US confirms Trump's willingness to mediate Kashmir dispute after India-Pakistan ceasefire
ISLAMABAD: The United States on Tuesday said President Donald Trump would like to mediate between India and Pakistan over the decades-old Kashmir dispute, describing such a move as consistent with his desire to resolve 'generational' conflicts around the world.
The comment follows a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, announced by the US president on May 10 after a brief but intense military standoff involving fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery fire.
While tensions have eased, longstanding issues remain unresolved.
The US informed last month after the ceasefire announcement both India and Pakistan had agreed to meet at a neutral venue to address their differences, though New Delhi has so far publicly ruled out bilateral talks with Islamabad.
'I can't speak to what's on the mind or the plans of the President,' said State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce in response to a question about the American president's offer to mediate after the ceasefire.
'What I do know is that I think we all recognize that President Trump in each step that he takes, it's made to solve generational differences between countries, generational war,' she continued. 'So it doesn't – it shouldn't surprise anyone that he'd want to manage something like that.'
Bruce maintained Trump had the ability to bring enemies 'to the table to have conversations that nobody thought was possible.'
She added that she hoped 'something like that' could be resolved during the current American administration's term in office, referring to the Kashmir dispute.
In a related development, the State Department spokesperson confirmed a Pakistani parliamentary delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari met last week with senior State Department officials, including Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker.
While she did not reveal details of the discussions, Bruce said the talks covered counterterrorism cooperation and US support for the India-Pakistan ceasefire.
The Pakistani delegation is currently visiting key global capitals to present Islamabad's perspective on the limited war with India while lobbying the international community to press India to return to dialogue over Kashmir and other issues.
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