Despite India rejecting US claims of brokering a ceasefire understanding over trade, Trump repeated the same in a speech at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh.

Days after the India-Pakistan ceasefire, the United States has urged the two countries to maintain direct lines of communication in the interest of preserving regional stability.

Very good evening and welcome to Free Press Journal. With me is senior journalist and co-founder of SatyaHindi, Ashutosh. Thank you for joining us. Ashutosh: Good evening, Afrida. Thank you for having me.

President Vladimir Putin said, according to a translation by the BBC: "We are determined to have serious negotiations with Ukraine. The purpose is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and establish long-term, lasting peace with a historical perspective.

US President Donald Trump announced a "full and immediate ceasefire" between India and Pakistan arising from what he claimed was "a long night of talks mediated by the United States," even as drone attacks appeared to continue at the border in what is at best a sketchy truce.

Congress leader Pawan Khera, who is also a Congress spokesperson, asked if such a comparison was acceptable to the Prime Minister's Office.

For Trump, a president who often boasts about "holding the cards" in high-stakes negotiations—most famously during a heated encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in late February—Lipner felt the U.S. leader once again appears to have the necessary leverage to get his way.

US President Donald Trump had a whirlwind week marked by major foreign policy and trade developments. He announced a ceasefire with Yemen's Houthis, a limited trade deal with the UK, and a 90-day tariff pause with China.