‘New Delhi, Islamabad directly negotiated’: Jaishankar rebuts Trump's claim of India-Pakistan ceasefire mediation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking to the Dutch public broadcaster NOS, firmly refuted US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that the United States brokered the ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan. Jaishankar clarified that the cessation of hostilities was a bilateral understanding directly negotiated between the two countries, without any third-party mediation

Jaishankar Junks Donald Trump's Claims

During an interview with NOS reporter Sander van Hoorn in the Netherlands, Jaisankar explained that India's retaliatory strikes on Pakistan's airbases compelled the Pakistani military to seek a truce, and that the Pakistani army initiated the ceasefire by contacting India through the official military hotline.

Jaishankar emphasised that India had made it clear to all countries, including the US, that if Pakistan wanted to stop firing, their military leadership had to communicate directly with India's military leadership, which is exactly what happened.

Jaishankar said that it was only New Delhi and Islamabad that “directly negotiated” the ceasefire, which the Indian government calls an “understanding”.

Jaishankar said that several countries were in touch with India when Operation Sindoor was underway between May 7 and 10, stressing that “the US was not alone”.

When asked where the United States was in the process, the EAM responded, “The US was in the United States”. “I mean, Vance spoke to PM, Rubio spoke to me, saying they were talking to Pakistanis .. The US was not alone; many other countries were in touch. When two countries are engaged, it is natural that countries call,” Jaishankar told Hoorn.

During the interview, Jaishankar attributed the necessity for Operation Sindoor to the “very barbaric terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 tourists were murdered in front of their families after ascertaining faith”.

“It was intended to harm tourism and to create a religious discord. An element of religion was introduced,” he said.

Donald Trump Stakes Claim to Ind-Pak Ceasefire Understanding

Regarding his claims, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted that he played a key role in mediating the India-Pakistan ceasefire understanding, stating that the US “settled that whole thing” through trade deals with both countries.

Notably, the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan was initially disseminated by President Trump via his social media platform, Truth Social.

In his subsequent posts, Trump also proposed the prospect of enhanced trade relations with both India and Pakistan, ostensibly leveraging his ongoing global trade negotiations to assert a degree of influence over the complex dynamics between the two South Asian nations.

Donald Trump suggested that his personal diplomacy and ongoing trade negotiations were instrumental in persuading the two nuclear-armed neighbours to halt military actions.

Donald Trump also expressed frustration that when Pakistan violated the ceasefire shortly after, the blame was placed on him despite his claims of having resolved the conflict.

India Refutes Donald Trump's Claims

However, Donald Trump's assertions were met with scepticism and dismissal by Indian officials and experts.

Jaishankar and other Indian authorities underscored that while US officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had reached out during the escalation, their role was limited to diplomatic outreach and did not extend to brokering the ceasefire.

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton described Trump's claims as typical behaviour, saying it was “Trump being Trump” to take credit for such matters and clarified that the ceasefire was ultimately a result of direct negotiations between India and Pakistan, not US mediation.