Explaining “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”

What does it mean?

The phrase suggests that two parties can find common ground and ally with each other against a shared adversary, even if they are not naturally aligned or are otherwise unfriendly.

Tone

Origin

The phrase is believed to have originated from an ancient Sanskrit saying that appeared in the Arthashastra, an ancient Indian treatise on politics, military strategy, and economic policy, written by Kautilya (Chanakya) in the 4th century BCE.