NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar has firmly rejected claims that the United States played a decisive role in brokering the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, asserting instead that it was India’s military response that forced Islamabad to halt hostilities. In an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Jaishankar also raised concerns over Pakistan’s close defence ties with China, encouraging observers to “draw your own conclusions.” “The cessation of firing was agreed between the military commanders of both sides through direct contact,” Jaishankar said. “The morning before, we effectively hit and incapacitated Pakistan’s main airbases and air defence system. So who should I thank for the cessation of hostilities? I thank the Indian military because it was the Indian military action that made Pakistan say: We are ready to stop.” Pushing back against suggestions that the standoff during Operation Sindoor brought the nuclear-armed neighbours close to atomic conflict, Jaishankar called such claims baseless and alarmist. “Very, very far away. I’m frankly astonished by your question,” he said when asked how close the world was to nuclear war. “We had terrorist targets. Those were very measured, carefully considered and non-escalating steps. After that, the Pakistani military opened fire on us. We were able to show them that we could disable their air defence systems. Then the firing stopped at their request.” He criticised what he called the West’s persistent tendency to frame South Asian conflicts as potential nuclear flashpoints. “Anything that happens in South Asia is promptly linked to a nuclear crisis by the West,” he said, calling the narrative “disturbing” and warning that it inadvertently “encourages terrible activities like terrorism.” On Pakistan’s continued support for terrorism, Jaishankar said: “Anyone who is not blind can see that the terrorist organisations are openly operating from the cities and towns of Pakistan… In Pakistan, terrorism is a very open business. A business that is supported, financed, organised and used by the state. And by their military.” When asked about China’s involvement in the India-Pakistan dynamic, Jaishankar pointed to Islamabad’s defence dependency on Beijing. “Many of the weapons systems that Pakistan has are of Chinese origin and the two countries are very close. You can draw your own conclusions from that,” he said. Jaishankar’s remarks were part of a wide-ranging conversation on India’s evolving foreign policy, its relationship with Germany and the European Union, and its longstanding strategic partnership with Russia. Defending New Delhi’s ties with Moscow, he criticised what he described as European double standards. “You sound as if you can do business with states that are different, but we cannot… My neighbour Pakistan has caused every conceivable problem under the sun… But doesn’t Germany also do business with Pakistan?” he asked. On Europe’s changing approach to global affairs, Jaishankar said the continent was beginning to move away from the assumption that its concerns automatically translate into global priorities. “I see big changes in Europe and Europe’s thinking… that it feels it should be more independent and more resilient,” he said. He welcomed Germany’s increasing role in global security, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, and expressed hope for stronger India-Germany defence cooperation. However, he acknowledged that “the conditions are not yet perfect” and India continues to press for deeper technological collaboration. Regarding the long-pending India-EU Free Trade Agreement, Jaishankar struck an optimistic tone. “Prime Minister Modi and EU Commission President von der Leyen have made it clear that the project should be completed by the end of the year… The agreement has strategic importance.” He also expressed confidence in Germany’s growing engagement with the Indo-Pacific and its understanding of India’s concerns over China. “When I look at Germany ten years ago, I see an enormous evolution… I see much stronger prospects for our partnership,” he said.
