The Indian government on May 29 firmly rejected claims made by the Donald Trump administration that US tariff threats were instrumental in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, India Today reported.
The clarification came after court filings in the United States revealed that Trump officials had credited economic pressure — specifically the threat of trade tariffs on India — as a diplomatic tool in persuading New Delhi to agree to a ceasefire with Islamabad.
Responding to the claim, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed any suggestion that trade considerations were linked to its strategic and security decisions. “Tariffs or economic coercion were not part of any discussions related to the ceasefire with Pakistan,” said an MEA spokesperson. “India’s actions in matters of national security are determined by its own assessments and priorities.”
The ceasefire, announced in early 2021, was hailed at the time as a major breakthrough in reducing cross-border tensions in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Trump team’s assertion that the US leveraged trade threats to push India toward the agreement has stirred political controversy, raising questions about the role of economic diplomacy in sensitive regional security matters.
India has long maintained that its engagement with Pakistan on ceasefire mechanisms stems from bilateral military-to-military dialogue and not from third-party pressure. The Trump administration’s fresh claims, emerging amid a broader legal and political battle in the U.S., are expected to prompt further diplomatic clarifications in the days ahead.
Since May 10, the eccentric US President has claimed on several occassions that he "mediated" the ceasefire between India and Pakistan and the threat of cutting off trade forced the countries to stop the hostilities.
India and Pakistan exchanged fire for three days earlier this month after the armed forces launched Operation Sindoor, pummelling terror camps and targeting military bases inside the neighbouring country. The action came in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 dead.
However, India has rejected Trump's claims, saying New Delhi and Islamabad "directly negotiated" the ceasefire.
