India has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s recent claims regarding mediation on the Kashmir issue and the assertion that he used trade leverage to prevent a “nuclear war” between India and Pakistan during the May 2025 crisis.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 civilians, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting what it described as terrorist infrastructure belonging to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This led to four days of intense military exchanges, including missile, drone, and artillery strikes, raising fears of a wider conflict.

On May 10, after India’s forceful attacks on key Pakistani Air Force bases, Pakistan reached out for a ceasefire. The Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries negotiated the cessation of hostilities directly. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, clarified that the ceasefire was the result of these direct military-to-military communications, not external mediation.

Jaiswal specifically refuted Trump’s statements, emphasizing that India’s long-standing position is that all issues related to Jammu and Kashmir must be addressed bilaterally between India and Pakistan. He reiterated that no discussions about trade took place between Indian and US leaders during the crisis, directly contradicting Trump’s claim that he used trade as leverage to broker peace.

On the issue of nuclear escalation, Jaiswal stressed that India’s military actions during Operation Sindoor were “entirely in the conventional domain.” He noted that reports of Pakistan’s National Command Authority (which oversees its nuclear arsenal) meeting on May 10 were later denied by Pakistan itself.

India maintained its stance against nuclear blackmail and cross-border terrorism, warning international interlocutors that subscribing to nuclear escalation narratives could have broader regional repercussions.

Jaiswal also addressed Pakistan’s attempts to claim victory and its denial of supporting terrorism, stating that Pakistan is “only fooling itself” if it believes it can avoid consequences for nurturing “terrorism on an industrial scale.” He highlighted that the Indian strikes had significantly degraded Pakistan’s military capabilities and that the new Indian approach would persist until Pakistan credibly abandons support for cross-border terrorism.

Additionally, India’s punitive diplomatic and economic measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, remain in effect until Pakistan takes irreversible steps against terrorism.

India has categorically dismissed Trump’s mediation offer and his claims about trade-based leverage, asserting that the ceasefire was achieved through Indian military pressure and direct communication with Pakistan, and reaffirming its bilateral approach to the Kashmir issue and zero tolerance for terrorism.

Agencies