“Both Opposing Military Superpowers  – US And Russia – Are With India”

ISLAMABAD, (ANI) – As the world stares at a potential third World War amid the ongoing military conflict raging in Ukraine, two superpowers — US and Russia — are standing with India as allies, reported leading Pakistan national daily, The Express Tribune.

In an op-ed column, Shahzad Chaudhry, a noted political, security, and defense analyst from Pakistan, said, “If this isn’t a diplomatic coup, what is?” Notably, Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of the US.

However, amid China’s assertiveness, India-US bilateral relations have developed into a “global strategic partnership”, based on shared democratic values, and increasing convergence of interests on bilateral, regional and global issues.

“India is relevant to the world, not only in its size and girth but by its footprint and what matters to the world. Russia is under American sanctions, and none can trade freely with Russia except India which buys Russian oil on preferred terms and then re-exports it to help an old patron earn dollars the indirect way. Two opposing military superpowers of the world claim India to be its ally,” wrote Chaudhry in his column.

Since the start of the Ukraine conflict, India has sought to carve a middle path between Moscow and its Western critics and has, so far, resisted Western pressure to cut its economic ties with the Kremlin.

Praising India, Chaudhry wrote, “If I were Henry Kissinger, I would write a treatise ‘On India’. Such has been the monumental change in India’s fortunes as a State and a player principally in Asia and broadly on the global stage.”

On Pakistan’s all-weather ally, Saudi Arabia, pivoting towards India, he said, “Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s fraternal brother, announced an investment of over $72 billion in India even as we beg her to invest the $7 billion promised for Pakistan.”

He said India outmaneuvered Pakistan politically by rescinding Article 370 of its Constitution, in Kashmir, giving a special if not disputed status to the region.

India’s expanding global footprint is all too visible, as it was invited to the G7 and is a member of the G20. 

He further advised Pakistan to “recalibrate its policy on India” by “breaking away from convention” to “turn geo-economics into a strategy” or else Pakistan “may be reduced to the footnote of history.”