Abstract
The US as a strategic partner of Pakistan used its political will, diplomacy and economic policies to make India agree for the resolution of the Kashmir conflict during the Cold War era. However, the US role in the post-Cold War era transformed from the conflict resolver to the crisis manager, such as de-escalating tension between the two rivals. US President, Donald Trump, has resumed that role and offered both Pakistan and India to resolve the long-standing conflict of Kashmir. Therefore, this paper finds that the US intention of mediation has changed due to the geopolitical and geostrategic interests in South Asia, for instance, the US-Soviet strategic rivalries during the Cold War and the US encircling of China in the post-Cold War era. This paper further analyzes how and why the US offered its mediation during the Cold War era and why its offer of mediation has not become successful. Moreover, how the US mediating role impacted India’s policy towards Kashmir during the Cold War and the post-Cold War eras. Finally, this paper explores the major factors behind the US political will to resolve India-Pakistan conflict when Pakistan has already contributed towards the US-Taliban peace process in Afghanistan.