RT.com
01 Jul 2025, 18:56 GMT+10
S. Jaishankar has refuted Donald Trump's claims on mediation between the South Asian neighbors
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has refuted US President Donald Trump's assertion of using trade as leverage to negotiate a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during a military showdown in May.
Trump has repeatedly said that the US mediated between the South Asian neighbors when they were involved in a 4-day confrontation and offered more trade with both countries if they ceased hostilities.
"I think the trade people are doing what the trade people should be doing, which is negotiate with numbers and lines and products and do their trade-offs," Jaishankar told Newsweek in an interview, when asked if trade talks were linked to the recent conflict in the subcontinent. "I think they are very professional and very, very focused about it."
The US and India are engaged in negotiations and racing to meet a July 9 deadline set by Trump, after which reciprocal tariffs will be imposed if an agreement is not reached. Speaking about the military confrontation with Pakistan, Jaishankar said that he was in the room when US Vice President J D Vance spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the night of May 9, "saying that the Pakistanis would launch a very massive assault on India if we did not accept certain things."
He added that Modi told Vance that there would be a response from India. "This was the night before and the Pakistanis did attack us massively that night, we responded very quickly thereafter," he said.
The Indian foreign minister who is in Washington for a meeting of foreign ministers of the so-called Quad, comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia, said trade talks between New Delhi and Washington were progressing.
"We are in the middle, hopefully more than the middle, of a very intricate trade negotiation...we do think today that in trade, there will have to be some give and take," Jaishankar said in the Newsweek interview. "Just as people in the US have an opinion about India, Indians too have an opinion about the US. There will be some sort of middle ground, we just have to wait and watch the space for the next few days."
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that Washington and New Delhi were "finalizing" a trade deal.
A potential trade agreement, however, still faces roadblocks.
On Monday, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told newspaper Financial Express that even as the deal talks are on, India has stated that agriculture and dairy must be excluded from any tariff agreement.
Get a daily dose of Yorkshire Observer news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Yorkshire Observer.
More InformationSYDNEY, NSW, Australia - , Australian Federal Police (AFP) have shut down a secret drug lab in Sydney's west and seized more than 100kg...
Tel Aviv [Israel], July 1 (ANI): Israel's military chief, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, has advised cabinet ministers against ordering the Israel...
The war with Israel last month decimated a senior echelon of Irans military leadership, crippled its air defenses, and exposed the...
The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned the prosecution in Moldova of regional head Yevgenia Gutsul as politically motivated repression...
Why Trump managed to settle the conflict in the Middle East but not in Eastern Europe US President Donald Trump secured his image...
Washington, DC [US], July 1 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines...
(250701) -- ORLANDO, July 1, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Ali Lajami (R) of Al Hilal saves the ball during the round of 16 match between Manchester...
ORLANDO, 1st July, 2025 (WAM) -- Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal sent English giants Manchester City crashing out of the Club World Cup...
New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): The Indian Navy is all set to commission its latest stealth frigate, INS Tamal, in Russia on Tuesday....
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 1 (ANI): NorthEast United FC, one of the founding members of the Indian Super League (ISL), have experienced...
Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) [India], June 30 (ANI): Australian striker Jordan Murray has officially parted ways with Jamshedpur FC, according...
Florida [US], June 30 (ANI): Harry Kane scored twice to guide Bayern Munich to a 4-2 victory over Flamengo at the Club World Cup in...