India-Pakistan conflict is ‘none of our business’, says US Vice-President Vance

Washington:  US Vice-President J.D. Vance has said that the conflict between India and Pakistan is “fundamentally none of our business,” though he and President Donald Trump are encouraging both the countries to de-escalate.

“What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we’re not going to get involved in the middle of war that’s fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it. You know, America can’t tell the Indians to lay down their arms. We can’t tell the Pakistanis to lay down their arms. And so, we’re going to continue to pursue this thing through diplomatic channels,” Vance, who has been a proponent of US disengagement from international conflicts, said in an interview with Fox News.

“Our hope and our expectation is that this is not going to spiral into a broader regional war or, God forbid, a nuclear conflict,” Vance added.

“Right now, we don’t think that’s going to happen.”

The remarks by Vance came as Pakistan made a failed attempt to attack military establishment in Jammu, Pathankot and several other cities.

India’s air defence system intercepted and neutralised at least eight missiles launched by Islamabad.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he wants India and Pakistan to “stop” what he described as “tit for tat” actions, saying if he can do anything to “help”, he will be there.

“Oh it’s so terrible. My position is I get along with both. I know both very well and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop and hopefully they can stop now. They have gone tit for tat, so hopefully they can stop now. I know both, we get along with both the countries very well.”

“Good relationships with both and I want to see it stop. And If I can do anything to help, I will be there,” Trump said in response to a question on the “war” between India and Pakistan.

Trump’s remarks came after the Indian military carried out strikes against terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday.

Pakistan army carried out artillery and mortar shelling targeting forward villages along the Line Of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

India launched Operation Sindoor early Wednesday hitting nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Punjab province of Pakistan in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack that killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

–IANS