India has firmly dismissed recent remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that both India and Pakistan were warned that trade ties would be halted if bilateral tensions did not ease. Indian officials clarified that no such conversation linking trade to the ongoing ceasefire was held with U.S. representatives during recent diplomatic engagements.
In the context of Operation Sindoor and the evolving regional situation, India confirmed it maintained regular high-level communication with the United States. However, trade was never a point of discussion, according to official sources.
“U.S. Vice President JD Vance held a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, specifically regarding Operation Sindoor. Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on May 8 and 10, and with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on May 10,” the source stated. “At no stage during these exchanges was the topic of trade raised. There is absolutely no correlation between the ceasefire agreement and trade negotiations.”
Despite Trump’s public assertion that the U.S. had mediated a ceasefire and issued a conditional stance on trade—saying trade would resume only if hostilities ended—India has denied any such understanding.
“Our diplomatic outreach focused on regional peace and security, not on economic coercion,” the Indian official added.
Trump had previously claimed credit for facilitating a ceasefire and suggested that both nations responded to his administration’s pressure. However, India has not acknowledged any external mediation in its public statements regarding the ceasefire with Pakistan, choosing instead to highlight bilateral decisions and strategic defense operations.
