‘No Reference To Trade’: India Denies Trump’s Assertion On How US Negotiated Ceasefire — Report
India dismissed any reference to trade during conversations between top Indian and American leaders amid the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan
India on Monday clarified that there was no reference to trade during conversations between top Indian and American leaders amid the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s claim that he used the trade card to pressure both nations into halting hostilities, Government sources told news agency PTI.
According to PTI sources, US Vice President JD Vance spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, following the commencement of Operation Sindoor. However, they emphasised that there was no mention of trade during this conversation. Similarly, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on May 8 and May 10, and with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on May 10 — none of which included references to trade, the sources maintained.
The clarification came hours after Trump, during a press conference at the White House on Monday, reiterated that his administration had intervened to stop what he described as a potentially “bad nuclear war” between India and Pakistan. He claimed that he used the prospect of trade with the US to push both countries towards a ceasefire.
“I said, ‘Come on, we’re going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let’s stop it. Let’s stop it. If you stop it, we’re doing trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade’,” Trump told reporters.
Trump began the briefing by recounting “historic events” in the Indian subcontinent, stating that his administration had helped broker a full and immediate ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours after four days of intense drone and missile strikes.
India-Pakistan Ceasefire
On Saturday, Indian and Pakistani forces reached an understanding to cease all military actions on land, air, and sea with immediate effect. Indian government sources said that this agreement was reached between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations, and reiterated that no third party was involved in the decision.
Trump, however, credited the US for facilitating the ceasefire. “India and Pakistan were going at it hot and heavy, and it was seemingly not going to stop,” he said. “I’m very proud to let you know that the leadership of India and Pakistan was unwavering, powerful… having the strength and the wisdom and fortitude to fully understand the gravity of the situation.”
He also remarked, “We helped a lot, and we helped also with trade,” reiterating that trade was a key factor in the de-escalation. “People have never really used trade the way I used it, that I can tell you. And all of a sudden they (India and Pakistan) said, ‘I think we’re going to stop.’ And they have, and they did it for a lot of reasons, but trade is a big one.”
Trump went on to state that the US is currently negotiating trade deals with India and would soon begin similar negotiations with Pakistan. “We did some great things with trade with India and Pakistan. Really helped the situation. Very heated situation. Could have lost millions of people,” he added.
He also thanked Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their efforts, saying, “They worked very hard on that.”
In a subsequent post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that the US helped India and Pakistan arrive at a “historic and heroic decision” to stop the conflict and offered to work with both countries to find a “solution on Kashmir”.
India, however, has consistently maintained that the issue of Kashmir is a bilateral matter and that there is no scope for third-party intervention. The government asserts that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India
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