United States President Donald Trump on Sunday welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, saying that millions of lives could have been lost had the conflict continued unabated.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many and so much. Millions of good and innocent people could have died! Your legacy is greatly enhanced by your brave actions.”
The US President also offered to mediate between the two nuclear-armed neighbours over the long-standing Kashmir dispute.
“I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision. While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade substantially with both of these great Nations. Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir. God Bless the leadership of India and Pakistan on a job well done!!!”
Also read: 'Ceasefire a pause, not a peace,' says Pakistan's foreign office
India, however, has consistently rejected any third-party involvement in the Kashmir issue, maintaining that the region is an integral part of its territory and a purely internal matter.
On Saturday, India downplayed Washington’s role in brokering the ceasefire, clarifying that the understanding was reached between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries without external mediation.
Trump’s remarks have stirred a fresh wave of political debate within India, with the opposition Indian National Congress sharply criticising the US President’s overture. Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General Secretary, said, “The Indian National Congress considers that the mention of 'neutral site' by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for dialogue between India and Pakistan raises many questions. Have we abandoned the Shimla Agreement? Have we opened the doors to third-party mediation? The Indian National Congress would like to ask if diplomatic channels between India and Pakistan are being reopened. What commitments have we sought and got?”
The comments also sparked a backlash on social media, with several political figures accusing the US administration of meddling in India’s sovereign affairs. India has long maintained that any discussion on Jammu and Kashmir will be strictly bilateral and conducted under the framework of the Shimla Agreement of 1972.
The fragile peace between the two nuclear-armed rivals, which have fought multiple wars since gaining independence in 1947, remains a subject of intense diplomatic manoeuvring, with regional stability hanging in the balance.
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