External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar issued a fresh clarification about the recent India-Pakistan clash on Thursday — shutting down claims that the US had ‘helped mediate’ a ceasefire. The remarks came amid continued assertions from President Donald Trump and the White House about how he had averted ‘nuclear war’ in the region.
“When two countries are engaged in a conflict, it is natural that countries in the world call up and try to sort of indicate their concern. But the cessation of firing and military action was something which was negotiated directly between India and Pakistan. We made one thing very clear to everybody who spoke to us, not just the US but to everybody, saying if the Pakistanis want to stop fighting, they need to tell us. We need to hear it from them. Their general has to call up our general and say this. And that is what happened,” he explained during an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS.
He also reiterated that the ceasefire between Islamabad and New Delhi had been negotiated directly between the two countries and stressed that no other nation had played a role. Jaishankar confirmed that top US officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had reached out to their Indian counterparts — but only to convey their concerns.
“The US was in the United States,” he quipped.
Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for the cessation of hostilities over the past two weeks — claiming that he played a role in brokering the “ceasefire” between India and Pakistan.
(With inputs from agencies)
