Trade was not discussed in any of the recent talks between Indian and American leaders, government sources told India Today TV on Monday. These talks took place amid rising tension between India and Pakistan after India's Operation Sindoor targeted terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC).

On May 9, US Vice President JD Vance spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The next day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Sources said that during these conversations, there was no mention of trade.

This information comes just hours after US President Donald Trump said, “Both countries would not trade with his country if they did not de-escalate.” Trump claimed he played a major role in reducing the conflict between India and Pakistan and said his administration had helped arrange a “full and immediate ceasefire”.

According to the US president, “The US will do a lot of trade with India and Pakistan,” adding that talks with India were ongoing and negotiations with Pakistan would begin soon. However, Indian officials made it clear that trade was never discussed in any of the recent talks.

In 2024, the US was India’s biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade worth USD 129.2 billion. In comparison, the US traded goods worth only USD 7.3 billion with Pakistan in the same year.

India and Pakistan agree to stop firing after military-level talks

The comments by President Trump came days after he announced a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Interestingly, he made this announcement even before either country had officially spoken about any such agreement. After his statement, India held a press briefing and confirmed that both countries had agreed to stop firing.

However, India did not use the word “ceasefire”. Instead, it said that the understanding was “worked out directly between the two countries”. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of Pakistan had called up his Indian counterpart. During the conversation, both sides agreed to stop all military actions from 5 pm onwards on land, air, and sea.

“They discussed the commitment that both sides must not fire a single shot or initiate any aggressive and inimical action against each other,” the official statement added. The DGMO-level talks, originally scheduled for 12 noon, finally began at 5 pm.

This move came after 19 days of regular firing along the LoC. On Saturday night, Pakistan violated the agreement, but there were no such incidents on Sunday night — a first in several days.

From April 23 to May 6, there were regular cases of small arms fire across the LoC. The situation got worse between May 7 and 11, with reports of heavy artillery shelling and even aerial attacks.

India launched Operation Sindoor after deadly terror attack

The current situation began after a major terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 people, most of them tourists. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7. Under this operation, India carried out precise strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Following India’s strikes, Pakistan tried to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. But India gave a strong response and caused major damage to Pakistani military targets. These included airbases, air defence systems, radar stations, and command centres.

Now, both countries have agreed to reduce troops and stop military action, but the situation remains tense, and the coming days will be important in deciding whether peace will continue or not.

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