Analysis | ‘Trump did it’ is no foreign policy for Pakistan
Islamabad should judge diplomacy by what it delivers — not by Washington’s willingness to cut Putin a break.
KYIV — I saw a tweet the other day arguing Pakistan should ease tensions with India and Afghanistan because President Trump eased sanctions on Russia.
Sure, Pakistan should talk to its neighbors. But Trump cutting Putin a break doesn’t make it a model worth copying. The question is what Pakistan gets in return.
With Kabul, Pakistan needs action against militants attacking its people. A UN monitoring report this year found that Afghanistan’s authorities had given the Pakistani Taliban greater freedom and support, with attacks against Pakistan increasing as a result.
What will Kabul do to stop them, and how can Islamabad verify it? A handshake won’t stop the militants.
India requires its own negotiations, judged on their terms.
Trump’s Russia bargain tells Pakistan nothing about whether an agreement with New Delhi or Kabul would make Pakistanis safer.
Here in Kyiv, the difference between announcing a deal and living with its consequences is hard to miss. Pakistan needs results.
“Trump did it” is no substitute.
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