On Friday morning, Vice President JD Vance was set to call India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, driven by growing worries at the White House about the escalating tensions between Pakistan and India.
The urgency at the White House ramped up about a day before President Donald Trump declared on social media that a ceasefire had been reached.
Following Indian missile strikes on Pakistan, and Pakistan’s response with military actions, both nations seemed apprehensive about losing control of the situation, prompting serious discussions on de-escalation.
This incident marks a concerning increase in hostilities between the two nuclear powers. The conflict has been ignited by mass shootings that India attributes to Pakistan.
Pakistan claims its military has targeted installations in India following recent confrontations.
During a midday discussion with Modi, Vance expressed that the U.S. believes the situation could dramatically worsen over the upcoming weekend.
He urged Modi to contemplate options for de-escalation, including suggestions that U.S. officials believed would be palatable to Pakistan.
Modi, while listening, didn’t explicitly express willingness to consider the ideas put forth.
Vance’s conversation with Modi occurred less than a month after his visit to New Delhi, where he met Indian leaders to discuss trade relations.
Since then, key U.S. officials have been actively communicating overnight with their counterparts in both India and Pakistan, working to set the groundwork for a ceasefire within the next 12-18 hours.
Options for de-escalation are being considered amidst ongoing strikes between India and Pakistan.
In an early morning post on Saturday, Trump shared, “We are pleased to announce that after a long night of U.S.-mediated discussions, India and Pakistan have agreed to a complete and immediate ceasefire.” He congratulated both nations for displaying common sense and thanked them for addressing the issue.
Rep. Lisa McClain from Michigan lauded the president’s announcement on X, dubbing him the “President of Peace.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarked in a statement that he and Vance were collaborating with both foreign officials.
Rubio noted, “For the past 48 hours, Vice President Vance and I have engaged with high-ranking officials from both India and Pakistan, including Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif among others.”
The Indian and Pakistani governments have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to engage in discussions in a neutral setting.
Rubio commended the leaders for their wise choice towards peace. Vance acknowledged in a post that the president’s team did a commendable job, especially Secretary Rubio, thanking both Indian and Pakistani leaders for their efforts and readiness to support the ceasefire.
