External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio amid heightened tensions along the India-Pakistan border, following which he said that India’s approach “has always been measured and responsible”. Rubio, who spoke to Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, said that he “offered US assistance in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts”. This was the first direct contact between the US administration and the Pakistan Army chief, the man at the centre of the country’s actions. Rubio has so far spoken to all the top figures in Pakistan – Munir, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy PM and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The phone conversation between Jaishankar and Rubio came as Indian and Pakistani militaries targeted each other’s installations, escalating the situation. “Had a conversation with US @SecRubio this morning. India's approach has always been measured and responsible and remains so,” Jaishankar said in a social media post. The US State Department said Rubio emphasised that both sides need to identify methods to de-escalate and re-establish direct communication to avoid miscalculation. “He further proposed US support in facilitating productive discussions to avert future disputes,” US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. Rubio has also spoken to Dar and “reiterated that both parties must find ways to de-escalate the current situation and re-establish direct communication to avoid miscalculation.” Rubio also offered “US assistance in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts”, the US State Department said. In his call with Jaishankar, Rubio “emphasised that both sides need to identify methods to de-escalate and re-establish direct communication to avoid miscalculation”. On Friday, the White House said US President Donald Trump wants to see the conflict between India and Pakistan de-escalate “as quickly as possible.” “The President has expressed he wants to see this de-escalate as quickly as possible. He understands these are two countries that have been at odds with one another for decades, long before President Trump was here in the Oval Office,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “This is something that the Secretary of State and, of course, now our national security advisor as well, Marco Rubio, has been very much involved in,” Leavitt added. This came after US Vice President J D Vance said the US was not going to get involved in a war that is “fundamentally none of our business”. Vance’s extraordinary statement reflects Washington’s new political establishment’s hand-off approach towards conflicts around the world.
