President Donald Trump appointed Paul Kapur, an expert in South Asian security and nuclear questions, as assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia. Paul Kapur will succeed Donald Lu, who supervised diplomatic affairs in the region under the Joe Biden administration.
Paul Kapur, professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School, is widely known for his work on Indo-Pacific Security and American-Indian relations. He previously was one of the state -of -the -state planning staff during Trump’s first term, where he played a role in training American strategy in South Asia.
The appointment points out a potential change in Washington’s approach to the region, especially in its policies on India and Pakistan. Paul Kapur has long pleaded for stronger American-Indian strategic links and criticized Pakistan’s security policies.
His opinions suggest a more difficult position on Islamabad, contrasting with the efforts past to maintain a balance between the two neighbors in South Asia.
As an agademic, Paul Kapur is the author of several books and research documents on South Asian security, including jihad as a great strategy: Islamist militancy, national security and Pakistani and dangerous deterrent: proliferation and conflict of nuclear weapons in South Asia. His work examines nuclear security, militancy and regional conflicts, and he contributed to political discussions through the American dialogue of track 1.5 on defense cooperation.
The appointment of Paul Kapur follows a series of appointments of Indian officials in the Trump administration. Among other recent people, let us quote Kash Patel as director of the FBI and Sriram Krishnan as a political adviser for the White House on artificial intelligence.
The Southern and Central Asian Affairs Bureau, which Paul Kapur would supervise, is responsible for developing American policy towards key regional nations, including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri LANKA. Its confirmation could strengthen India’s status as a high -level strategic partner for Washington while signaling a more cautious approach to Pakistan.
Paul Kapur’s confirmation hearing before the Senate is expected in the coming weeks.