Frankly Speaking: Russia’s view on talks in Saudi Arabia

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Frankly Speaking: Russia’s view on talks in Saudi Arabia

Frankly Speaking: Russia’s view on talks in Saudi Arabia
  • Biden administration was part of the Ukraine problem; Trump changed the optics, senior Russian diplomat tells current affairs show
  • Dmitry Polyanskiy thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting Russia-US talks, calling the Kingdom a center for global diplomacy

RIYADH: Far from building bridges to end the war in Ukraine, the administration of former US President Joe Biden was part of the problem, Dmitry Polyanskiy, the first deputy permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, has said.

In an interview with the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Polyanskiy shared his insights on the complexities of the Ukraine conflict, the emerging role of Saudi Arabia in international diplomacy, and Russia’s perspectives on the crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Syria.

Appearing on “Frankly Speaking” just days after Saudi Arabia hosted separate talks between US officials and their counterparts from Russia and Ukraine, Polyanskiy suggested that a change of “optics” could have resolved the conflict years ago.

“The previous (American) administration was unfortunately part of the problem, not part of the solution,” Polyanskiy told “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen. “And it has done a lot to create this issue, to set up something that is better characterized as anti-Russia rather than (pro-Ukraine).”

He argued that this “fatal decision to provoke Russia” had devastating consequences for Ukraine, leading to an escalation that ultimately triggered Moscow’s “special military operation” in February 2022.

According to Polyanskiy, Washington’s actions directly contributed to the conflict. “The Biden administration was one of those who was fueling the war, who was trying to do everything to inflict a strategic (defeat) on Russia, and it hasn’t changed its course until the very end,” he said.

In stark contrast, Polyanskiy praised the approach of US President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January, suggesting his administration had adopted a more realistic perspective aligned with the realities on the ground.




Dmitry Polyanskiy, the first deputy permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, spoke on a wide range of geopolitical issues. (AN Photo)

“The Trump administration views it absolutely differently, and this is the right approach,” he said.

“They are realists. They understand the real situation on the battlefield. They understand that the Kyiv regime is now losing, and hence the new proposals that they are making, these are realistic proposals and really aimed at stopping hostilities, which would be a good scenario first and foremost for Ukraine.”

He encapsulated this shift in approach with a concise observation: “President Trump has just changed the optics.”

Last week’s talks in Riyadh saw a draft agreement involving a ceasefire over the Black Sea in exchange for an easing of sanctions on Russia. A byproduct of these talks has been Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a hub for international diplomacy.

Polyanskiy acknowledged and welcomed this development, highlighting the changing landscape of global diplomacy.

“The world is changing and new centers of diplomatic activity are emerging,” he said. “We used to have Geneva, for example, but Geneva is now very much compromised because of the position that the Swiss government has taken.

“They exploit a notion of neutrality, but they’re acting not as a neutral country.”

Polyansky expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s proactive engagement in seeking a peaceful resolution.

“Against this background, our Saudi brothers behaved in a very, very positive way, in a very forthcoming manner,” he said. “They reached out to us, they reached out to Americans, to Ukrainians, and it’s hard to overestimate the role that they played.”

He also conveyed the appreciation of Russia’s leaders for Saudi Arabia’s efforts in facilitating these crucial discussions.

“We thank them very much for their hospitality,” he said. “The talks were organized at an excellent level, and I think that my leaders also reached out to their Saudi counterparts thanking them for what they are doing.”

Polyanskiy envisioned a promising future for Riyadh as a center for international diplomacy, particularly in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Riyadh right now has all the chances to transform into a diplomatic capital of the world, at least in terms of Russia-Ukraine, and the US-Russia-Ukraine negotiations,” he said.

“And it’s a very good start, and I think that there are all the chances that Saudi diplomacy will play a more instrumental role here, and we are very grateful for this opening.”

Expanding on the scope of the US-Russia talks, Polyanskiy noted that they encompassed broader issues beyond Ukraine, including the crisis in Gaza. He referenced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s previous statements affirming Russia’s support for the rights of the Palestinians.

When Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas interviewed Putin last year ahead of the BRICS summit in Kazan, the Russian president clearly stated Moscow’s support for a two-state solution and affirmed that the Palestinian people should not leave their land.

Responding to a question about Russia’s potential role in pressuring Israel to end the conflict in Gaza, Polyanskiy acknowledged the limitations of Moscow’s influence compared to that of Washington.

“It’s hard for us to put pressure on Israel, because I don’t think that we have the same leverage on Israeli politicians in comparison, for example, to the US, traditionally,” he said. “So of course the US role here is indispensable to put Israel on a more reasonable path.”

Polyanskiy expressed concern over the lack of progress in achieving a resolution and emphasized the importance of unified action by Arab countries.




In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sunday, March 30, 2025, a Russian mortar's crew fire during their military exercising at an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

“I think that very much will depend on the mobilization of Arab countries themselves,” he said. “We know that there was recently an Arab summit in Cairo. There were very good decisions about the future of Gaza, about the possible ways of settlement.”

He reiterated Russia’s consistent stance on the necessity of a two-state solution as the foundation for any meaningful efforts toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Of course they are based on the two-state solution. This is the core principle that is indispensable for any efforts that are being deployed in this connection, including my country. My country has always been consistent in this, saying that the Palestinian problem should not be sidelined.”

Polyanskiy criticized past attempts to normalize relations between Arab countries and Israel at the expense of addressing the Palestinian issue.

He expressed uncertainty regarding the new US administration’s approach to the Middle East, while emphasizing the significance of Arab countries’ collective efforts.

“It’s very hard to forecast how the new US administration will frame its line right now in the Middle East,” he said. “But I see that there is still quite a considerable mobilization of Arab countries that are saying the right things about the ways to break this vicious cycle of violence.”

Polyanskiy voiced optimism that these demands would be heeded and that the Palestinian issue would receive the attention it deserves in future interactions concerning Middle Eastern problems.

“And I think that the louder they speak, the more chances there are to see that these very rightful and fair demands are heeded and the Palestinian issue is not being, will not be swept under the carpet in any possible interactions on the Middle Eastern problems.”

Reflecting on past mediation efforts, Polyanskiy highlighted the effectiveness of the moribund Middle East Quartet, consisting of the UN, US, EU, and Russia.

“The Quartet of international mediators was the best format that was capable of moving forward and finding the solution, a fair solution to the Palestinian problem in line with the decisions taken by the UN and by the UN Security Council in particular,” said Polyanskiy.

He expressed disappointment with the US approach to facilitating negotiations between Arab countries and Israel, which he believed had sidelined the Palestinian problem.

“We were not happy, to put it mildly, by the efforts of the US to facilitate negotiations and peace between Arab countries at the expense of the Palestinian problem,” he said.

He further elaborated on the perceived shift in priorities, suggesting that the sequence of addressing the Palestinian problem had been twisted, leading to the current challenges.

“We are not aware of the details of the arrangement. But in reality, it happened so that the Palestinian problem was a little bit sidelined and the US administration was speaking about the possibility of making bilateral arrangements between Arab countries and Israel and then to solve the Palestinian problem.”

Polyanskiy attributed the current state of affairs to this change in attitude and the abandonment of previously agreed-upon policies.

“This was international cooperation, international mediation in the framework of the Quartet. So, all of a sudden it was undermined and I think that now we are feeling the fallout from these decisions.”




Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade at an undisclosed location in the east of Ukraine, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)

Turning to the crisis in Sudan, Polyanskiy discussed Russia’s perspective on the conflict and its support for the Sudanese authorities.

Since April 2023, the war in Sudan has seen mass displacement, humanitarian suffering, and the destabilization of the wider region.

In a major turning point last week, the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Sudan’s de-facto leader, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, retook the capital city, Khartoum, forcing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces to retreat to their strongholds in Darfur and the south.

Polyanskiy said Russia welcomed the development. “We support the Sudanese authorities,” he said. “We think that they are right in continuing their fight against the RSF. So we are quite clear and we don’t think that the international community should put at the same level the RSF and the government of Sudan.”

Polyanskiy expressed optimism about the situation. “We are aware of the gains that were made on the battlefield and we think that the situation in Sudan is moving towards the right direction militarily. And we hope that this will also be a good opportunity to ensure stable and long-lasting peace in this country.”

Despite the widespread suffering in Sudan, Russia was recently the only nation to veto a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire and declined to call the situation there a famine.

Addressing the resulting criticism, Polyanskiy said: “This is not a very correct interpretation, with all due respect.

“First of all, we vetoed this resolution not because there was a call for a ceasefire, but because there were, first of all, attempts to put at the same level the RSF and the government.”

Polyanskiy explained that Russia’s concerns stemmed from attempts to equate the RSF with the government and the inclusion of language that could be interpreted as encouraging the RSF to engage in military actions against the government.

He suggested that the resolution’s pen holders, Britain, could have made the text more balanced and focused on humanitarian issues, including a ceasefire, which Russia would have been ready to support.




Appearing on “Frankly Speaking” just days after Saudi Arabia hosted separate talks between US officials and their counterparts from Russia and Ukraine, Polyanskiy suggested that a change of “optics” could have resolved the Russia-Ukraine conflict years ago. (AN Photo)

“But it happened so that they were insistent on this, and we had to veto this text,” he said, also highlighting Russia’s opposition to foreign interference in Sudan’s internal affairs.

“We couldn’t let it go and we couldn’t really see the situation when there is such foreign interference into the foreign affairs, or into the internal affairs of Sudan.”

He added: “As far as famine is concerned, the problem is that some countries, some Western countries are really trying to use this factor of famine as something to undermine the position and the efforts of the central government, which is not the right way to do it, because there is enough food in Sudan.”

Polyanskiy attributed the distribution challenges and the availability of food to those in need as the primary issues, rather than a lack of food in the country.

“Hunger shouldn’t be instrumentalized and used as a tool in any propaganda campaign against any country, including Sudan,” he said.

Addressing the upheaval in Syria since December last year, Polyanskiy discussed Russia’s response to the ousting of Bashar Assad’s regime and the future of Moscow’s relations with Damascus.

Russia suffered a major setback in December when the Assad regime, which Moscow had supported since 2015, was suddenly swept from power by opposition groups, forcing Assad and his family to seek asylum in Moscow.

Asked whether Moscow would consider handing over Assad to Syria’s transitional government, headed by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, if requested, Polyanskiy said he would not be drawn on hypotheticals.

Instead, Polyanskiy emphasized Russia’s desire for a peaceful transition in Syria, with inclusive authorities representing all Syrians and committed to combating terrorism.

“We wanted to turn over this page of conflicts and problems that lasted for so long,” he said. “We want to see inclusive Syrian authorities that represent all Syrians that take on board the position of all Syrians.

“We think that Syria should make serious efforts in combating terrorism to avoid the situation when terrorist elements in this country play a significant role.”

Polyanskiy reiterated Russia’s commitment to “maintaining close ties of friendship, traditional ties of friendship, between Russian and Syrian people that lasted for many decades.”

When pressed on the possible fate of Assad should the new government seek to prosecute him for crimes committed during the civil war, Polyanskiy maintained that the transitional authority had more pressing concerns.

“Let’s not discuss hypothetical things,” he said. “We provided him with asylum for humanitarian reasons. And I think that there are channels to discuss these issues. So far I haven’t seen such a request. And I don’t think that this is the main problem that should be the concern of Syrian authorities right now.”

Asked whether he thought the Syrian people would welcome any aid or assistance offered by Moscow, Polyanskiy said the two nations shared a long history of friendship, and that Russia would like to help Syrian during this transitional period.

“We still have and we will have, I’m absolutely sure, very good and constructive relations with Syrians because it’s not the question of developments of recent months or weeks. It’s the question of long-term ties of friendship and brotherhood that links us to Syria. And I think that the very vast majority of Syrians view Russia as a friendly country and the same in Russia.

“We have very good basic elements to consolidate friendship and cooperation between our countries. And we are very eager to help Syrians during this transitional period to shape up this country in a way that they like and in a way that guarantees sustainable development of this country for years ahead.”

 


China says US side initiated upcoming Geneva meeting on tariffs

China says US side initiated upcoming Geneva meeting on tariffs
Updated 26 sec ago
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China says US side initiated upcoming Geneva meeting on tariffs

China says US side initiated upcoming Geneva meeting on tariffs
BEIJING: An upcoming meeting between China and US trade representatives in Geneva was requested by the US side, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
China announced earlier that Vice Premier He Lifeng will visit Switzerland from May 9 to 12 during which He will also have a meeting with a US delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
China’s position of opposing US tariffs has not changed and any dialogues must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit, spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters.

India strikes Pakistan over tourist killings, Pakistan says Indian jets downed

India strikes Pakistan over tourist killings, Pakistan says Indian jets downed
Updated 07 May 2025
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India strikes Pakistan over tourist killings, Pakistan says Indian jets downed

India strikes Pakistan over tourist killings, Pakistan says Indian jets downed
  • India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in several locations early Wednesday, killing at least 26 people including a child
  • India says it struck terrorist sites in Pakistan; Pakistan says mosques, civilians hit, vows to respond
  • Heavy cross-border shelling by both sides

MUZAFFARABAD/NEW DELHI: India attacked Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday and Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets in the worst fighting in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed enemies.
India said it struck nine Pakistani “terrorist infrastructure” sites, some of them linked to an attack by Islamist militants on Hindu tourists that killed 26 people in Indian Kashmir last month.
Islamabad said six Pakistani locations were targeted, and that none of them were militant camps. At least 26 civilians were killed and 46 injured, a Pakistan military spokesperson said.
Indian forces attacked the headquarters of Islamist militant groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Indian defense source told Reuters.
“India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,” the Indian defense ministry said in a statement.
Pakistan said Indian missiles hit three sites and a military spokesperson told Reuters five Indian aircraft had been shot down, a claim not confirmed by India.
However, four local government sources in Indian Kashmir told Reuters that three fighter jets had crashed in separate areas of the Himalayan region during the night.
All three pilots had been hospitalized, the sources added. Indian defense ministry officials were not immediately available to confirm the report.
Images circulating on local media showed a large, damaged cylindrical chunk of silver-colored metal lying in a field at one of the crash sites. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the image.
Islamabad called the assault a “blatant act of war” and said it had informed the UN Security Council that Pakistan reserved the right to respond appropriately to Indian aggression.
“All of these engagements have been done as a defensive measure,” Pakistan military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said. “Pakistan remains a very responsible state. However, we will take all the steps necessary for defending the honor, integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan, at all cost.”
The South Asian neighbors also exchanged intense shelling and heavy gunfire across much of their de facto border in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, police and witnesses told Reuters.
Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Muslim-majority Kashmir, which both sides claim in full and control in part.

’OPERATION SINDOOR’
Since a 2003 ceasefire, to which both countries recommitted in 2021, targeted strikes between the neighbors are extremely rare, especially Indian strikes on Pakistani areas outside Pakistani Kashmir.
But analysts said the risk of escalation is higher than in the recent past due to the severity of India’s attack, which New Delhi called “Operation Sindoor.” Sindoor is the Hindi language word for vermilion, a red powder that Hindu women put on the forehead or parting of their hair as a sign of marriage.
US President Donald Trump called the fighting “a shame” and added, “I hope it ends quickly.” The State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to the national security advisers of both nations, urging “both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for maximum military restraint from both countries, a spokesperson said. China, which neighbors both India and Pakistan, also called for restraint.
The Pakistani army’s shelling across the frontier in Kashmir killed seven civilians and injured 35 in the Indian sector of the region, police there said.
Indian TV channels showed videos of explosions, fire, large plumes of smoke in the night sky and people fleeing in several places in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.
In Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, damage from the Indian strike was visible at sunrise. Security forces surrounded a small mosque in a hill-side residential neighborhood which had been hit, with its minaret collapsed.
All schools in Pakistani Kashmir, the national capital Islamabad, and much of Indian Kashmir and the populous Pakistani province of Punjab were ordered closed on Wednesday in the aftermath of the strikes.
Imran Shaheen, a district official in Pakistani Kashmir, said two mortars landed on a house in the town of Forward Kahuta, killing two men and injuring several women and children. In another village, a resident had been killed in firing, Shaheen said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad was responding to the Indian attacks but did not provide details. Pakistan’s populous province of Punjab declared an emergency, its chief minister said, and hospitals and emergency services were on high alert.
A Pakistani military spokesperson told broadcaster Geo that two mosques were among the sites hit by India. The Pakistani defense minister told Geo that all the sites were civilian and not militant camps.
He said India’s claim of targeting “camps of terrorists is false.”
After India’s strikes, the Indian army said in a post on X on Wednesday: “Justice is served.”

STOCK FUTURES, AIRLINES IMPACTED
A spokesperson for the Indian Embassy in Washington told Reuters that evidence pointed “toward the clear involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists in this terror attack,” referring to the April tourist killings.
India said two of three suspects in that attack were Pakistani nationals but had not detailed its evidence. Pakistan denied that it had anything to do with the April killings.
News of the strikes impacted Indian stock futures mildly, with the GIFT NIFTY at 24,311, 0.3 percent below the NIFTY 50’s last close of 24,379.6 on Tuesday.
Several airlines including India’s largest airline, IndiGo , Air India and Qatar Airways canceled flights in areas of India and Pakistan due to closures of airports and airspace. Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior Indian officials briefed counterparts in Britain, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, an Indian source told Reuters.
The Indian strike goes far beyond New Delhi’s response to previous attacks in Kashmir blamed on Pakistan. Those include India’s 2019 air strike on Pakistan after 40 Indian paramilitary police were killed in Kashmir and India’s retaliation for the deaths of 18 soldiers in 2016.
“Given the scale of the Indian strike, which was far greater than what we saw in 2019, we can expect a sizable Pakistani response,” said Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst and writer for the Foreign Policy magazine.
“All eyes will be on India’s next move. We’ve had a strike and a counter-strike, and what comes next will be the strongest indication of just how serious a crisis this could become,” he said.


Trump, Ukraine propel EU and UK toward defense pact

Trump, Ukraine propel EU and UK toward defense pact
Updated 07 May 2025
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Trump, Ukraine propel EU and UK toward defense pact

Trump, Ukraine propel EU and UK toward defense pact
  • The EU and Britain look set to seal a defense pact at a landmark summit this month as worries about US President Donald Trump and the war in Ukraine spur them beyond the wrangles of Brexit

BRUSSELS: The EU and Britain look set to seal a defense pact at a landmark summit this month as worries about US President Donald Trump and the war in Ukraine spur them beyond the wrangles of Brexit.
Multiple EU diplomats and officials told AFP the signs are positive that a security agreement will be inked when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets EU chiefs in London on May 19.
The “security and defense partnership” is billed as an important first step in Starmer’s much-vaunted push to reset ties after the years of bad blood caused by the UK leaving the bloc.
The move is aimed at opening the door to closer cooperation as both the EU and Britain race to rearm in the face of the menace from Russia and fears Trump will no longer help protect Europe.
That should mean more regular security talks, Britain considering joining EU military missions and the potential for London to fully tap into a 150-billion-euro defense fund being set up by the bloc.
But the deal is expected to leave much of the detail to be filled in later — for instance requiring a further agreement on giving the UK and its defense industry unfettered access to the EU programs.
“It is a pre-condition for more serious stuff,” said one EU diplomat, talking like others on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions.
Diplomats said fears had subsided that a dispute over prolonging access to British waters for EU fishermen could derail talks as both sides are keen to improve relations amid the global turmoil unleashed by Trump.
“At this stage I’d say the odds are quite positive,” said a second EU diplomat. “But all the different files are linked, so lots can still happen between now and the 19th.”
The defense deal is expected to be signed alongside two other documents: one setting out a shared vision on global issues and another on the list of thorny subjects both sides hope to make progress on, including customs checks, energy links and a youth mobility scheme.
The drafts are set to be debated by EU ambassadors in Brussels on Wednesday and need to be signed off by all 27 before they can be forwarded to the British for final approval.
London and Brussels are treading carefully as closer cooperation with the EU remains a politically divisive issue for Starmer who faces a growing challenge from diehard euroskeptics Reform UK.
Reaching the security pact was long seen as the lowest hanging fruit for negotiators given that Britain already has intertwined defense ties with 23 EU countries in NATO.
Those bonds have only tightened as Trump has rattled Europe by pushing for a quick end to the war in Ukraine.
Britain has teamed up with France to spearhead plans for possibly deploying troops to Ukraine in the event of any deal.
In the latest sign of the closer relationship, British foreign minister David Lammy will meet his EU counterparts for talks in Warsaw on Wednesday.
London said Lammy would “make the case for a long-term UK-EU strategic partnership that will support economic growth, protect citizens, and support European collective security and defense.”
“We are working hand-in-hand with our European allies to build a safer, more secure, and more prosperous Europe,” Lammy said in a statement.
“Together, we will stand firm against aggression, defend our shared values, and deliver lasting peace. “


India’s leader Modi touted all was well in Kashmir. A massacre of tourists shattered that claim

India’s leader Modi touted all was well in Kashmir. A massacre of tourists shattered that claim
Updated 07 May 2025
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India’s leader Modi touted all was well in Kashmir. A massacre of tourists shattered that claim

India’s leader Modi touted all was well in Kashmir. A massacre of tourists shattered that claim
  • The attack outraged people in Kashmir and India, where it led to calls of swift action against Pakistan

SRINAGAR, India: Hundreds of Indian tourists, families and honeymooners, drawn by the breathtaking Himalayan beauty, were enjoying a picture-perfect meadow in Kashmir. They didn’t know gunmen in army fatigues were lurking in the woods.
When the attackers got their chance, they shot mostly Indian Hindu men, many of them at close-range, leaving behind bodies strewn across the Baisaran meadow and survivors screaming for help.
The gunmen quickly vanished into thick forests. By the time Indian authorities arrived, 26 people were dead and 17 others were wounded.
India has described the April 22 massacre as a terror attack and blamed Pakistan for backing it, an accusation denied by Islamabad. India swiftly announced diplomatic actions against its archrival Pakistan, which responded with its own tit-for-tat measures.
The assailants are still on the run, as calls in India for military action against Pakistan are growing.
World leaders have been scrambling to de-escalate the tensions between two nuclear-armed neighbors, which have historically relied on third countries for conflict management.
But the massacre has also touched a raw nerve.
Early on Wednesday, India fired missiles that struck at least three locations inside Pakistani-controlled territory, according to Pakistani security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. India said it was striking infrastructure used by militants.
India admits security lapse
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has governed Kashmir with an iron fist in recent years, claiming militancy in the region was in check and a tourism influx was a sign of normalcy returning.
Those claims now lie shattered.
Security experts and former intelligence and senior military officers who have served in the region say Modi’s government — riding on a nationalistic fervor over Kashmir to please its supporters — missed warning signs.
The government acknowledged that in a rare admission.
Two days after the attack, Kiren Rijiju, India’s parliamentary affairs minister, said that a crucial all-party meeting discussed “where the lapses occurred.”
“We totally missed ... the intentions of our hostile neighbor,” said Avinash Mohananey, a former Indian intelligence officer who has operated in Kashmir and Pakistan.
The meadow, near the resort town of Pahalgam, can be reached by trekking or pony rides, and visitors cross at least three security camps and a police station to reach there. According to Indian media, there was no security presence for more than 1,000 tourists that day.
Pahalgam serves as a base for an annual Hindu pilgrimage that draws hundreds of thousands of people from across India. The area is ringed by thick woods that connect with forest ranges in the Jammu area, where Indian troops have faced attacks by rebels in recent years after fighting ebbed in the Kashmir Valley, the heart of an anti-India rebellion.
The massacre brought Modi’s administration almost back to where it started when a suicide car bombing in the region in 2019 prompted his government to strip Kashmir of its semi-autonomy and bring it under direct federal rule. Tensions have simmered ever since, but the region has also drawn millions of visitors amid a strange calm enforced by an intensified security crackdown.
“We probably started buying our own narrative that things were normal in Kashmir,” Mohananey said.
In the past, insurgents have carried out brazen attacks and targeted Hindu pilgrims, Indian Hindu as well as Muslim immigrant workers, and local Hindus and Sikhs. However, this time a large number of tourists were attacked, making it one of the worst massacres involving civilians in recent years.
The attack outraged people in Kashmir and India, where it led to calls of swift action against Pakistan.
Indian television news channels amplified these demands and panelists argued that India should invade Pakistan. Modi and his senior ministers vowed to hunt down the attackers and their backers.
Experts say much of the public pressure on the Indian government to act militarily against Pakistan falls within the pattern of long, simmering animosity between both countries.
“All the talk of military options against Pakistan mainly happens in echo chambers and feeds a nationalist narrative,” in India, New Delhi-based counterterrorism expert Ajai Sahni said.
“It doesn’t matter what will be done. We will be told it was done and was a success,” he said. “And it will be celebrated nonetheless.”
Modi’s optimism misplaced, experts say
Experts also say that the Modi government’s optimism was also largely misplaced and that its continuous boasting of rising tourism in the region was a fragile barometer of normalcy. Last year, Omar Abdullah, Kashmir’s top elected official, cautioned against such optimism.
“By this attack, Pakistan wants to convey that there is no normalcy in Kashmir and that tourism is no indicator for it. They want to internationalize the issue,” said D.S. Hooda, former military commander for northern India between 2014 to 2016.
Hooda said the “choice of targets and the manner in which the attack was carried out indicates that it was well-planned.”
“If there would have been a good security cover, maybe this incident would not have happened,” he said.
India sees Pakistan connection to the attack
Indian security experts believe the attack could be a retaliation for a passenger train hijacking in Pakistan in March by Baloch insurgents. Islamabad accused New Delhi of orchestrating the attack in which 25 people were killed. India denies it.
Mohananey said that Indian authorities should have taken the accusations seriously and beefed-up security in Kashmir, while arguing there was a striking similarity in both attacks since only men were targeted.
“It was unusual that women and children were spared” in both cases, Mohananey said.
Two senior police officers, who have years of counterinsurgency experience in Kashmir, said after the train attack in Pakistan that they were anticipating some kind of reaction in the region by militants.
The officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said that security officials perceived the threat of an imminent attack, and Modi’s inauguration of a strategic rail line in the region was canceled. A large-scale attack on tourists, however, wasn’t anticipated, because there was no such precedence, the officers said.
Hooda, who commanded what New Delhi called “surgical strikes” against militants in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir in 2016, said that the attack has deepened thinking that it was time to tackle the Pakistani state, not just militants.
Such calculus could be a marked shift. In 2016 and 2019, India said that its army struck militant infrastructure inside Pakistan after two major militant attacks against its soldiers.
“After this attack,” Hooda said, India wants to stop Pakistan “from using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.”
“We need to tighten our security and plug lapses, but the fountainhead of terrorism needs to be tackled,” Hooda said. “The fountainhead is Pakistan.”


Trump says only 21 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza now believed to be alive

Trump says only 21 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza now believed to be alive
Updated 07 May 2025
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Trump says only 21 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza now believed to be alive

Trump says only 21 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza now believed to be alive

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Tuesday that three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have died, leaving only 21 believed to be still living.
“As of today, it’s 21, three have died,” Trump said of the hostages being held by Hamas, noting until recently it had been 24 people believed to be living. He did not elaborate on the identities of those now believed to be dead, nor how he had come to learn of their deaths. “There’s 21, plus a lot of dead bodies,” Trump said.
One American, Edan Alexander, had been among the 24 hostages believed to be alive, with the bodies of several other Americans also held by Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023 assault on Israel.
The president’s comments came as Israel approved plans on Monday to seize the Gaza Strip and to stay in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time, in a bid to recover the hostages and try to fulfill its war aims of destroying Hamas. If implemented, the move would vastly expand Israel’s operations there and likely draw fierce international opposition.