As Donald Trump offers to mediate, questions arise on role in India-Pakistan ceasefire
On Sunday, Trump extended an offer to “work with you both to see if, after a “thousand years” the Kashmir could be resolved.
A day after India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all military action against each other, the President Donald Trump-led US administration has moved quickly to claim credit for brokering the ceasefire agreement.
On Sunday, Trump extended an offer to “work with you both to see if, after a “thousand years” the Kashmir could be resolved.
The announcement of the ceasefire, after four days of intense armed confrontation triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack, came from Trump and has allowed the White House to notch up a high profile foreign policy win, as it continued complex and uncertain talks with Russia and Iran. Yet, the details of behind-the-scenes diplomacy by the US remain unclear.
According to reports in the international media, officials in the US government and intelligence establishment have said that Vice President JD Vance and US secretary of state Marco Rubio played a key role in defusing tensions. Rubio spoke with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Asim Munir, and Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar, urging all three to de-escalate.
Separately, the reports said, Vance on a crucial phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the Indian premier to speak to Pakistan and also highlighted potential off-ramps that Pakistan would be open to. However, the same reports indicate that America left the two South Asian neighbours to hammer out the details.
Shortly after 5pm on Saturday, President Trump announced the ceasefire on his social media website, Truth Social.
In his announcement, Trump said, “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.”
In a separate post on Sunday, he was effusive in his praise for the leaders of both nations.
“I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many, and so much,” he said
While the news of the agreement was soon confirmed by the Indian government, officials have stressed that the deal was worked out “directly” by the DGMOs of both India and Pakistan. They added that there was no decision to hold talks on broader ranging issues at a neutral site, which directly contradicted a statement made by Secretary Rubio.
For its part, Pakistan has publicly thanked Washington for its role in brokering the ceasefire.
PM Sharif thanked President Trump for “his leadership and proactive role” in securing the agreement”. Sharif also backed US mediation efforts to resolve “longstanding issues” that have plagued the subcontinent. Pakistan’s officials have told media outlets that Islamabad’s sharp response to Indian attacks on military bases on Saturday surprised New Delhi.
