Key Points
- US President Donald Trump praised Indian PM Narendra Modi as “a fantastic man” after a recent phone call.
- Trump claimed credit for mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, despite India’s firm denial of any US involvement.
- Indian officials reiterated that the ceasefire was achieved solely through direct military-level talks between India and Pakistan.
- Trump emphasized the nuclear risk of the conflict and repeated his claim of averting war.
- India maintains it has never accepted, and will never accept, third-party mediation on its disputes with Pakistan.
Washington D.C.: In a fresh diplomatic twist, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday publicly praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him “a fantastic man” and confirming that the two leaders had spoken by phone the previous night. However, Trump also reignited controversy by once again claiming credit for mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, a statement that New Delhi has repeatedly and categorically denied.
Trump’s Praise and Mediation Claim
Speaking to reporters in Washington, President Trump was asked about his diplomatic goals during Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir’s visit to the US. Trump replied, “Well, I stopped the war between Pakistan. I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man, I spoke to him last night. We will have a trade deal with Modi of India.”
Trump went on to reiterate, “I stopped the war between Pakistan and India.” He credited both General Munir and PM Modi for their roles in defusing tensions, adding, “This man (Munir) was extremely influential in stopping the war from Pakistan’s side, and Modi from the India side, and others.”
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Trump said, “They were going at it, both nuclear countries. I don’t think I had one story written about that… I stopped a war between two major nuclear nations.”
India’s Firm Rebuttal: Ceasefire Was Bilateral
Earlier in the day, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri issued a pointed statement rejecting Trump’s claims. According to Misri, during their 35-minute phone conversation, PM Modi made it clear to President Trump that the ceasefire after the brief four-day conflict in May was achieved solely through direct talks between Indian and Pakistani military officials—without any US involvement.
“PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-US trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan,” Misri stated. He emphasized that “discussions on ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan.”
Misri further reiterated India’s longstanding policy: “India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do so.”
Background: Trump’s Mediation Narrative
On May 10, President Trump had claimed on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire following a “long night” of US-brokered talks. Since then, he has repeated this assertion multiple times, insisting that his intervention helped prevent a dangerous escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
However, New Delhi’s public statements have consistently contradicted Trump’s narrative, stressing that the ceasefire was the result of direct, bilateral military negotiations, not external mediation.
Diplomatic Implications
Trump’s repeated claims of US involvement in South Asian peace efforts have become a diplomatic sore point, with India determined to assert its autonomy in managing its relationship with Pakistan. The episode also highlights the sensitivities surrounding third-party mediation in the region, especially given the nuclear stakes and the complex history between India and Pakistan.
