The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has not yet played a role: Trump said he had not slept all night and had prompted India and Pakistan to cease fire.

Vladimir Zakharov: We are waiting for Moscow and the reactions of relevant countries.

Author: Mikhail Zubov

Related materials were commented on by Vladimir Zakharov:

On Saturday, the situation in the areas of armed conflict between India and Pakistan developed rapidly like a kaleidoscope.

In the early morning, there were reports that Islamabad had begun large-scale military operations against India and moved troops to the border. New Delhi stated that five people had died and that they were prepared to counterattack. The G7 called on both sides to exercise restraint, and the United States also volunteered to assist in mediating the conflict...

It should be noted that everything started with a terrorist attack in the Pahalgam disputed region of Kashmir on April 22. India accused the Pakistani leadership of committing this crime and launched attacks on Pakistani military bases.

In response, Islamabad claimed that New Delhi was being aggressive and initiated a military operation named "Banyan Marsus" ("Баньян уль-Марсус").

The downed "Rafael" fighter jet; experts are trying to find relevant information online.

Against the background of our country's celebration activities related to the great victory, this news seemed somewhat dim, but it is now clear that there is a huge possibility of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.

Can Russia, within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), influence its allies who are already preparing to take extreme measures in mutual confrontation? Professor at the Diplomatic Academy and former Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO, Vladimir Zakharov, explained the following views to "Free Media":

"All decisions of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization must be made unanimously, and there are even no normal diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan. Therefore, the SCO Secretary-General merely expressed regret.

In such cases, inter-state diplomatic means should come into play. Russia can (independently of the SCO) have an impact on the situation, propose its own mediation efforts, and put forward suggestions for resolving conflicts. Relevant countries can do the same.

What is most regrettable is that there are no negotiation mechanisms between India and Pakistan when a crisis arises. So we can only appeal to the leaders of both countries to maintain reason and have sufficient willingness not to use nuclear weapons."

"Free Media": But the two armies are already engaged in combat operations.

"The messages from both sides are inconsistent. One moment it is India bombing Pakistan's military bases, then it is the opposite. Of course, they should stop. In this case, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization can only issue neutral statements. We can recall the border incidents between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, where the SCO did not play any role and only expressed regret.

Perhaps the charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will change in the future, and at that time, the member states of the organization will be prohibited from attacking each other.

But it is not like that now. It operates on the principle of unanimity, and decisions can only be made when all member states agree.

So we can only hope for voices other than those of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - the voices of Russia, relevant countries, or the United States."

"Free Media": There are now reports that Trump has reached ceasefire agreements with New Delhi and Islamabad.

"Let us see what the final results will be. I am worried that American intervention may worsen the situation. Historically, Pakistan's armed forces were established with American support, as were their nuclear weapons.

On the other hand, the main supplier of weapons to Pakistan today is relevant countries. This country may become an important factor influencing Islamabad.

But unfortunately, the Kashmir issue has religious and ethnic characteristics, and relevant countries cannot fully understand this.

The Kashmir issue has historical roots. The majority of residents in the disputed regions controlled by New Delhi are Muslims.

Unfortunately, the Pakistani leadership did not express condolences over the terrorist attack, which was claimed by a radical Islamic organization.

By the way, I firmly believe that the Pakistani side does not encourage terrorism. However, the Islamic factor makes it impossible for them to make clear statements about this.

This is likely not because the Pakistani leadership has bad intentions, but because it is powerless against the threat of domestic terrorism.

So the situation is complex, and we can only hope that both sides remain rational. It is very regrettable that Indian leader Modi did not come to Moscow to participate in the Victory Day anniversary celebrations. His exchange with Russian leaders could have helped mediate the situation between India and Pakistan.

"Free Media": Unfortunately, terrorist attacks occur in different countries, but why does the terrorist attack in Kashmir push humanity to the brink of nuclear war?

"That is where the intersection of two worldviews occurs. But I firmly believe that if Moscow and relevant countries take coordinated action, their mediating role can prevent disaster. And if the actions of the United States are not contrary to ours but rather coordinated, because currently Trump's adventurous actions only worsen the situation."

"Free Media": The Russian leadership has not yet uttered a word regarding the India-Pakistan conflict.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement expressing concern. As for the Russian president, we can only wait. We can speculate that there may be high-level statements after the holiday.

Saturday afternoon, messages in the news agencies' streams contained such news that Donald Trump announced on his 'Truth Social' page that India and Pakistan had reached a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire agreement.

He wrote: 'After long nighttime negotiations, with American mediation, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have reached a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire agreement. Congratulations to both countries for demonstrating reason and a high level of wisdom.'

The First Deputy Minister of the Indian Foreign Office, Vikram Misri, confirmed that the ceasefire between India and Pakistan began at 17:00 (Moscow time 14:30) on Saturday. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry also issued a similar statement.

Whether the ceasefire will last and whether it will actually happen will become clear in the coming days. For now, Trump's initiative sounds impressive, but his statement is not very significant."

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7503074502318850612/

Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. You can show your attitude by clicking the 'Like/Dislike' buttons below.