India never accepted mediation, does not accept it, will never accept it: PM Modi to Trump
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told U.S. President Donald Trump that India firmly rejects any form of mediation on issues concerning Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a statement on Wednesday.
Reiterating India’s long-standing position, Misri said, “Prime Minister Modi stressed that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it. There is complete political unanimity in India on this issue.”
According to the foreign secretary, the two leaders spoke over the phone for 35 minutes — their first conversation since the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s response through Operation Sindoo
The call took place after a scheduled in-person meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit was cancelled due to Trump’s early return to the US.
“The phone conversation was held at the request of President Trump,” said Misri, adding that PM Modi used the opportunity to detail India’s measured military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 tourists.
“Prime Minister Modi said that on the night of May 6-7, India had targeted only terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India’s actions were very measured, precise, and non-escalatory,” Misri said.
“India had made it clear that it would respond to Pakistan’s ‘goli’ with ‘gola’ — a strong, proportionate military response,” he added.
Additionally, the prime minister informed Trump that India would regard any act of terrorism not as a proxy action, but as an act of war, Misri highlighted.
The foreign secretary also said that on the night of May 9, US Vice President Vance conveyed to PM Modi that Pakistan could launch a major retaliatory strike.
“Prime Minister Modi told him clearly that if this happened, India would respond with even greater force. India’s strong counterattack on the night of May 9-10 May caused heavy damage to Pakistan’s military. Several of their airbases were rendered inoperable,” Misri said. He noted that, following India’s retaliation, Pakistan approached India with a ceasefire request.
“Prime Minister Modi stated that the ceasefire was agreed to only at Pakistan’s request and that India does not want mediation. He made it clear that at no point during this episode were India-US trade talks or third-party mediation discussed,” Misri said.
“The halt to military action was discussed directly between the two countries through existing military channels,” he added.
President Trump, according to Misri, fully understood India’s position and expressed support for its fight against terrorism. The prime minister also informed Trump that India would consider any terror act emanating from Pakistan as an act of war, and that Operation Sindoor remains ongoing.
Apart from regional security, the two leaders also discussed broader international developments, including the Iran-Israel conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed on the need for direct dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv.
“They also discussed the Indo-Pacific and the vital role of the QUAD. The PM invited President Trump to India for the next QUAD summit, and President Trump accepted the invitation,” Misri said.
President Trump also extended an invitation to PM Modi to visit Washington; however, due to prior commitments, PM Modi was unable to accept. Both leaders agreed to meet in the near future, Misri said.
