SRINAGAR: In a familiar return to form, US President Donald Trump has again found himself mentioned in the context of Kashmir, with US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce hinting that it wouldn’t be surprising if Trump attempted to “manage” the India-Pakistan dispute. Her remarks, reported by IANS, came during a press briefing where she said: “President Trump in each step that he takes, it’s made to solve generational differences between countries, generational war… so it doesn’t – it shouldn’t – surprise anyone that he’d want to manage something like that.”
Bruce’s comment followed a reporter’s question about Trump’s alleged offer to mediate. While she clarified, “I can’t speak to what’s on the mind or the plans of the president,” she added, “the world knows his nature,” as quoted by India Today.
India’s reaction was swift and unequivocal. “We have a long-standing national position that any issues about the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He added pointedly, “The outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan.”
Jaiswal also dismissed claims, repeated by Bruce, that the US played a role in bringing about a ceasefire in the brief but intense military exchange last month. Bruce had said, “It is an exciting time that if we can get to a point in that particular conflict, thank God but also thank Secretary Rubio and President Trump and the Vice President,” as cited by The Telegraph.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, according to IANS, told a Parliamentary Committee that no third-party mediation occurred. “The two countries decided at a bilateral level to stop the military actions,” he reportedly said. Jaiswal reinforced that view, adding that it was India’s military superiority during Operation Sindoor, specifically, airstrikes on Pakistani air bases, that forced Islamabad to de-escalate.
The Trump-centric narrative in Washington came just as an Indian all-party parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor wrapped up what has widely been called a successful visit to the US. According to India Today, the delegation met Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who “reaffirmed the US’ strong support of India in the fight against terrorism and the strategic partnership between the two countries.”
The trip, which was part of New Delhi’s diplomatic push following the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, contrasted sharply with the rhetoric surrounding Trump’s claimed intervention. The Telegraph noted that Trump had said, “I will work with both of you to see if, after a ‘thousand years’, a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir.”
The US State Department also confirmed a parallel visit by a Pakistani delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. According to India Today, Bruce said Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker reiterated US support for the ongoing cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan. She refused, however, to comment on whether Pakistan had given any assurances about taking action against terrorists.
Meanwhile, the domestic political fallout in India was quick. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of yielding to pressure from Trump. Citing The Telegraph, Gandhi told party workers in Bhopal, “Trump picked the phone and asked Modi what he was up to… and Narendra Modi acted on the instructions of Trump.” He contrasted Modi’s response with Indira Gandhi’s refusal to bend under pressure during the 1971 war, despite the US sending in the Seventh Fleet.
With official Indian policy anchored in the Simla Agreement and the Tashkent Declaration, New Delhi continues to assert that Kashmir is a bilateral issue, off-limits to outsiders. But Trump’s name, uninvited, seems determined to linger in the conversation.
