As India-Pak trade fire, the world is sitting this out. Fareed Zakaria decodes

India Today

10-05-2025

The spectre of two nuclear-armed nations trading aerial fire has alarmed the international community. But, it seems the world is sitting this out - a shift from the fervent diplomacy seen during the Israel-Gaza war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.With the United States, under an inward-looking Donald Trump, taking a hands-off approach, and China not adopting a proactive stance, geopolitical expert Fareed Zakaria highlighted the absence of a credible intermediary in the region to help dial down tensions. advertisement'LOST US AS USEFUL INTERMEDIARY'Historically, the diplomatic push from the United States, being a superpower, has been instrumental in bringing countries back from the brink of conflict. According to Zakaria, this laissez-faire policy of the US can be partly blamed for the conflict to spiral. This is simply because the US is one of the few nations that could talk to both sides and try to de-escalate the situation.
"We have lost the United States as a kind of useful intermediary. You saw Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, lean into that kind of role initially. But then, a few hours later, JD Vance, the Vice President, essentially washes his hands off the whole situation and says the US doesn't want to get involved," Zakaria told India Today in an exclusive interview.On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to both sides for the second time in three days, stressed the need to exercise maximum restraint and restore direct lines of communication.advertisementHowever, other leaders have sent an altogether different message. US Vice President JD Vance said America wouldn't get involved in a war that's "fundamentally none of our business". President Donald Trump, who had earlier called India's Operation Sindoor, where it struck nine terror camps in Pakistan, a "shame", has so far not directly engaged with the two leaders.
A man searches for his belongings in Kashmir amid debris after his house was damaged amid the ongoing military conflict between India and Pakistan (PTI)
"There you see the tension in America between the old traditional engaged superpower and the now more isolationist wing of the Republican Party. So because of that, you don't have a party that's trusted. And frankly, the US is now less trusted by Pakistan than it was 10 or 15 years ago. The Pakistanis believe the US has become entirely pro-Indian," Zakaria said.In 2016 and 2019, when India and Pakistan last clashed following the Uri and Pulwama attacks, the US played a key role in de-escalating tensions. The US was also instrumental in getting Pakistan to release IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman after the Balakot airstrike.Zakaria said this "fortress America" mentality, where the Trump administration's priorities are more about tariffs and trade, will only allow such local conflicts to fester. The Indian-American journalist and author said the US, in the past, has very effectively used its diplomatic and moral authority to calm tensions down.advertisement"It is a kind of 'fortress America" mentality, which says whatever's going on outside, let it happen - we don't really care very much. This may be the new world we are in, a world without a superpower, a world without a country that tries to manage these tensions. And, these local conflicts can therefore spiral. And that, is the danger here, very clearly," Zakaria said.'CHINA CAN'T BE TRUSTED'Apart from the US, Zakaria said China could not be trusted as an intermediary, while the European Union doesn't have a powerful geopolitical or geomilitary presence."India has a long history of not wanting the United Nations (UN) involved in this. Certainly, the Chinese have influence with Pakistan, but India would not trust China as an intermediary at all. The European Union, they are not really a single entity, they don't have a powerful geopolitical, geomilitary presence," he said.China, which has called Pakistan its all-weather friend, has been guarded it its response and has mostly remained aloof from the conflict. Even though it helped Pakistan water down a United Nations Security Council condemnation of the Pahalgam attack, China has so far desisted from making a ringing endorsement of support for Pakistan.advertisementWhile calling both India and Pakistan its "neighbours", China said it was willing to play a constructive role in de-escalating the conflict.With India left with limited external support, Zakaria said it has to rely on its own approach to managing the crisis. On the other hand, he said it was important for Pakistan to realise that it cannot win against bigger and more powerful country like India."This is the post-American world that I am worried about. You see it in South Asia. What it means is the dangers of conflict spiralling out of control. India is trying to signal a more measured approach, and you have to hope that at some point Pakistan realises that this is not a conflict they can win," Zakaria said.Tune InMust Watch