PM Modi cancels Europe visit after Operation Sindoor strikes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cancelled his planned three-nation tour to Europe, which included stops in Croatia, Norway, and the Netherlands, following India’s Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps across the border.

The visit, originally scheduled for mid-May, was called off in the wake of Operation Sindoor — a series of precision strikes carried out by the Indian Armed Forces against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). 

Although no official explanation has been provided for the cancellation, the move is being seen as a response to the heightened regional tensions and a signal that national security remains the government’s top priority.

The cancellation marks a shift in India’s diplomatic agenda, with Prime Minister Modi likely to focus on domestic security and strategic developments in the region following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. 

The Indian government has said the subsequent military operation was directed against active terror hubs operated by groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Nine targets were reportedly hit during Operation Sindoor, which the Indian government described as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory”. Officials clarified that care was taken to avoid Pakistani military assets, with the strikes aimed solely at terrorist infrastructure. Pakistan, however, denounced the strikes, describing them as an act of war.

Separately, Prime Minister Modi has also cancelled his scheduled visit to Russia for Victory Day celebrations on 9 May in Moscow. The Kremlin confirmed his absence and said India would be represented at a different level for the event commemorating the Soviet victory in World War II.

The cancellations reflect the Indian leadership’s recalibration of foreign engagements amid evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.