard geopolitik subtly reveal the official stand of each nation. While friendly nations were more open in condemning terrorism and Pakistan, responses by China and Russia were also no less surprising. Here is a lowdown on how some of the prominent world powers reacted to the hostilities between India and Pakistan.

The US

The United States favoured India in its response after the Balakot strike and the subsequent escalation of tension. It asked Pakistan to honour the UN Security Council commitments and deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. While in the aftermath of Indian air strikes, US lawmakers and officials advised Pakistan to take “meaningful action” against terrorist groups operating on its soil, there was no similar advice to India. After the Pakistani aggression, the US simply claimed it is closely monitoring the situation while urging the two countries to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences.

“The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability,” the spokesperson said. “We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation,” a White House spokesperson said.

The US also asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds.

UK

The UK stuck to its traditional stance on the issue.  Describing both countries as “important and long-standing friends of the United Kingdom”, the minister said the UK government’s position on Kashmir remains unchanged in that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution to the situation.

“It isn’t for the UK to prescribe, to intervene or to interfere with a solution or to act as a mediator,” UK Foreign Office minister Mark Field said.

During the lengthy Commons sessions, Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry called on the government to urge both countries to think “first and foremost of the innocent people in Kashmir, literally caught in the middle of this cross-fire”.

France

France was a little more forthcoming in its support for India, by clearly recognising India’s need to ensure its security. A statement issued by France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs said, “France recognises India’s legitimacy to ensure its security against cross-border terrorism and asks Pakistan to put an end to the operations of terrorist groups established on its territory.”

Moreover, just a day after India’s air strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp, news came that France is working on a proposal to ban JeM chief Masood Azhar after it assumes the Presidency of the powerful UN Security Council in March.  The rotating monthly Presidency of the 15-nation UN Security Council (UNSC) will go from Equatorial Guinea to France on 1 March.

It too, however, requested both countries to avoid further escalation of border hostilities.

“France calls on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint to avert any risk of military escalation and preserve strategic stability in region. Resumption of dialogue between Islamabad and New is Delhi necessary to initiate peaceful settlement of differences.”

Russia

Russia, once a close ally of India, took a relatively neutral stand in the face of the conflict. It urged both India and Pakistan to ‘‘show restraint" as it expressed “serious concern” about the escalation of hostilities between the two countries.

“We call on both sides to show restraint and step up efforts to resolve existing problems by political and diplomatic means,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said in a statement. It expressed “serious concern” about the aggravation of the situation along the Line of Control and the outbreak of tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.

Russia also offered to mediat e between New Delhi and Islamabad to dissolve tension. “We are ready to further assist in strengthening the counter-terrorism potential of New Delhi and Islamabad,” the ministry added.

Besides this, at the Russia-India-China trilateral in Zhejiang , Russia did join India in “strongly condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations” and “called on the international community to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation by fully implementing the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law.”

China

China’s position (at least verbal) was neutral and predictable. It took the usual view expressing concern over the rising hostilities between India Pakistan while advising both countries to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue to uphold the peace and stability in the region.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang’s remarks came after Pakistan targeted military installations in India in response to Indian counter-terrorism in Balakot. “I understand that in the latest development Pakistan says it had shot down two Indian aircraft and captured Indian pilots,” Lu Kang said.

“China’s position is clear. As two important countries in South Asia we hope that the two countries can exercise restraint and engage in dialogue and take actions for the peace and stability in the region,” he said.

However, what made for a touch of surprise was Beijing’s silence over Indian airstrikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp. And the silence did not go unnoticed. Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistani Ambassador to the US told PTI, “It is telling that no country has spoken out in Pakistan’s favour after the Indian air strike. Even China called for restraint on both sides instead of supporting Pakistan in protesting India’s violation of Pakistan’s air space.”

Chinese silence was even interpreted by some as a “tacit support” to Indian air strikes against the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camps while maintaining some degree of support to its ‘all-weather ally’ Pakistan by making it plain that it would not label Islamabad as a state sponsor of terrorism. A report in The Hindu said that China’s deft balancing act became visible when during the Russia-India-China trilateral in Zhejiang when Wang said that it was “especially important” to “eradicate the breeding grounds of terrorism and extremism."

But the Chinese were also not yet ready to abandon Pakistan completely. “China, Russia and India have reaffirmed our strong opposition to terrorism in its various forms and manifestations. At the same time, we believe that Pakistan has always been opposed to terrorism," Wang observed.

It is also highly unlikely that the Chinese will change their stance on the issue of blacklisting Azhar.

The French Presidency of the UNSC comes after the 15-nation UN organ under the presidency of Equatorial Guinea had issued a highly significant press statement strongly condemning the Pulwama terror attack. China had to sign off on the 21 February UNSC press statement that “condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility”.

The UNSC press statement was seen not only as a strong condemnation of terror against India but also of international solidarity with New Delhi on its fight against terrorism.

But China’s was the lone opposition in the UNSC to any mention of ’terrorism’ in the press statement, which resulted in a delay of nearly one week in the issuance of the UNSC statement, official sources told PTI. 

However, the US assiduously worked as “pen holder” making various adjustments to get the approval by all other members of the Council, they said.

With inputs from PTI