India rejects mediation in Kashmir issue, PM Modi tells Trump in firm phone call
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In a decisive statement during a phone call with US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India’s longstanding position that it does not seek or accept third-party mediation in the Kashmir dispute, calling the matter strictly bilateral.
The 35-minute call, which took place late Tuesday while Prime Minister Modi was attending the G7 Summit in Canada, came at Trump’s request.
According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who briefed the media on Wednesday morning, the conversation centered around Operation Sindoor—India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
PM Modi informed Trump that India’s military action was “measured” and strictly targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He also emphasised that India's stance on external mediation has been unwavering.
“PM Modi stressed India has never accepted mediation and does not accept and will never accept it. There is complete political unanimity in India on this,” Misri said.
The clarification follows repeated claims by President Trump that he played a key role in negotiating the Operation Sindoor ceasefire, even suggesting his willingness to mediate on Kashmir. India has strongly and consistently rejected these assertions.
The Prime Minister’s remarks also echo his address to the nation on May 12, in which he made India’s position clear: “If we ever talk to Pakistan, it will be on terror and PoK only.”
The timing of this call is especially notable, given the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Pakistan’s Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir at the White House. The luncheon, scheduled for 1 PM Eastern Time (10:30 PM IST), is taking place amid increasing instability in the region as tensions between Iran and Israel escalate.
With Pakistan sharing a border with Iran, the situation poses new strategic challenges for the US, which sees Islamabad as a regional ally.
Though officially described as a bilateral visit aimed at enhancing military cooperation, the meeting with the Pakistani military leadership follows the Pahalgam attack, which India attributes to Pakistan’s deep state apparatus.
During the phone conversation, PM Modi also dismissed Trump’s claims that the ceasefire was linked to a proposed India-US trade deal or the threat of elevated tariffs. Instead, the Prime Minister clarified that the halt in hostilities was requested by Pakistan and facilitated through existing military communication channels between Delhi and Islamabad.
“There is no trade deal angle,” Modi conveyed, rejecting speculation that economic pressure played a role in the decision to cease fire.
Additionally, US President Trump invited Prime Minister Modi to visit the United States after his G7 trip. However, due to prior commitments, PM Modi had to decline. The phone call was intended as a substitute for an in-person meeting that was originally expected to take place on the sidelines of the summit but could not proceed due to Trump’s early departure.
