A fragile ceasefire has ended the recent war between Pakistan and India. This war has significantly altered the regional and global dynamics. Moreover, this war also has pronounced impacts on the political and strategic landscape of the region and beyond.
Historical Roots of Indo-Pak Rivalry and Western Interference
The wars, clashes, and strategic decisions of the two countries corroborated this stance. The British partitioned the region in a manner that, even after more than seven decades, has left both countries heavily reliant on Western powers. India and Pakistan have always attempted to counterbalance each other. Rather than prioritizing human development, successive governments on both sides have consistently placed greater emphasis on the defense sector. Pakistan and India have fought five wars since their inception: in 1947, 1965, 1971, 1999, and 2025. During the first four wars, both sides remained highly dependent on Western support. The West has capitalized on this rivalry to sell its weapons and continues to exploit the ongoing tensions between the two countries.
The West, especially the United States, continues to use the two countries as regional proxies to advance its strategic interests. In the 1980s, Washington used Islamabad to train the Taliban to fight against the USSR. Moreover, it used Pakistan to fight the so-called “War on Terror” in Afghanistan, against the Taliban, who were once trained and funded by the United States. However, the latter betrayed Pakistan every time after achieving its regional goals. In the contemporary era, the United States has strengthened its ties with New Delhi to use it as a regional proxy against China.
The 2025 Drone War: A Shift in Military Dynamics
The recent escalation between the two sides has taught the world numerous lessons. Moreover, this war was also a test of Western technology against the rising Eastern bloc. India used scores of Israeli Harop drones against Pakistan. The latter employed the Chinese air defense system and fighter jets, along with Turkish Yiha 3 drones, against India. This was the first-ever drone war between the two nuclear-armed countries. According to International media and officials from both sides, India lost an aircraft during a dogfight with the Pakistan Air Force. Reports suggest that some French-made Rafale jets were also downed by the Pakistan Air Force, leading to a remarkable decline in the share of Dassault Rafale. Pakistan used Chinese J10 C fighter jets to shoot down French Rafales for the first time in history.
This news sent a severe blow to the Western powers, especially NATO and the EU. India has stated the success of the Russian S400 air defense system during this short war. This demonstrates to the world that the Eastern Bloc has a significant edge over the Western military technology. Furthermore, the demonstrated superiority of Russian and Chinese technology over its Western counterparts serves as a cautionary signal for the West to reassess its support to Ukraine and Taiwan. In addition, no Western country openly supported either side during this war, suggesting that the world should not perceive them as a reliable ally.
Lessons for Regional Peace and Future Alliances
This war also demonstrates that the Western powers could again exploit the regional fault lines to increase their defense sales and achieve other regional ambitions. Although military officials from both sides showed significant restraint during this war, the Western covert interference and any strategic miscalculation could plunge the region into a nuclear war sooner or later. Therefore, the establishment of the two sides must work out to refrain the extremists from reaching the upper echelons of power in their respective countries.
Another major lesson from this war is that the human cost of a war between the two sides will exceed the military cost. This war has also shunned the notion that Pakistan is diplomatically isolated. Pakistan has emerged as a major military power in the region and the Muslim world after this war. Moreover, this war has also made a choice between Russian and American military technology for India easy. Between the Russian offer to sell the Su-57 and the American offer to sell the F-35, India must choose the former to meet its security needs. Furthermore, this war demonstrated that the Eastern bloc also holds the diplomatic future of the world and third-world countries must establish fraternal ties with Russia and China. The world needs to acknowledge that the path to global peace passes through Russia and China. Pakistan also needs to join BRICS, as this multilateral forum can serve as a platform for establishing enduring peace in the region.
Аbbas Hashemite – is a political observer and research analyst for regional and global geopolitical issues. He is currently working as an independent researcher and journalist
