US now wants direct talks between Pakistan, India
Political storm in India over Trump’s role in securing ceasefire
THE SITUATIONER
May 14, 2025
JUST hours after US President Donald Trump proposed that India and Pakistan “go out to dinner” together to resolve their longstanding tensions, the US State Department clarified that Washington’s priority now lies in encouraging direct dialogue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Speaking at a Saudi-American investment forum in Riyadh, President Trump claimed credit for brokering a weekend ceasefire between the South Asian rivals. He offered an unusually informal take on diplomacy, telling the forum: “I said, ‘Fellas, let’s strike a deal. Let’s trade goods — not nuclear missiles — you make beautiful things, let’s trade those instead.’” He did not specify which Indian or Pakistani leaders he had spoken to, or when.
Turning to his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who accompanied him to the kingdom, Trump added, “They’re actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together for a nice dinner.”
In Washington, however, State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Piggott struck a more measured tone. He confirmed that the United States welcomed the ceasefire and praised both prime ministers for “choosing the path of peace,” while emphasising the US commitment to promoting direct engagement between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Asked whether Pakistan had made any commitments regarding the cessation of terrorist activities — a key concern repeatedly raised by India — Piggott declined to comment. Instead, he reiterated Washington’s support for continued dialogue. “We’ve been clear on that. The president has also been clear in praising both prime ministers for taking the path of peace and wisdom,” he said.
Trump’s remarks, however, have sparked a political backlash in India, with opposition leaders demanding answers from the government and raising concerns over a possible shift in India’s longstanding foreign policy stance.
Critics chastised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for omitting any reference to Trump’s comments in his national address on Tuesday. They asked whether India had deviated from its traditional position of rejecting third-party mediation and whether trade had indeed been offered as a bargaining chip in negotiations.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said Trump’s claims had “upstaged” Modi’s delayed address. “The prime minister was completely silent on them. Has India accepted US mediation? Has there been agreement on a neutral venue for talks with Pakistan?” he asked. Ramesh also called for an all-party meeting to discuss the developments — a step he noted Modi had studiously avoided for the past three weeks.
“The coming months will demand painstaking diplomacy and collective resolve,” he added. “Dialogue in the form of catchy soundbites is no substitute.”
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) echoed the call for a parliamentary explanation. Its general secretary, M.A. Baby, said Trump’s pre-emptive announcement of the ceasefire — made before any Indian official had commented — raised serious concerns. “India has always maintained that bilateral issues must be resolved without third-party involvement. The government must now issue an authoritative clarification,” he wrote.
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha urged the Modi government to issue a firm response to what he described as Trump’s undermining of India’s stated foreign policy. “The kind of language he [Trump] used was offensive. The prime minister, who holds the people’s mandate, must send a strong message to the US,” he said.
Asaduddin Owaisi, MP for All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, warned against any deviation from India’s historic stance. “We’ve opposed this since Simla 1972. Why are we now agreeing to neutral territory? What is the agenda? Has the government agreed to a Trump-brokered ceasefire in Kashmir — an internal matter?” he asked.
The Modi government has not yet issued a formal response to either Trump’s claims or the opposition’s calls for clarification.