The United States has said that President Donald Trump is ready to mediate between Pakistan and Indian over Kashmir but cannot force either side to accept his offer. Addressing her daily news briefing in Washington on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said President Trump could offer to mediate on Kashmir, but cannot force either of the countries to accept the offer.

When asked about India’s continued refusal to engage with Trump’s repeated mediation offers, Tammy Bruce said “As President Trump has stated, everyone has the right to define its own future. He offers his help, and it’s up to whoever he is offering it to, to whether or not they’ll accept it.”

In the recent past, President Trump had referred to Kashmir as a “thousand-year-old” conflict and had publicly offered to help resolve it on multiple occasions in recent weeks. India, however, maintained its long-standing position that Kashmir is a bilateral matter with no room for third-party involvement.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)