In its editorial titled "Nuclear India," the Washington Post makes the point that India has earned the right to be trusted with nuclear weapons by refusing to peddle its knowhow and thereby distinguishing itself from "irresponsible" Pakistan.
The accord "could deliver big gains, particularly when compared with the absence of a deal rather than with some imagined perfect one," it said.
"...India will disentangle its civilian nuclear program from its weapons-building facilities, subjecting the civilian side to multilateral inspections designed to ensure that technology or fissile material isn't diverted for military purposes. Again, this represents a gain...," it said.
"... Currently only four of India's nuclear facilities are subject to foreign safeguards, and these are less muscular than the inspections to which India will be submitting. Finally, India will promise not to export nuclear equipment or material deemed sensitive by other nuclear powers. At present, India respects these international rules; in the future it would be formally committed to them," it said.
"The clearest win out of yesterday's bargain is a closer relationship with India, the world's most populous democracy, an emerging powerhouse in engineering and medicine, and a potential counterweight both to militant Islam and China."
A pro-Kremlin daily in Russia said Moscow will benefit from the deal which would clear the way for building four more reactors at Kudankulan atomic plant under contruction.
"Russia will benefit from lifting of Nuclear Suppliers Group restrictions, which stakes on expansion of nuclear cooperation with India," Vremya Novostyei daily said commenting on the deal signed on Wednesday in New Delhi between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush's visit.
It reminded that Russia is currently building two 1000 MW VVER-1000 light water reactors for Kudankulam atomic power station in Tamil Nadu to be commissioned in 2007-2008 and there are plans to build four more such reactors in future.
However, some Russian papers, including, Nezavisimaya Gazeta have expressed concern at the fate of nuclear non-proliferation regime following Indo-US nuclear deal.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta wrote that Bush has been "trading non-proliferation" with India while Iran is under threat of sanctions.
"The US decision undermines the very spirit of NPT by putting the signatory nations and a non-signatory on common footing," a noted disarmament expert Alexander Pikayev told Vremya Novostyei daily.
British newspaper 'The Times' observed that the deal "blows a hole in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, just as the world is trying to deter Iran from its nuclear aims. It gives India too much, and demands too little." Quoting critics, the report said the agreement sends unhelpful signals to Iran.
It claimed, "The deal does offend the principles of the NPT. Under that treaty, apart from the five states that were first to get nuclear weapons (US, Russia, China, France and Britain), countries were to receive help with civil nuclear power only if they did not seek weapons."
