Vice President’s JD Vance’s pacifist remarks about India-Pakistan set off alarm bells at the White House—and forced the administration to intervene in the conflict.
As the two sides sparred with airstrikes, Vance told Fox News that the conflict was “fundamentally none of our business” and that all the United States could do was “encourage these folks to deescalate a little bit.” Those comments fueled fears inside the Trump administration that the conflict may spiral out of control, according to a report in The New York Times.
Less than 24 hours later, Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to top officials in India and Pakistan—including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—to urge them to end the war. The two then agreed to a ceasefire.
The U.S. was ultimately spurred into action because of concerns that the fight between the two parties could go nuclear, according to the Times. Pakistan had sent hundreds of drones to test India’s air defenses, and India later struck one of Pakistan’s military air bases not far from the facility that oversees Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
The fighting broke out last month after 22 people, mostly Hindu tourists, were killed in a terrorist attack in the disputed border region of Kashmir.
But it escalated to the point where Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting between the agency that decides when to use nuclear weapons, according to local reports. Pakistan later denied that the group met.
As the hostilities continued, the U.S. realized on Friday that public statements urging de-escalation would not suffice. Vance then called Modi, whom Vance met during a trip to India last month, and said the U.S. believed the fight could lead to a full-on war between the two nations, according to the Times.
Rubio also called Pakistani top officials, and as the stream of calls seeped into Saturday, the two sides worked out the foundations for a ceasefire.
Pakistan heralded Trump “for his leadership and proactive role for peace in the region” by securing the agreement. India did not acknowledge the U.S.’ role at all.
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