External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a forceful statement about the current escalation between India and Pakistan during his official visit to Brussels, calling on the international community to reconsider how it views the issue.
“The confrontation should not be viewed as a conventional conflict between two states, but rather as India’s response to the persistent threat and practice of terrorism emanating from across its borders,” Jaishankar emphasized during a joint press conference with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. “Consider it India-Terroristan rather than India-Pakistan,” he said. Then you’ll appreciate it.
Jaishankar urged the international community to oppose terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and to stand firm against nuclear blackmail, reaffirming India’s zero tolerance policy for terrorism. He called terrorism a “shared and interconnected challenge” that necessitates strong international awareness and collaboration.
This position was especially pertinent in light of Operation Sindoor, which was initiated by India on May 7 as a forceful military reaction to the 26-person Pahalgam terror incident that occurred on April 22. Over a hundred terrorists affiliated with organizations including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in the operation, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
India launched additional coordinated attacks that damaged Pakistani radar, communication centers, and airbases after Pakistan responded to its strikes with cross-border artillery and attempted drone attacks. On May 10, after several days of fighting, both sides agreed to end the conflict.
A wide range of topics were discussed during Jaishankar’s meetings with Kaja Kallas and other EU officials in Brussels, including the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, the global order, and the war in Ukraine. At the end of the first India-EU Strategic Dialogue, agreements were made to strengthen defense, maritime security, counter-terrorism, cyber and AI, space, and defense industrial cooperation. In an increasingly multipolar world, both parties decided to further their cooperation as market economies and political democracies.
The EU, for its part, emphasized that nuclear threats “cannot pay off,” supported ongoing dialogue to ease regional tensions, and defended India’s right to defend its population. It also denounced the Pahalgam incident. Future discussions are planned to strengthen collaboration in these areas, and the conversation was a major step in bringing India and the EU closer together on counterterrorism and security cooperation.
In his speech in Brussels, Jaishankar emphasized India’s changing strategy against cross-border terrorism, its defiance of nuclear threats, and its dedication to forming strategic alliances with like-minded international players to tackle common security issues.
