00:00On the contrary, India is getting only qualified support.
00:04Initially, after the atrocity, the support was framed as support for India in countering terrorism.
00:14Absolutely, that's correct. That remains.
00:17But now, after the saber-rattling by Pakistan and explicit Pakistani threats
00:24to deploy the full spectrum of their capabilities, strategic capabilities,
00:31and I think you know what I'm talking about,
00:33the international community is alarmed at the prospect of an escalatory cycle
00:39that could go out of control, which means that it could have very severe repercussions,
00:46not just for India and Pakistan, but for the world at large.
00:51So, therefore, now the calls are for restraint and de-escalation.
00:57In fact, the three major countries, the three permanent members of the UN Security Council
01:04and three of the most important, perhaps the three most important partners of India,
01:11the United States, China, and Russia, have made almost identical statements.
01:16Of course, the United States Defense Secretary, according to the Indian readout,
01:22but not the U.S. readout, has said that we have a right to self-defense.
01:27Remember that in 2019, after Balakot, Mike Pompeo, who was the U.S. Secretary of State at that time,
01:38had said explicitly that India has a right to self-defense,
01:41and that had, according to many observers, encouraged India to do the Balakot action
01:48because it had the diplomatic cover.
01:50But right now, India does not have that kind of diplomatic cover.
01:54And today, the matter will be discussed in the United Nations Security Council
01:58at the request of Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member.
02:03So, we don't know where it's going to lead.
02:05Therefore, kinetic action by India seems to be something still on the table,
02:11but kinetic action has to be immediate.
02:14Before others scramble to enforce some kind of diplomacy,
02:18a diplomatic process, and put pressure on India,
02:21India perhaps might have done it very quickly.
02:24But that window might have gone.
02:26But I'm not saying it won't happen.
02:28It might still happen.
02:29Or, these countries, apart from China, of course,
02:33might be advising India privately, I don't know,
02:39but it is pure speculation on my part,
02:42that, you know, you can do kinetic action,
02:45but it should be limited,
02:47and it should not lead to a spiral of escalation,
02:50and then bring some kind of pressure on India and Pakistan to de-escalate,
02:55so that India can satisfy its very angry domestic opinion.
03:00So, I'm not in agreement that India is getting terrific support
03:05from all over the world on this issue.
03:06It's getting less support than in 2019.
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