US President Donald Trump addressing the media in Hanoi, Vietnam. ReutersUS President Donald Trump Thursday said he was hopeful that the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan will end soon. “We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it and we have been involved trying to have them stop. We have some reasonably decent news. I think hopefully that it’s going to come to an end,” Trump said. He was speaking at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam after a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Adding that the conflict between both the countries has been “going on for decades,” Trump said, “There has been a lot of dislike, unfortunately. So we have been in the middle trying to help them out, see if there is some organisation and peace. I think that is probably going to happen soon now.”
Earlier, the United States had asked both countries to exercise restraint and avoid any military action. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with foreign ministers of both the countries and encouraged both sides to prioritise direct communication.
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The Indian Express has learnt that Pompeo spoke to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday, as did Admiral Philip Davidson, Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command with Admiral Sunil Lanba, the Indian Navy Chief. Sources said that US Ambassador to India, Ken Juster also engaged with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. Similar engagements were also done with the Pakistani side.
In a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Swaraj explained the reasons behind the strike and conveyed that the action was specifically targeted at the JeM camp.
While countries like France and Australia came out with statements supporting India’s action, China’s response was muted.
