MEA Denies Trump’s Claims Of Trade Talks And Mediation In India-Pakistan Ceasefire

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has once again categorically denied U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he mediated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, or that trade discussions played any part in the diplomatic exchanges.

In a media briefing held on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that no conversation regarding trade or tariffs took place between Indian and American officials in the wake of Operation Sindoor, which began on May 7 and targeted terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Jaiswal emphasized, "I refer you to the position made clear on May 13. Since the launch of Operation Sindoor, trade or tariff-related matters were never brought up in any of the communications. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar had also clarified that the ceasefire was established directly through the DGMOs."

He further stated that the request for ceasefire came from Islamabad, specifically from Pakistan's Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO), who reached out to his Indian counterpart. Jaiswal made it clear that there was "no American intervention during Operation Sindoor."

Earlier, during the May 13 press briefing, Jaiswal had underlined India's position on not succumbing to nuclear intimidation and made it clear that cross-border terrorism could not be justified by threats of nuclear escalation. "In our engagements with various countries, we warned that endorsing such scenarios might ultimately harm their own regional security," he had said.

These remarks came after President Trump claimed multiple times that he was instrumental in bringing about the ceasefire between the two South Asian nations, linking the diplomatic breakthrough to his trade negotiations with both India and Pakistan.

Following the ceasefire announcement last week, Trump posted on Truth Social: "After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. Congratulations to both countries on using common sense and great intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

He also described the development as a major diplomatic achievement, asserting that he had averted a potential nuclear confrontation. Trump even went as far as to say he hoped to see the leaders of India and Pakistan "dining together in peace."

However, Indian officials have consistently maintained that the ceasefire was the result of a direct and bilateral military-level agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad. They have denied the involvement of any third party and clarified that the de-escalation had no link to ongoing or proposed trade negotiations with the United States.

According to earlier reports by CNN-News18, government sources confirmed that no mention of trade occurred during top-level talks between Indian and U.S. leaders during the India-Pakistan conflict. It was also noted that U.S. Vice President JD Vance spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, and trade did not come up during their conversation.