Jaishankar Denies Trump's Claim Of Helping Broker Indo-Pak Ceasefire
The statement directly contradicted the US president's claims that he was one of the reasons why the two countries agreed to a ceasefire.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thoroughly denied the claims that US President Donald Trump had a hand in brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan to end the conflict after the Pahalgam terror attack.
"There was no call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump between April 22 (the Pahalgam terror attack) and June 17 (the date the ceasefire was announced)," Jaishankar clarified on Monday, addressing the Parliament during a debate on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam Attack on Monday.
The statement directly contradicted the US president's claims that he was one of the reasons why the two countries agreed to a ceasefire and stopped tensions from escalating, according to NDTV.
Jaishankar said that India constantly denied Trump's claims and rejected his proposal regarding a mediation to settle Pakistan's illegal occupation of the Jammu and Kashmir region.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed the same in a phone call with Trump in the middle of June.
He further reiterated that India also rejects Trump's claims that he leveraged the India-US trade deal and trade as an instrument of diplomacy to influence both countries to accept a ceasefire. Trump claimed to have said to Indian and Pakistani government representatives, "Fellas, let's not trade nuclear missiles... let's trade the things you make so beautifully."
Jaishankar's words were similar to those he shared on July 1, when he revealed he was with Modi when US Vice President JD Vance spoke to him on the phone.
On July 1, Jaishankar informed an American publication that Modi spoke to Vice President JD Vance on May 9 to warn him of "a very massive assault on India" by Pakistan.
The next instance of contact, was shortly before Pakistan's military called to ask for peace, he added
According to Jaishankar, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted him and said that "the Pakistanis are ready to talk", after which Pakistan's Director-General of Military Operations reached out to India.
The vehement delinking of US and the Indo-Pak ceasefire was in response to statements from the opposition, who said that the government was allowing a foreign power to dictate foreign policy, and that India's diplomatic power had been "shattered".
Jaishankar affirmed that India will not tolerate terrorism on its territory and reserves the right to take necessary measures to defend its people.
"It was important to send a strong and resolute message after Pahalgam... a red line was crossed, and we had to make it clear there will be serious consequences," he said, referring to the diplomatic censures and the suspension of the critical 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which irrigates over half of Pakistan's farms.
