Pakistan, India agree to ceasefire after US offered trade ties: Trump

US President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration used Washington’s trade relationships with India and Pakistan to help persuade both nations to de-escalate hostilities and agree to a ceasefire following the worst fighting between the two in decades.

The ceasefire, reached on Saturday, ended days of cross-border attacks involving fighter jets, drones, missiles, and artillery in what officials described as the most intense military confrontation between India and Pakistan since the 1999 Kargil conflict.

The violence, sparked by a deadly April 22 militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists, left around 70 people dead on both sides of the border.

Addressing reporters at the White House, Trump said the U.S. played a crucial role in brokering the ceasefire, which he believes could become permanent.

“They were going at it hard and heavy,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Come on, we are going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let’s stop it. If you stop it, we will do trade; if you don’t, we won’t.’ People have never really used trade the way I used it.”

The president said Washington was already engaged in trade negotiations with India and would soon begin talks with Pakistan.

Despite Trump’s optimism, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck a more cautious tone in a speech later on Monday, saying India had only “paused” its military action. He reiterated that future dialogue with Pakistan would be focused solely on terrorism and the status of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which India refers to as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

“If we talk to Pakistan, it will be about terrorism only,” Modi said. “Pakistan must dismantle its terrorist infrastructure if it wants to be saved.”

Pakistan, in turn, rejected India’s accusations of involvement in the April 22 attack and launched retaliatory strikes on Indian military targets. Pakistan’s military described its response as a “comprehensive” demonstration of national power.

“No one should have any doubt that whenever our sovereignty is threatened, our response will be comprehensive, retributive, and decisive,” said Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesperson for the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Trump also expressed interest in helping mediate the long-standing Kashmir dispute, writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he would work with both countries to find a solution “after a thousand years” of conflict.