 "A Pakistan army soldier examines a building damaged during India's Operation Sindoor near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. AP")
Indian officials have dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claims that American mediation was responsible for the recent ceasefire agreement with Pakistan, describing his remarks as “characteristic hyperbole”.
President Trump, in a series of posts on his social media platform, claimed credit for brokering a “full and immediate ceasefire” between India and Pakistan, and offered to work towards a solution on the Kashmir issue. He praised the “strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership” of both countries and pledged to increase trade “substantially” with them, adding that “millions” could have died had the conflict escalated.
However, senior Indian government sources, cited by news agency PTI, made it clear that the ceasefire was the result of direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan, with no third-party involvement. “There was no need for third-party intervention,” a source, quoted by PTI, said. The source also underlined that the understanding was reached bilaterally and not through US mediation.
Officials further noted that the US merely acknowledged the impact of India’s military response and that Washington’s claims of brokering the ceasefire were inaccurate. “Our job is to hit targets, not count body bags,” the Indian forces said in a Sunday press conference.
This highlighted the seriousness of India’s military actions that preceded the ceasefire that is said to have forced Pakistan to seek the US help in establishing communication with India. This also explains why Pakistani leaders have since then repeatedly hailed Trump’s role, while Indian officials have denied any role in mediation.
While the US administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, echoed Trump’s assertions of American involvement, Indian officials reiterated that all negotiations were conducted directly between Indian and Pakistani military officials. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has so far refrained from making a formal comment on Trump’s statements.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsFormer Indian diplomats, cited in several news media reports, observed that the US has a history of making “parallel calls” to both New Delhi and Islamabad during crises, but India’s policy remains firmly against third-party mediation, especially on the Kashmir issue.
The ceasefire, announced on Saturday evening, followed days of intense military exchanges after a terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region. Despite Trump’s public statements, Indian officials insist the agreement was a result of direct military-to-military contact, not international intervention.