No reference to trade, Sources deny Trump's claim on India-Pak talk

There was no reference to trade in talks between top leaders of India and the US during the India-Pakistan military conflict, government sources said on Monday after US President Donald Trump claimed he pressured New Delhi and Islamabad to stop hostilities by threatening to cut trade with both countries. US Vice President JD Vance spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9 but there was no reference to trade in the conversation, the sources said. "After Operation Sindoor commenced, Vice President Vance spoke to the prime minister on May 9," a source said. Trump made the claim while addressing the media at the White House, where he reiterated his earlier contention that his administration helped “broker a full and immediate ceasefire” between India and Pakistan.The US is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totalling USD 129.2 billion in 2024. On the other hand, the US's total trade with Pakistan was an estimated USD 7.3 billion last year.
The development came hours after US President Donald Trump, who helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, claimed that both countries would not trade with his country if they did not de-escalate. Earlier in the day, Trump said that the US "will do a lot of trade" with India and Pakistan, adding that while talks with New Delhi were ongoing, negotiations with Islamabad would start soon. Trump took credit for stopping what he called a potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan, saying his administration brokered a "full and immediate ceasefire" between the two countries.