Putin’s Pakistan puzzle

LAST week, Russian President Vladimir Putin talked on several geopolitical issues in St Petersburg, which also define Moscow’s approach to China, India and Pakistan. The most interesting statement he made was that he does not believe Pakistan was under the control of China; he said that Pakistan is a large country that has multifaceted ties with different states. Perhaps he was trying to justify Moscow’s recent defence-related talks, which the Taliban regime’s defence minister, Mullah Yaqoob, used as a counter-response to the Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan. Putin’s message between the lines was that, as Pakistan has multifaceted ties with China, the US, and even Russia, Moscow takes the same approach in engaging with nations. After all, Russia is the only country in the world that has recognised the Taliban regime. There is little doubt that Pakistan has found its geopolitical strength through cultivating a multi-vector approach and hardly portrays itself as a passive client in its relations with the US or any other power. But every policy has two sides, and nothing comes without a cost. Maintaining a strategic equilibrium requires winning and maintaining trust at a certain level with divergent partners. For instance, Pakistan-China relations, which Putin mentioned, have entered a new domain. Formally, this became evident on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations between the two countries, when Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership visited Beijing and signed several MoUs. This speaks volumes: Sino-Pak relations have entered a critical new strategic phase, with these ties deepening. China is increasingly seeking to keep Pakistan firmly within its sphere of influence, shifting away from purely economic projects like CPEC towards enhanced defence and security cooperation. CPEC, which was once central to their bilateral relations, has become a lower priority, even in the context of counterterrorism cooperation. Ultimately, while Chin