US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for brokering the recent understanding of cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, asserting that he facilitated the de-escalation through trade negotiations and personal diplomacy.

Speaking at the White House alongside South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump stated, “If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India, we settled that whole thing, and I think I settled it through trade. We’re doing a big deal with India. We’re doing a big deal with Pakistan... Somebody had to be the last one to shoot, but the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the country. We spoke to them and...we got it settled”.

Trump emphasised his rapport with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani leadership, suggesting that his intervention and ongoing trade deals were instrumental in calming the escalating conflict. He publicly announced a “full and immediate ceasefire” via his social media platform, congratulating both countries and crediting US mediation for the breakthrough.

The background to this development includes India’s launch of ‘Operation Sindoor’ in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. The operation targeted terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), resulting in intense military exchanges, including attempted drone attacks and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC).

However, the Indian government has firmly refuted Trump’s claims. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated India’s long-standing policy that any issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir are to be addressed bilaterally between India and Pakistan, without third-party mediation.

The MEA specifically stated that trade was not discussed with the US during the period of Operation Sindoor and the subsequent cessation of hostilities, directly contradicting Trump’s assertion that trade negotiations played a role in the de-escalation.

While President Trump has publicly claimed that his trade negotiations and diplomatic efforts were pivotal in settling the India-Pakistan hostilities, the Indian government has categorically denied any US role in mediating the ceasefire or linking it to trade discussions. The official Indian stance remains that such matters are to be resolved bilaterally, and that trade was not part of the ceasefire talks.

Based On ANI Report