Despite India’s repeated rejection of any external involvement in the Kashmir issue, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce suggested that President Donald Trump might still try to mediate.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Bruce was asked about what a reporter claimed was Trump’s offer to mediate. She replied, “Obviously, I can’t speak to what’s on the mind or the plans of the president.” But she added, “It shouldn’t surprise anyone that he’d want to manage something like that,” referring to the Kashmir dispute.
Bruce said Trump often takes steps aimed at solving long-standing conflicts. “He has been the only one to bring certain people to the table to have conversations that nobody thought was possible,” she said.
India, however, made its position clear again. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Any issues related to Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That policy has not changed.” He added, “The outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan.”
India has consistently refused third-party mediation in the Kashmir issue, based on the 1972 Tashkent agreement.
Bruce also said that the US supports India in its fight against terrorism and values its strategic partnership. She made this statement while referring to a recent meeting between an Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Shashi Tharoor and US Deputy Secretary of State Eric Landau.
She further claimed that the US played a role in stopping the recent four-day conflict between India and Pakistan. “Thank God but also thank Secretary Rubio and President Trump and the Vice President,” she said, referring to the ceasefire.
However, Indian officials have strongly denied these claims. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a Parliamentary Committee that the ceasefire was a decision made between India and Pakistan without any US role.
Jaiswal said it was India’s military success during Operation Sindoor that led Pakistan to request a ceasefire. “It was the force of Indian arms that compelled Pakistan to stop its firing,” he said. He added that India had carried out effective attacks on key Pakistani Air Force bases on the morning of May 10.
When asked whether Pakistan had given any commitment to take action against terrorists during its recent meeting with US Under Secretary Allison Hooker, Bruce declined to answer. “I am not going to discuss the details of those conversations,” she said.
