Modi Denies US Role in Pakistan-India Ceasefire, Disagrees with Trump
- Modi asserts that India has never accepted and will never accept mediation.
- Says ceasefire with Pakistan happened through military channels.
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim of Washington playing a part in arranging a ceasefire deal with Pakistan last month.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a press statement that PM Modi told President Trump that topics like an India-US trade deal or US mediation in India-Pakistan issues were never discussed at any point. He was referring to a phone call between the two leaders.
The diplomat mentioned that talks to stop military action took place between India and Pakistan using current military communication channels. According to him, these talks happened because Pakistan insisted. PM Modi made it clear that India has not agreed to mediation before and will not do so in the future.
Misri also shared that the two leaders talked over the phone for 35 minutes. The call, he said, happened at Trump’s request during the G7 summit in Canada where PM Modi attended as a guest.
The White House did not answer right away when asked to comment about the Modi-Trump phone call.
Indian Prime Minister Modi denied this after President Trump claimed last month that the two nuclear-armed neighbors in South Asia agreed to stop fighting following US-led talks. Trump had said he pushed both nations to prioritize trade over conflict.
On the other hand, Pakistan earlier stated that the ceasefire occurred after its military responded to a call started by the Indian military on May 7.
New Delhi’s recent statement talks about the 87-hour clash between the two nations. This fight started after an attack on tourists in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It involved cross-border operations by both sides and caused the deaths of 40 civilians and 13 military personnel in Pakistan.
Pakistan responded to India’s strikes by launching Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos. During this, it shot down six Indian Air Force jets, including three Rafales, as a reaction to India’s actions.
After four days of fighting, both sides agreed to stop hostilities under a ceasefire arranged by the US on May 10.
Pakistan has praised and acknowledged President Trump’s part in the ceasefire. Trump himself has brought attention to this multiple times. India though, has rejected claims of any US involvement in the matter.
On several occasions, Trump has restated his position and even expressed readiness to mediate the Kashmir issue between Pakistan and India. The US State Department has also emphasized this position.
During a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, Tammy Bruce, the US State Department Spokesperson, stated that Trump can offer support, and the decision to accept lies with those he offers it to.
“I can’t comment on how other countries make their decisions. That’s their choice. But I believe we are all thankful to have a president who cares and is ready to offer help,” said the spokesperson.
