“I Was in the Room”: Jaishankar Dismisses Trump’s Claim on India-Pakistan Ceasefire Deal

Despite India’s repeated denials, the US President last week again claimed that he ended the military conflict between India and Pakistan “with a series of phone calls on trade.”

New Delhi: In a sharp rebuttal to US President Donald Trump’s claim that he ended the India-Pakistan military standoff through trade negotiations, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar firmly stated, “I was in the room — and that’s not what happened.”

In an exclusive conversation with Newsweek in New York, Jaishankar offered a detailed, firsthand account of the events surrounding India’s Operation Sindoor and the subsequent ceasefire with Pakistan. He dismissed Trump’s repeated assertion that a series of trade-related phone calls forced both nations to agree to a truce.

“There was no linkage between trade and ceasefire from India’s side. I was there when US Vice President JD Vance called Prime Minister Modi on May 9. The Pakistanis were threatening a massive assault, but we didn’t accept any pressure. In fact, the Prime Minister made it clear that India would respond decisively,” Jaishankar said.

Timeline of Events: Inside India’s Diplomatic Response

Jaishankar revealed that Pakistan did carry out a large-scale assault on the night of May 9. However, Indian forces responded swiftly. The following morning, Jaishankar spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who informed him that Pakistan was ready for talks.

By that afternoon, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations, Major General Kashif Abdullah, made a direct call to his Indian counterpart, Lt. General Rajiv Ghai, requesting a ceasefire — a move Jaishankar credits to India’s firm military posture, not external diplomatic intervention.

“The suggestion that trade threats forced a ceasefire is factually incorrect and doesn’t align with what actually happened,” Jaishankar added.

Referring to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jaishankar said it was a calculated attempt by Pakistan-backed groups to damage Kashmir’s economy and communal harmony.

“The goal was to destroy tourism and provoke religious tensions. Victims were asked to reveal their religion before being shot. It was not just terrorism—it was economic warfare,” he said.

The attack, carried out by the Resistance Front, a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, triggered India’s Operation Sindoor, a counter-offensive targeting terror camps across the border.

Jaishankar emphasized that India would no longer tolerate “nuclear blackmail” and would respond firmly to cross-border terrorism.