Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear to US President Donald Trump during a 35-minute phone discussion that the US had no involvement in the recent truce between India and Pakistan.
Modi made this direct remark in reaction to Trump’s repeated assertions that the US had mediated or influenced the end of hostilities, including hints that trade talks with India had a role.
According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Modi made it clear that there were no discussions about an India-US trade agreement or US mediation of the ceasefire process during the whole duration of Operation Sindoor.
He restated India’s long-standing stance that third-party mediation in its issues with Pakistan has never been accepted, is not acceptable, and never will be accepted. Modi underlined that all ceasefire talks between Indian and Pakistani military authorities occurred directly through established channels, particularly at the level of the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs), and that there is total political unity in India on this matter.
Following the terror assault in Pahalgam on April 22, tensions between India and Pakistan sharply increased, which provided the backdrop for these occurrences. On May 7, India retaliated with targeted attacks against terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
On May 8, 9, and 10, Pakistan attacked Indian military installations in retaliation, to which India replied forcefully. Direct military-to-military communication, started by Pakistan, led to the final agreement to end hostilities without the need for outside mediation.
In public, President Trump asserted that the United States had “settled” the war, even attributing the ceasefire to trade talks, despite these facts. “If you look at what we just did with India and Pakistan,” he said. We came to an agreement, and I believe I did so through trade.
In India, Trump’s claims sparked political controversy as opposition parties questioned Modi’s silence on the US president’s remarks. Among others, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor emphasized the disparity between terrorists and their victims and rejected the prospect of successful mediation between the two nations.
Foreign Secretary Misri went on to explain that Modi told Trump that India will now see terrorist assaults as war crimes instead of proxy conflicts, indicating a change in strategy and a more aggressive approach to combating cross-border terrorism. Misri claims that Trump supported India’s war on terrorism and agreed with Modi’s arguments.
Indian officials have adamantly maintained that the ceasefire was a bilateral matter, accomplished without third-party assistance, despite US officials and President Trump continuing to depict the US as a peacemaker and suggesting that American diplomatic activity helped to the de-escalation. According to India’s official stance, Pakistan is still being closely watched while Operation Sindoor is only postponed.
Trump invited Modi to visit the US as the conversation came to an end, but Modi was unable to agree because of other obligations. But both leaders decided to get together soon.
India has vehemently rejected any third-party role in the ceasefire process, despite repeated US assertions of involvement. This highlights the direct and bilateral nature of the negotiations that resulted in the end of hostilities between India and Pakistan.
