NEW DELHI: A top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that US President Donald Trump played a role in stopping the armed conflict between India and Pakistan. The issue came up during a phone call between the two leaders, which lasted about 70 minutes and covered major global developments.
Yury Ushakov, who previously served as Russia’s ambassador to the US, told reporters that the conversation included a range of topics, including Ukraine, the Middle East, and South Asia. “Additionally, the Middle East was discussed, as well as the armed conflict between India and Pakistan, which has been halted with the personal involvement of President Trump,” Ushakov said while sharing the outcomes of the call.
India, however, has denied that any third party had a role in ending the standoff with Pakistan. New Delhi has maintained that it was a result of direct communication between the two countries' Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs).
While Trump has earlier claimed that his efforts helped cool tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours — even suggesting that trade was used as a pressure point — India has firmly rejected those assertions.
According to Ushakov, the conversation began with Ukraine. “What did the conversation begin with? Naturally, it began with a discussion of the situation around Ukraine. Vladimir Putin provided detailed information on the outcomes of the second round of direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul,” he said.
He also accused Ukraine of trying to sabotage the negotiations. “It was emphasised that Ukraine tried to derail these talks by carrying out targeted attacks on entirely civilian targets and civilians on direct orders from the Kiev regime. These attacks unequivocally constitute an act of terrorism under international law and, in our view, the Kiev regime has essentially degenerated into a terrorist organisation.”
Despite the allegations, Ushakov said the Russian side went ahead with the discussions. “To reiterate, our President extensively covered the content and outcomes of the talks and emphasised that these talks were productive overall. The corresponding memorandums exchanged hands and will be analysed in the capitals – Moscow and Kiev – and then, we hope, both sides can continue the talks.”