Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his first phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump since the conflict between India and Pakistan broke out in early May to express his displeasure with Trump’s repeated claims that he played a major role in brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear powers.
“Prime Minister Modi firmly stated that India will not and will never accept mediation. There is complete political consensus in India on this issue,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a statement.
Misri said that in the call between the two leaders on Tuesday, Modi “clearly conveyed to Trump” that the United States played no role in mediating between India and Pakistan and denied discussing any trade deal.
He added that the 35-minute call was initiated by Trump.
The White House did not provide a separate transcript of the call.
The two leaders last spoke in early May after an Islamist militant terrorist attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed 26 civilians.
India responded by bombing Pakistan in tit-for-tat fashion, leading to a four-day conflict that threatened to spark a larger war fueled by decades of strained relations between the two countries.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States played a major role in the eventual de-escalation of tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.
“I prevented a war between Pakistan and India,” Trump said outside the White House on Wednesday, calling Modi “a great man.”
Trump has also recently compared the current conflict between Israel and Iran to the India-Pakistan conflict last month. Trump said on Sunday that Israel and Iran should make a deal “just like I got India and Pakistan to make a deal.”
The tough tone of India’s statement on Wednesday may have been due in part to Trump’s decision to host Pakistan’s army chief for lunch at the White House.
Trump told reporters at the White House that the purpose of the lunch was to “thank him for not going to war” and to discuss a potential trade deal with the country.
The president also praised the apparent progress on a trade deal with India.
Trump and Modi were scheduled to meet at the Group of Seven summit in Canada this week. But Trump left a day early, with the White House saying he cut short his trip because of tensions in the Middle East.
发送反馈
侧边栏
历史记录
已保存
