Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday called Indian PM Narendra Modi to extend his condolences over Pahalgam attack. Shortly after the call, Indian media outlets were caught lying to their audience by making false claim of Russian “support” for India against Pakistan.
Times of India and other media outlets insinuated that the Russian president had offered support to India against Pakistan.
However, an official statement released by Kremlin contained no mention of such “support.”
The readout said President Putin expressed his “sincere condolences over the death of Indian citizens killed in a barbaric terrorist attack” during a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The statement added that “both leaders emphasised that terrorism must be fought against uncompromisingly in all its forms.” Notably, the statement did not attribute blame to any specific country or group.
Indian media’s misinterpretation, selling delusional narratives
Despite the absence of any direct reference to Pakistan in the Kremlin’s statement, several Indian media outlets have interpreted Russia’s condemnation as support for India’s position against Pakistan.
The Times of India headlined, “Putin rattles Pak with big offer to PM Modi on Pahalgam retaliation ‘Russia fully backs India’,” suggesting a direct link between Russia’s stance and Pakistan’s alleged involvement.
Similarly, Hindustan Times reported that “cornered Pakistan reaches out to India ally Russia amid tensions,” implying a unified front against Pakistan.
NDTV stating that Putin extended “full support to Modi” is a clear misinterpretation of Russia’s stance. Russia has previously offered to mediate between Pakistan and India, which shows its neutrality and commitment to regional peace and security.
Indian media is trying to escalate the situation by pushing the international community towards polarisation. India wants to isolate Pakistan and to achieve this objective, it has also approached to IMF to review Pakistan’s latest loan programme.
Pakistan’s government has offered a ‘Transparent and neutral’ investigation into the incident, but India remained unresponsive. DG ISPR has also exposed Indian propaganda of blaming Pakistan for perpetrating the Pahalgam attack with solid evidence.
Russia’s emphasis on bilateralism and talks to resolve issues
Contrary to the narratives presented by Indian media, Russia has reiterated its commitment to resolving India-Pakistan tensions through bilateral means.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in a conversation with Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, emphasised the importance of the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration, stating that “disagreements between New Delhi and Islamabad should be settled on a bilateral basis by political and diplomatic means.”
This stance underscores Russia’s neutrality and its advocacy for a peaceful resolution without external interference.
