Date: July 1, 2025
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has firmly denied former US President Donald Trump’s claims that India agreed to a ceasefire with Pakistan under American trade pressure. Speaking to Newsweek in New York, Jaishankar stated, “I can tell you that I was in the room when Vice President [JD] Vance spoke to Prime Minister Modi on the night of May 9. There was no linking of trade and ceasefire.”
He described the events after India launched Operation Sindoor, a military retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, calling it an “act of economic warfare” aimed at damaging Kashmir’s tourism and fuelling communal tensions.
Jaishankar revealed that Washington warned India about a “massive assault” from Pakistan and raised concerns about potential nuclear escalation. However, he said, “We stood firm, responded militarily, and refused to be swayed by nuclear threats or diplomatic pressure. The Prime Minister was impervious to what the Pakistanis were threatening to do. On the contrary, he indicated there would be a response from us.”
His statements counter Trump’s version that trade and ceasefire negotiations were linked, highlighting India’s assertive stance and refusal to accept external pressure during the crisis.
