Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has made it clear to US President Donald Trump that India firmly rejects any third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
During a phone conversation with Trump on Tuesday, Modi reiterated India’s longstanding position that Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan, BBC reported.
Misri said that Modi “strongly” communicated this stance.
Trump has frequently offered to mediate between the two countries since a brief but intense military standoff occurred between India and Pakistan in May. However, the White House has yet to respond to India’s statement.
Misri also clarified that Modi told Trump no discussions were held during the conflict period on either an India-US trade deal or any role for the US in mediating between India and Pakistan. This directly contradicts Trump’s earlier claims that he used trade as leverage to help broker peace and a ceasefire between the two nations — a version supported by Pakistan but consistently denied by India.
According to Misri, talks to de-escalate the situation were conducted directly through existing military communication channels between India and Pakistan.
Last month, Trump told reporters he urged both countries to stop hostilities, promising improved trade ties if they complied. “If you stop it, we’ll do a trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade,” he said.
