Latest news with #militarytensions
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysis-Europe bristles at US proposals at Asian gathering, India-Pakistan hostility on show
By Greg Torode and Fanny Potkin SINGAPORE (Reuters) -The Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore has long been marked by U.S.-China rivalry but Beijing's relative retreat at the weekend exposed a new faultline - tensions between the U.S. and Europe over Asia. Even as he warned in a speech on Saturday that China posed an "imminent" threat, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made clear he wanted Europeans to concentrate on European security as they boosted military budgets. "We would much prefer that the overwhelming balance of European investment be on that that as we partner there, which we will continue to do, we're able to use our comparative advantage as an Indo-Pacific nation to support our partners here," he said. Hegseth also noted the absence of his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun, as Beijing instead dispatched a low-level team of military scholars to the annual event, which attracts top defence officials, diplomats, spies and arms dealers from across the world. The other highlight of the event was the presence of high-powered military delegations from India and Pakistan after four days of intense clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours that were halted by a ceasefire on May 10. The delegations, in full uniform and bristling with medal and service ribbons, were led by India's highest ranking military officer and Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. They pointedly kept out of each other's way in the corridors and meeting halls of the sprawling Shangri-La hotel. On engaging in Asia, at least some European nations signalled they would not be swayed by the U.S. exhortations. They insisted they would try to stay in both the Asian and European theatres, noting their deep links and vital trade flows as well as the global nature of conflict. "It is a good thing we are doing more (in Europe), but what I want to stress is that the security of Europe and the security of the Pacific is very much interlinked," said Europe's top diplomat Kaja Kallas. "If you are worried about China, you should be worried about Russia," Kallas said, underlining the importance of Chinese assistance to the Russian war effort in Ukraine and Moscow's deployment of North Korean soldiers. FRANCE'S ASIAN TIES French President Emmanuel Macron insisted that his nation remains an Indo-Pacific power, alluding to its enduring colonial presence in New Caledonia and French Polynesia and the basing of over 8,000 soldiers across the region. "We are neither China nor the U.S., we don't want to depend on either of them," Macron said at a press conference on Friday, outlining a "third path" coalition between Europe and Asia that avoided having to choose between Beijing and Washington. "We want to cooperate with both as far as we can, and we can cooperate for growth and prosperity and stability for our people and the world order, and I think this is exactly the same view of a lot of countries and a lot of people of this region," he said. Beyond the rhetoric, regional military attaches and analysts say the European regional presence - and ambitions - may not be easy to shift. Military deployments are mapped out over decades rather than months, and both commercial and defence relationships go back decades, some of them only rarely publicly acknowledged. The visit of a British aircraft carrier to Singapore later this month is part of a programme first mentioned by then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in 2017 to stress British support for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. The carrier visit in part reflects Britain's commitments under the 54-year-old Five-Power Defence Arrangement that links its military with counterparts in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. British ties with Australia have been bolstered with the recent three-way AUKUS submarine and advanced technology sharing agreement struck with the U.S. - a move that could see British submarines visiting Western Australia. Singapore meanwhile keeps 200 personnel in France operating 12 of its light combat aircraft while Britain also has a jungle training camp and helicopters in Brunei and a 1,200-strong Gurkha battalion, according to International Institute of Strategic Studies data. A report last month by the London-based IISS highlighted European defence firms' long-standing and expanding defence ties to Asia, even in the face of competition, particularly from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as regional budgets rise. "European companies, including Airbus, Damen, Naval Group and Thales, have a long-standing presence in Southeast Asia, and other European actors have established themselves in the market in the last decade, including Italy's Fincantieri and Sweden's Saab," the IISS study said. Saab is close to securing a deal with U.S. ally Thailand to supply its Gripen fighters, beating out Lockheed Martin's F-16s. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has reported that Asian defence spending rose 46% in the decade to 2024, reaching $629 billion. For Finnish officials at least, Hegseth's remarks resonated - it is Moscow rather than the Indo-Pacific that looms large for Helsinki given the country's long Russian border. "When Europe's defence is in a good shape, then you will have resources to do something more," Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen told Reuters. "But now all the European countries must do their main focus on European defence so that the United States can do a bigger share in the Indo-Pacific area," Hakkanen said.
Reuters
01-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Europe bristles at US proposals at Asian gathering, India-Pakistan hostility on show
SINGAPORE, June 1 (Reuters) - The Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore has long been marked by U.S.-China rivalry but Beijing's relative retreat at the weekend exposed a new faultline - tensions between the U.S. and Europe over Asia. Even as he warned in a speech on Saturday that China posed an "imminent" threat, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made clear he wanted Europeans to concentrate on European security as they boosted military budgets. "We would much prefer that the overwhelming balance of European investment be on that that as we partner there, which we will continue to do, we're able to use our comparative advantage as an Indo-Pacific nation to support our partners here," he said. Hegseth also noted the absence of his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun, as Beijing instead dispatched a low-level team of military scholars to the annual event, which attracts top defence officials, diplomats, spies and arms dealers from across the world. The other highlight of the event was the presence of high-powered military delegations from India and Pakistan after four days of intense clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours that were halted by a ceasefire on May 10. The delegations, in full uniform and bristling with medal and service ribbons, were led by India's highest ranking military officer and Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. They pointedly kept out of each other's way in the corridors and meeting halls of the sprawling Shangri-La hotel. On engaging in Asia, at least some European nations signalled they would not be swayed by the U.S. exhortations. They insisted they would try to stay in both the Asian and European theatres, noting their deep links and vital trade flows as well as the global nature of conflict. "It is a good thing we are doing more (in Europe), but what I want to stress is that the security of Europe and the security of the Pacific is very much interlinked," said Europe's top diplomat Kaja Kallas. "If you are worried about China, you should be worried about Russia," Kallas said, underlining the importance of Chinese assistance to the Russian war effort in Ukraine and Moscow's deployment of North Korean soldiers. French President Emmanuel Macron insisted that his nation remains an Indo-Pacific power, alluding to its enduring colonial presence in New Caledonia and French Polynesia and the basing of over 8,000 soldiers across the region. "We are neither China nor the U.S., we don't want to depend on either of them," Macron said at a press conference on Friday, outlining a "third path" coalition between Europe and Asia that avoided having to choose between Beijing and Washington. "We want to cooperate with both as far as we can, and we can cooperate for growth and prosperity and stability for our people and the world order, and I think this is exactly the same view of a lot of countries and a lot of people of this region," he said. Beyond the rhetoric, regional military attaches and analysts say the European regional presence - and ambitions - may not be easy to shift. Military deployments are mapped out over decades rather than months, and both commercial and defence relationships go back decades, some of them only rarely publicly acknowledged. The visit of a British aircraft carrier to Singapore later this month is part of a programme first mentioned by then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in 2017 to stress British support for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. The carrier visit in part reflects Britain's commitments under the 54-year-old Five-Power Defence Arrangement that links its military with counterparts in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. British ties with Australia have been bolstered with the recent three-way AUKUS submarine and advanced technology sharing agreement struck with the U.S. - a move that could see British submarines visiting Western Australia. Singapore meanwhile keeps 200 personnel in France operating 12 of its light combat aircraft while Britain also has a jungle training camp and helicopters in Brunei and a 1,200-strong Gurkha battalion, according to International Institute of Strategic Studies data. A report last month by the London-based IISS highlighted European defence firms' long-standing and expanding defence ties to Asia, even in the face of competition, particularly from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as regional budgets rise. "European companies, including Airbus, Damen, Naval Group and Thales, have a long-standing presence in Southeast Asia, and other European actors have established themselves in the market in the last decade, including Italy's Fincantieri and Sweden's Saab," the IISS study said. Saab is close to securing a deal with U.S. ally Thailand to supply its Gripen fighters, beating out Lockheed Martin's F-16s. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has reported that Asian defence spending rose 46% in the decade to 2024, reaching $629 billion. For Finnish officials at least, Hegseth's remarks resonated - it is Moscow rather than the Indo-Pacific that looms large for Helsinki given the country's long Russian border. "When Europe's defence is in a good shape, then you will have resources to do something more," Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen told Reuters. "But now all the European countries must do their main focus on European defence so that the United States can do a bigger share in the Indo-Pacific area," Hakkanen said.
Al Jazeera
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
What did India and Pakistan gain – and lose – in their military standoff?
Islamabad, Pakistan – Four days after a May 10 ceasefire pulled India and Pakistan back from the brink of a full-fledged war following days of rapidly escalating military tensions, a battle of narratives has broken out, with each country claiming 'victory' over the other. The conflict erupted after gunmen killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir, on April 22. A little-known armed group, The Resistance Front (TRF), initially claimed responsibility, with India accusing Pakistan of backing it. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised retaliation, even though Pakistan denied any role in the attack. After a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures between the neighbours, tensions exploded militarily. Early on the morning of May 7, India fired missiles at what it described as 'terrorist' bases not just in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, but also four sites in Pakistan's Punjab province. In the following days, both sides launched killer drone strikes at each other's territory and blamed one another for initiating the attacks. Tensions peaked on Saturday when India and Pakistan fired missiles at each other's military bases. India initially targeted three Pakistani airbases, including one in Rawalpindi, the garrison city which is home to the headquarters of the Pakistan Army, before then launching projectiles at other Pakistani bases. Pakistan's missiles targeted military installations across the country's frontier with India and Indian-administered Kashmir, striking at least four facilities. Then, as the world braced for total war between the nuclear-armed neighbours, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, which he claimed had been mediated by the United States. Pakistan express gratitude to the US, even as India insisted the decision to halt fighting was made solely by the two neighbours without any third-party intervention. Since the announcement, both countries have held news conferences, presenting 'evidence' of their 'achievements'. On Monday, senior military officials in India and Pakistan spoke by phone, pledging to uphold the ceasefire in the coming days. However, analysts say neither side can truly claim to have emerged from the post-April 22 crisis with a definite upper hand. Instead, they say, both India and Pakistan can claim strategic gains even as they each also suffered losses. The military standoff last week – like three of the four wars between India and Pakistan – had roots in the two countries' dispute over the Kashmir region. Pakistan and India administer different parts of Kashmir, along with China, which governs two narrow strips. India claims all of Kashmir, while Pakistan claims the part India – but not Islamabad's ally China – administers. After the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, which led to the creation of Bangladesh, New Delhi and Islamabad inked the Simla Agreement, which, among other things, committed them to settling 'their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations'. Since then, India has argued that the Kashmir dispute – and other tensions between the neighbours – can only be settled bilaterally, without third-party intervention. Pakistan, however, has cited United Nations resolutions to call for the global community to play a role in pushing for a solution. On Sunday, Trump said that the US was ready to help mediate a resolution to the Kashmir dispute. 'I will work with you both to see if, after a thousand years, a solution can be arrived at, concerning Kashmir,' the US president posted on his Truth Social platform. Walter Ladwig, a senior lecturer at King's College London, said the latest conflict gave Pakistan a chance to internationalise the Kashmir issue, which had been its longstanding strategic goal. 'Islamabad welcomed mediation from a range of countries, including the US, framing the resulting ceasefire as evidence of the need for external involvement,' Ladwig told Al Jazeera. By contrast, he said, India had to accept a ceasefire brokered externally, rather than ending the conflict on its own terms. Sudha Ramachandran, the South Asia editor for The Diplomat magazine, said that Modi's government in India may have strengthened its nationalist support base through its military operation, though it may have also lost some domestic political points with the ceasefire. 'It was able to score points among its nationalist hawkish support base. But the ceasefire has not gone down well among hardliners,' Ramachandran said. Highlighting 'terrorism': India's gain, Pakistan's loss However, analysts also say the spiral in tensions last week, and its trigger in the form of the Pahalgam attack, helped India too. 'Diplomatically, India succeeded in refocusing international attention on Pakistan-based militant groups, renewing calls for Islamabad to take meaningful action,' Ladwig said. He referred to 'the reputational cost [for Pakistan] of once again being associated with militant groups operating from its soil'. 'While Islamabad denied involvement and called for neutral investigations, the burden of proof in international forums increasingly rests on Pakistan to demonstrate proactive counterterrorism efforts,' Ladwig added. India has long accused Pakistan of financing, training and sheltering armed groups that support the secession of Kashmir from India. Pakistan insists it only provides diplomatic and moral support to Kashmir's separatist movement. Planes down may be Pakistan's gain India claimed that its strikes on May 7 killed more than 100 'terrorists'. Pakistan said the Indian missiles had hit mosques and residential areas, killing only civilians – in total, including children. Islamabad also claimed that it scrambled its fighter planes to respond and had brought down multiple Indian jets. India has neither confirmed nor denied those claims, but Pakistan's military has publicly shared details that it says identify the planes that were shot down. French and US officials have confirmed that at least one Rafale and one Russian-made jet were lost by India. Indian officials have also confirmed to Al Jazeera that at least two planes crashed in Indian-administered territory, but did not clarify which country they belonged to. With both India and Pakistan agreeing that neither side's jets had crossed their frontier, the presence of debris from a crashed plane in Indian-administered territory suggests they were likely Indian, say analysts. The ceasefire coming after that suggests a gain for Pakistan, Asfandyar Mir, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera. 'Especially, the downing of the aircraft confirmed by various independent sources. So, it [Pakistan] may see the ceasefire as being better for consolidating that dividend.' Muhammad Shoaib, an academic and security analyst at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, called India's strikes against Pakistan a strategic miscalculation. 'Their reading of Pakistan's ability to hit back was flawed,' he said. Ludwig, however, said it would be a mistake to overstate the significance of any Pakistani successes, such as the possible downing of Indian jets. 'These are, at best, symbolic victories. They do not represent a clear or unambiguous military gain,' he said. In many ways, analysts say that the more meaty military accomplishment was India's. In addition to Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Indian missiles on May 7 also targeted four sites in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous state and the country's economic nerve-centre. Over the next two days, India also fired drones that reached deep inside Pakistani territory, including major Pakistani population centres such as Lahore and Karachi. And on May 10, Indian missiles hit three Pakistani airbases that were deeper in Pakistan's Punjab than the Indian bases Pakistan hit that day were in Indian territory. Simply put, India demonstrated greater reach than Pakistan did. It was the first time since the 1971 war between them that India had managed to hit Punjab. Launching a military response not just across the Line of Control, the two countries' de-facto border in Kashmir, but deep into Pakistan had been India's primary goal, said Ramchandran. And India achieved it. Ludwig, too, said that India's success in targeting Punjab represented a serious breach of Pakistan's defensive posture. Military officials from both countries who spoke on Monday and agreed to hold the ceasefire also agreed to take immediate steps to reduce their troops' presence along the borders. A second round of talks is expected within 48 hours. However, later that day, Indian Prime Minister Modi said that the fighting had merely 'paused'. Still, the Stimson Center's Mir believes the ceasefire could hold. 'Both sides face constraints and opportunities that have emerged during the course of the last week, which, on balance, make a ceasefire a better outcome for them,' he said. Ladwig echoed that view, saying the truce reflects mutual interest in de-escalation, even if it does not resolve the tensions that led to the crisis. 'India has significantly changed the rules of the game in this episode. The Indian government seems to have completely dispensed with the game that allows Islamabad and Rawalpindi to claim plausible deniability regarding anti-Indian terrorist groups,' he said. 'What the Pakistani government and military do with groups on its soil would seem to be the key factor in determining how robust the ceasefire will be.' Quaid-i-Azam University's Shoaib, who is also a research fellow at George Mason University in the US, emphasised the importance of continued dialogue. He warned that maintaining peace will depend on security dynamics in both Indian-administered Kashmir and Pakistan's Balochistan province. Just as India accuses Pakistan of supporting cross-border separatism, Islamabad alleges that New Delhi backs a separatist insurgency in Balochistan, a claim India denies. 'Any subsequent bout of violence has the potential to get bloodier and more widespread,' Shoaib said. 'Both sides, going for a war of attrition, could inflict significant damage on urban populations, without gaining anything from the conflict.'
Al Jazeera
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
India expels Pakistan diplomat as war of words simmers in place of fighting
India has ordered a Pakistani diplomat to leave the country within 24 hours as tensions simmer in the wake of heavy military exchanges between the nuclear-armed neighbours before a ceasefire was agreed last week. The unnamed official, stationed at Pakistan's embassy in New Delhi, was accused by India's Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday of 'indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status'. The move comes after a brief but intense military confrontation last week that threatened to erupt into the fifth full-scale war between the two countries. While the truce brought a temporary halt to cross-border missile and drone strikes, sporadic skirmishes continue along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in disputed Kashmir, a region claimed by both nations. On Tuesday, Pakistan reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire but warned it would respond forcefully to any future attacks. The statement came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned in his first national address since the truce that India would strike 'terrorist hideouts' across the border if provoked again. The ultranationalist Hindu leader added that India 'only paused' its military action against Pakistan. Modi's remarks were swiftly condemned by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which called them 'provocative and inflammatory'. 'At a time when international efforts are being made for regional peace and stability, this statement represents a dangerous escalation,' it said. 'Pakistan remains committed to the recent ceasefire understanding and taking necessary steps towards de-escalation and regional stability,' the statement continued, adding that any future aggression would receive a response. The conflict ignited after a deadly April 22 shooting attack in the Pahalgam area of India-administered Kashmir, where 25 Indian tourists and one Nepalese visitor were killed. India accused Pakistan's government of links to the attacks – an accusation Islamabad strongly denied. India launched strikes on what it called 'terrorist infrastructure' in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. According to Islamabad, 40 civilians and 11 Pakistani military personnel were killed in last week's violence. India said at least 16 civilians and five Indian soldiers were killed. The fighting marked the most severe exchange between the two countries in nearly 30 years and ended only after sustained diplomatic pressure. On Monday, India said it held a rare phone call with Pakistan's military leaders, agreeing to uphold the ceasefire and explore ways to de-escalate the conflict. Despite the ceasefire, sporadic violence continued on Tuesday with Indian forces reporting a gun battle in southern Kashmir's Shopian district. The army said three suspected fighters were killed in a 'search and destroy' operation launched on intelligence input. On Tuesday, Modi visited Adampur airbase near the border and reiterated India's stance in a speech to air force personnel. 'We will not differentiate between the government sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of terrorism,' he said. 'We will enter their dens and hit them without giving them an opportunity to survive.' Meanwhile, both sides have taken a series of retaliatory diplomatic and economic measures. India has suspended most visa services for Pakistani nationals, halted bilateral trade and announced its intention to unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, a World Bank-brokered water-sharing agreement in place since 1960 that is critical for farming. In response, Pakistan banned visas for Indians, closed its airspace to Indian aircraft and imposed a reciprocal trade embargo.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pakistan T20 cricket league set to resume after ceasefire
Fans gather outside Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium after organizers suspended the Indian Premier League for one week following the escalating military tensions with Pakistan, in Lucknow, India, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo) Workers repair broken glass of a building at the parking area of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where a suspected Indian drone was crashed on Thursday, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) Workers repair broken glass of a building at the parking area of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where a suspected Indian drone was crashed on Thursday, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) A motorcyclist drives past an advertisement of Pakistan Super League Twenty20 tournament displayed along a roadside in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Workers walk past an advertisement board of Pakistan Super League Twenty20 tournament with the pictures of cricketers, installed at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) Workers walk past an advertisement board of Pakistan Super League Twenty20 tournament with the pictures of cricketers, installed at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) Fans gather outside Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium after organizers suspended the Indian Premier League for one week following the escalating military tensions with Pakistan, in Lucknow, India, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo) Workers repair broken glass of a building at the parking area of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where a suspected Indian drone was crashed on Thursday, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) Workers repair broken glass of a building at the parking area of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where a suspected Indian drone was crashed on Thursday, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) A motorcyclist drives past an advertisement of Pakistan Super League Twenty20 tournament displayed along a roadside in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Workers walk past an advertisement board of Pakistan Super League Twenty20 tournament with the pictures of cricketers, installed at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Pakistan Super League is set to resume this weekend after a ceasefire between Pakistan and India. 'PSL X picks up from where it left off! 6 teams, 0 fear,' Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi posted Tuesday on X. Advertisement 'Let the aura take over as we unite and celebrate the spirit of cricket," he posted. "Get ready for 8 thrilling matches starting 17th May, leading up to the Grand Final on 25th May. Best of luck to all the teams!' Pakistan and India agreed to a truce last Saturday after talks to defuse their most serious military confrontation in decades. The Pakistan-based Twenty20 league was suspended last Thursday after an Indian drone fell near the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which was due to host a game featuring foreign players from Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and Afghanistan. The organizers first proposed moving the tournament to Dubai but later decided to postpone it after foreign players showed their reluctance to participate in the tournament due to security concerns. Around 43 foreign cricketers — competing in six PSL teams — were flown out of Pakistan from an airbase in Rawalpindi. Advertisement It was not clear how many foreign players will return to Pakistan for the remainder of eight games, which are likely to be played at Rawalpindi and Lahore. Quetta Gladiators have already qualified for the playoffs and lead the standings with 13 points. Karachi Kings, Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi are in the running to fill the remaining three playoff spots. Multan Sultans, led by Mohammad Rizwan, are already out of playoff race after losing eight of their nine league games. On Monday, the world's most lucrative T20 league — the Indian Premier League — also announced the resumption of the tournament. The IPL will run from Saturday until June 3. ___ AP cricket:
