Donald Trump's recent remarks regarding trade with India have cast a shadow over his previous assertions about mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during "Operation Sindoor" in May 2025. This comes amidst ongoing discussions and debates within India's Parliament, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refuted Trump's claims of intervention, attributing the cessation of hostilities to the success of the Indian Air Force's strikes.
Trump's recent comments, made while returning from a trip to Scotland, suggested the possibility of imposing tariffs as high as 25% on Indian goods, reiterating his stance that the United States must be treated fairly in global trade. He also repeated his claim of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after four days of military action in Operation Sindoor. "They ended the war with Pakistan at my request," Trump stated.
However, these statements directly contradict assertions made by India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who stated firmly in the Lok Sabha that there was no linkage between trade and the cessation of Operation Sindoor. Jaishankar also clarified that there were no calls between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump during the tense period following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22nd.
Prime Minister Modi himself addressed the issue in Parliament, stating that no world leader asked India to stop its military action against Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. "No country in the world has stopped India from any action in its defence against terrorism," Modi said.
These conflicting accounts have fueled political debate in India, with opposition leaders challenging the government to directly contradict Trump's claims. Congress leader Pawan Khera criticized PM Modi, stating, "Trump is coiled around Modi like a snake". Rahul Gandhi challenged Modi to call Trump a "liar" in Parliament, over the latter's repeated claims of using trade leverage to end the India-Pakistan conflict.
The backdrop to these discussions is the ongoing effort to resolve trade disagreements between the United States and India. A tariff truce is nearing its August 1 deadline, and India is bracing for the possibility of higher tariffs on select exports as a temporary measure. Reports suggest that India plans to resume comprehensive trade talks in mid-August during a visit from a US delegation.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the matter in the Rajya Sabha, emphasizing that there was no third-party intervention in bringing about the ceasefire with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and that halting the military action was not linked to trade. He said that India will not tolerate any cross-border terrorism and has responded to Pakistan by carrying out Operation Sindoor and will continue to do so. Jaishankar also highlighted that the Modi government has corrected the wrongs of Nehru's policies by suspending the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan and that terrorism is now on the global agenda only because of the efforts of the Modi government.
The conflicting narratives between Trump and the Indian government raise questions about the nature and extent of any US involvement in de-escalating the conflict between India and Pakistan. Trump's recent remarks about potential tariffs on India further complicate the situation, potentially undermining his claims of having used trade as leverage to achieve a peaceful resolution.
