Contrary to Trump's stance, Modi claims there was no US mediation in Pakistan-India ceasefire

• President Trump, PM Modi hold telephonic conversation.
• India hasn't accepted mediation in past and will never do: Modi.
• Claims ceasefire with Pakistan reached via military channels.

NEW DELHI: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, contrary to US President Donald Trump's stance, has denied Washington's involvement in brokering a ceasefire with Pakistan last month.

"PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-US trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan," Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a press statement while referring to the telephonic conversation between the two leaders.

"Talks for ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan. PM Modi emphasised that India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do," the diplomat claimed.

Misri said the two leaders spoke over the phone — for 35 minutes — at the insistence of Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada which Modi attended as a guest. 

The White House, however, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Modi-Trump call.

The Indian PM's denial comes after President Trump said last month that the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours agreed to a ceasefire after talks mediated by the US and that the hostilities ended after he urged the countries to focus on trade instead of war.

Meanwhile, Islamabad had previously said that the ceasefire happened after its military returned a call the Indian military had initiated on May 7.

New Delhi's latest claim refers to the 87-hour-long conflict between the two countries  — which erupted in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and included cross-border strikes by both countries — left 40 civilians and 13 armed forces personnel martyred in Pakistan.

In response to India's cross-border strikes, Pakistan had launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos after downing six Indian Air Force jets, including three Rafales in response to Indian aggression.

The two countries, following four days of armed conflict, agreed on a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.

Although Pakistan has time again praised and credited President Trump for his role in the ceasefire, which he himself has highlighted on multiple occasions, India has denied any US involvement whatsoever.

However, the US president is on record reiterating his stance and has even offered to mediate the longstanding Kashmir dispute between the two countries — a stance also highlighted by the US State Department as well.

Separately, speaking at a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that President Trump could only offer help and it was up to whoever he's offering it to "whether or not they'll accept it".

"I would not speak to the nature of another country’s decision-making. That's up to them. But I think all of us are grateful that we have a president who is willing to help and wants to help," the spokesperson remarked.