World leaders call on India, Pak to exercise restraint, hope hostilities 'end very quickly'
Operation Sindoor
_vb_88.jpeg)
Washington/Moscow (PTI): World leaders, including UN chief Antonio Guterres and US President Donald Trump, on Wednesday called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and hoped that the hostilities would end "very quickly".
In retaliation against the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan, including Bhawalpur, a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "maximum military restraint" from India and Pakistan, saying the world cannot afford a military confrontation between the two countries.
"The Secretary-General is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and the international border. He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries. The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” the secretary-general's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said.
US President Donald Trump said he hopes that the hostilities will end "very quickly".
"It’s a shame, he said, adding, "We heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval (Office). 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. They've been fighting for many, many decades and centuries, actually, if you really think about it,” Trump said.
Asked if he has any message for the countries, he said, “No, I just hope it ends very quickly.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he was closely monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan.
Russia also expressed deep concern at the escalation of military confrontation between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
“We are deeply concerned about the intensifying military confrontation between India and Pakistan after the terrorist attack near the city of Pahalgam,” Russia Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by state-run news agency TAS S.
“We call on the parties involved to exercise restraint in order to prevent further deterioration of the situation in the region.
"We hope that the differences between New Delhi and Islamabad will be resolved through peaceful, political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999,” the spokesperson said in a statement in the wake of 'Operation Sindoor'.
The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, asked India and Pakistan “to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace,” according to a statement from UAE Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
"His Highness stressed the importance of heeding the voices calling for dialogue and mutual understanding to prevent military escalation, strengthen stability in South Asia, and avoid further regional tensions," the statement said.
"His Highness reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity."
"His Highness further emphasised that the United Arab Emirates will continue its efforts to support all initiatives aimed at achieving peaceful resolutions to regional and international conflicts and mitigating their humanitarian consequences," it said.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government is following the situation closely while reiterating its condemnation of the terrorist attack in Kashmir last month.
"We are strongly concerned that further retaliatory exchanges will escalate into a full-blown military conflict," the top government spokesman said at a press conference.
"We strongly urge India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and stabilise the situation through dialogue for the peace and stability of South Asia," Hayashi was quoted as saying by the Kyodo News.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
