'Let’s not trade nuclear missiles’: US nudges India, Pakistan towards direct talks, suggests ‘nice dinner’ between leaders

The United States has called on India and Pakistan to maintain direct lines of communication to ensure regional peace and stability, following a ceasefire agreement between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

“We urge both sides to maintain direct communication to preserve regional stability,” Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesperson, said at the daily briefing, IANS reported.

Pigott commended both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for “choosing the path of peace” and showing “strength, wisdom, and fortitude.” He repeatedly underscored that the US remains focused on two main aspects: the ceasefire and continued direct communication between the two countries.

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No comment on terror assurances or radiation reports

When asked if Secretary of State Marco Rubio had received any commitments from Pakistan during conversations with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Asim Munir regarding terrorism, Pigott said, “I'm not going to talk about private diplomatic conversations. What I can say is to reiterate what we've been saying for a couple of days now is that we welcome the ceasefire reached between India and Pakistan this weekend, and we commend both prime ministers for choosing the path of peace. The president was very clear in terms of that. We also want to encourage direct communication between the parties. That is something we've also been clear about as well.”

On reports of radiation leakage at Pakistani nuclear sites, Pigott declined to comment.

He also refrained from speculating on India’s reported refusal of US mediation, stating: “Well, I'm not going to speculate on that. What I can say is that we encourage direct communication. We have been clear on that. We continue to encourage direct communication. The president has been clear on that. And the president, as I said, has also been clear in praising both prime ministers for choosing the path towards peace and the wisdom and fortitude that shows.”

India dismisses Trump’s mediation claim

India on Tuesday firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that he brokered the ceasefire with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, reiterating that any discussions on Jammu and Kashmir will be handled strictly on a bilateral basis.

“The government's position on J&K is well known and consistent. The only outstanding issue is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, in response to Trump’s assertions that he pressured both nations to stop trade unless they agreed to cease hostilities.

In his national address on Monday evening, PM Modi indirectly rebutted Trump’s claim, stating that the ceasefire followed direct contact from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) after Indian airstrikes destroyed key terror infrastructure and military installations.

Also Read:Operation Sindoor Continues: IAF successfully executes assigned tasks with precision and professionalism after Pak ceasefire violations

Trump credits trade, urges continued peace

Speaking at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh,  Trump claimed that he helped broker the ceasefire through trade diplomacy.

“Just days ago, my administration brokered a historic cease-fire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan, and I used trade to a large extent to do it. I said, fellas, come on, let's make a deal, let's do some trading, let's not trade nuclear missiles, let's trade the things that you make so beautifully, and they both have very powerful leaders, very strong leaders, smart leaders, and it all stopped,” Trump was quoted as saying by ANI.

Trump expressed hopes that peace would continue and credited Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance for their efforts.

"Hopefully, it will remain that way but it all stopped. I was very proud of Marco Rubio and all of the people that worked so hard. Marco, what a great job you did on that. Thank you, JD Vance," he added.

Adding a lighter note, Trump proposed that the two sides could celebrate the peace process with a shared dinner.

“The whole group worked with you but there's a great job. They are actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together a little bit, where they go out and have a nice dinner together. Wouldn't that be nice? We've come a long way,” he said.

He warned, however, that the conflict could have spiralled into a large-scale tragedy. “Millions of people could have died from that conflict that started off small and was getting bigger and bigger by the day.”

(With inputs from agencies)