US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged India to “go out to dinner" with Pakistan, stating that “both nations are getting along well together."

However, India this week issued a strong warning to its neighbour, making it clear that counter-terror operations such as Operation Sindoor which targeted terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) across nine locations will now represent a new standard in India’s response. The Indian government stressed that its forces will act again if terrorist elements in Pakistan attempt to regroup.

Trump commented, "Both have very powerful, strong and smart leaders. It all stopped and hopefully it will remain that way...They (India-Pakistan) are actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together to go out and have a nice dinner. Millions of people could have died from that conflict that started off small and was getting bigger and bigger by the day."

He added, “Let us not trade nuclear missiles, let us trade goods, the good things that you make. Maybe we can even get them together a little bit, Marco, where they go out and have a nice dinner together," while praising US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance for their contributions.

Trump further claimed, “We reached a historic ceasefire a few days agomillions could have died in a conflict between India and Pakistan."

At the US-Saudi Investment Forum, President Trump reiterated, "My greatest hope is to be a peacemaker and to be a unifier. I do not like war...Just days ago, my administration successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan. I used trade to a large extent. I said let's make a deal, let's do some trading. Let's not trade nuclear missiles, let's trade the things you make so beautifully..."

Despite these statements, the Indian government has rejected Trump’s assertion that trade was used as a tool to broker the ceasefire. According to Indian officials, “US Secretary Rubio spoke to Jaishankar on May 8, 10 and to Doval on May 10; there was no reference to trade in any discussion."

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Without directly naming President Trump, the Ministry of External Affairs reaffirmed that matters related to Kashmir are bilateral.

“We have a longstanding national position that any issues pertaining to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

Earlier, on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also clarified India’s position, stating that talks with Pakistan will only concern terrorism and the return of PoK.

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“Talks with Pakistan can only happen on terror and return of PoK, nothing else," PM Modi had said.