Kashmir remains a “direct issue” between India and Pakistan, and the United States has no interest in “asserting” itself between the two countries, a senior State Department official said Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump “has enough crises” on his hands, and “we leave that (issue of Kashmir) up to India and Pakistan to solve,” the official told reporters at a briefing. “We have no interest in asserting ourselves between India and Pakistan.”
The official emphasized that the US will continue its “long-standing policy that this is a direct issue between India and Pakistan.” He added that President Trump would be ready to help if asked. “If we are asked to offer our good offices on any issue, we are ready to help,” the official said.
Reiterating Trump’s claims that he helped stop the conflict between India and Pakistan, the official noted, “It is a fact that the United States was involved in that crisis and absolutely helped broker that ceasefire.”
India, however, maintains that it does not want any third-party involvement in discussions with Pakistan on issues such as terrorism, asserting that such matters must remain bilateral.
The official also emphasized that the US will adopt an America First policy in its approach toward India and Pakistan. “We continue to see India and Pakistan in two separate ways, seeing them on their own in the relationship, looking at an America First policy that advances our interest,” he said.
Since May 10, President Trump has repeatedly claimed he “helped settle” tensions between India and Pakistan by suggesting that the two neighbours would engage in “a lot of trade” if they ended hostilities. India has denied these claims, maintaining that the ceasefire was achieved through direct talks between the Indian and Pakistani militaries.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. The Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists.
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