India has distanced itself from recent claims by the White House that US President Donald Trump helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, calling for such questions to be directed to Washington.
Responding to a reporter on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "My view is that it would be better if you direct that question to the White House itself," when asked whether India believes President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
The statement comes a day after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly declared that President Trump had ended multiple global conflicts since returning to power in January, including one between India and Pakistan.
At a press briefing on Thursday, Leavitt said, "President Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He has now ended conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia."
"It’s well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize," she added, noting that he has "brokered, on average, about one peace deal or ceasefire per month" during his six months in office.
However, India has repeatedly denied that any external mediation was involved in the resolution of the recent flare-up with Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address in the Lok Sabha on Operation Sindoor dismissed apprehensions that India agreed to a premature ceasefire under pressure from The United States of America. “No leader in the world asked India to stop its operation. The ceasefire on May 10 was agreed to after Pakistan pleaded for one, not because of any external pressure. Our forces acted with full confidence, and the operation continues as needed,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly addressing Trump’s claims without naming him.
President Trump’s supporters, however, continue to push for recognition of his role in international diplomacy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month submitted an official nomination to the Nobel Committee, crediting Trump with promoting "peace, security and stability around the world."
In June, Pakistan also announced its intention to recommend the US President for the prize, citing his “constructive role” in the India-Pakistan crisis, a claim India has not endorsed.
If awarded, Trump would become the fifth US president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, following Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama. Nominations for the 2025 prize closed in January, with winners set to be announced in October.
