Mon May 05 12:29:40 UTC 2025: ## India-Pakistan Tensions Soar After Deadly Pahalgam Attack; US-Ukraine Minerals Deal Raises Questions

**NEW DELHI/KIEV, May 6, 2025** – India has vowed a strong response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir, which killed 26 people, ratcheting up tensions with Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared India’s commitment to pursuing the perpetrators and their backers, granting its armed forces “complete operational freedom” to decide how and when to retaliate. India has already suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, halted imports from Pakistan, and severed postal links. Pakistan, meanwhile, has claimed to possess intelligence suggesting an imminent Indian military strike, though such an attack has not yet materialized. International calls for de-escalation have been issued, but the situation remains volatile, especially given India’s past responses to similar attacks. The Pahalgam attack, the largest in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama attack, targeted civilian tourists, adding to the pressure on Modi to act decisively.

Separately, a newly signed minerals agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine has sparked debate. While touted as an equal economic partnership by Ukraine, the deal grants the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical mineral and energy resources through a joint investment fund. The agreement’s fine print reveals that Ukraine will share 50% of revenues from resource extraction projects and effectively repay future U.S. aid, including military assistance, through these resources. The deal, proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of his “victory plan,” lacks explicit U.S. security guarantees, raising questions about its long-term effectiveness in securing Ukraine’s future. Analysts suggest its success hinges on the U.S. commitment to ending the war swiftly. Continued conflict could render the mineral deal largely inconsequential for Ukraine’s security needs.

Read More