‘No trade talks, no US mediation in Pak truce’: PM Modi to Trump ‘on phone’

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told US President Donald Trump during a phone call that the US had no role in brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan last month and there was no discussion on a US-India trade deal during the hostilities.

Shedding light on the 35-minute conversation, which came at Trump’s request, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “PM Modi clearly told President Trump that during the entire course of events, at no point, and at no level, was there any discussion about a US-India trade deal or about US mediation between India and Pakistan.”

This was the first conversation between the two leaders since India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, and comes hours ahead of a meeting between Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Trump.

“The Prime Minister said the talks regarding cessation of military action were held directly between India and Pakistan under the existing channels established between both militaries. It was done at Pakistan’s request,” Misri further said.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he mediated the ceasefire and the threat of cutting off trade forced the countries to stop the hostilities. However, India has rejected his claims, saying the ceasefire was directly negotiated upon Pakistan’s insistence.

The scheduled meeting of the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit could not take place as Trump rushed back to the United States on Tuesday amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.

During the call, PM Modi briefed Trump on Operation Sindoor, emphasising that India’s actions were “measured, precise, and non-escalatory”.

PM Modi also revealed that on the night of May 9, US Vice President JD Vance had alerted India about a potential large-scale Pakistani attack. PM Modi told Trump that India had made it clear that it would respond with even greater force if provoked.

On the intervening night of May 9-10, Pakistan launched a wave of drone and missile attacks, to which India responded by inflicting significant damage on Pakistani forces, rendering some of their military airbases inoperable.

The Prime Minister firmly told the US President that any future Pakistani aggression would be met with a stronger retaliatory response.

PM Modi also reiterated India’s long-standing position on third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue.

“India has never accepted, does not accept, and will never accept mediation on the Kashmir issue,” he told Trump. PM Modi underscored that there was complete political consensus in India on this matter.