Subhechcha Ganguly 
During an interaction with reporters in the Oval Office, former U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the role of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir in de-escalating tensions between their nations. Hosting General Munir at the White House, Trump said, “The reason I had him here—I want to thank him for not going into the war, ending the war.” He added, “Prime Minister Modi just left a little while ago. We’re working on trade deals with both India and Pakistan.”
Trump appeared to credit both leaders for choosing restraint, saying, “I’m so happy that two very smart people—and their teams—decided not to go ahead with that war. It could have been a nuclear war. Those are two big nuclear powers, and they stepped back.”
Although Trump has previously claimed that he played a role in diffusing the conflict that ended in a ceasefire on May 10, he seemed to soften his stance, giving greater credit to the leadership in both countries. He also said he had offered more trade with the U.S. as an incentive to stop hostilities.
Trump and Modi were supposed to meet on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, but Trump left early. Instead, the two leaders held a 35-minute phone conversation—their first formal contact since the ceasefire was announced.
Meanwhile, in a video statement from Kananaskis, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri clarified that India never discussed trade or mediation during Operation Sindoor. He emphasized that the decision to halt military operations was made directly between India and Pakistan through military communication channels, initiated by Islamabad.
Misri also reiterated India’s longstanding position: “There was no room for third-party mediation, and there is complete political consensus in India on this matter.”
