Trump again claims credit for India-Pakistan ceasefire; ‘hate to say we got it settled through…’
During a meeting at the White House with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, US President Donald Trump once again referred to his alleged role in easing tensions between India and Pakistan. Speaking to reporters, Trump takes credit for helping bring about a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, saying he achieved it by leveraging trade negotiations.
Pointing to his administration’s trade engagements with both countries, Trump said, “We’ve managed to calm the situation between India and Pakistan. I believe trade played a big part in that. We’re working on significant deals with both nations.”
Trump recounted urging the two sides to halt hostilities, suggesting that he had directly intervened as military conflict escalated. “I asked them what’s going on here? Things were intensifying, and someone had to take the last shot. The fighting was only expanding, spilling deeper into their territories,” he remarked.
He also expressed concern that his role might be downplayed or criticized if future skirmishes occurred. “I don’t like it when we help resolve things and then something flares up later, and people try to pin the blame on me,” he said.
Trump concluded his comments by praising both countries, calling Pakistani citizens “wonderful people” and reaffirming his rapport with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “India has a strong leader in Modi—he’s a terrific guy,” Trump said.
New Delhi, however, has consistently dismissed claims of any third-party mediation in its affairs with Pakistan.
Trump taking credit for ceasefire deal
Trump has continued to assert that he played a central role in defusing recent tensions between India and Pakistan, going so far as to claim credit for preventing a potential nuclear confrontation between the two nations.
Following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement last week, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to highlight what he described as a major diplomatic victory. In his post, he wrote: “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. Congratulations to both countries on using common sense and great intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Framing the development as more than just a ceasefire, Trump suggested that his intervention helped avert a catastrophic conflict. He emphasized that the situation had the potential to spiral into a nuclear showdown and portrayed his involvement as crucial in steering both countries away from that path.
He also struck a hopeful tone for future relations between the long-time rivals, saying he could even picture the leaders of India and Pakistan sharing a meal together—a symbolic gesture of peace and cooperation.
India rejects Trump’s claim
India responded strongly last week to US President Donald Trump’s claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, issuing a clear and detailed six-point rebuttal that firmly rejected the notion of any third-party mediation.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that the agreement to cease hostilities was the result of direct communication between the militaries of both countries. According to the MEA, the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan coordinated the ceasefire over a scheduled phone call, part of an established mechanism between the two sides, and no external intervention, including from the United States, played any role.
To further reinforce the point, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed the matter in a briefing to members of the Standing Committee on External Affairs. He clarified that at no point was there any credible threat of a nuclear attack from Pakistan, and contrary to President Trump’s statements, the US had no involvement in the discussions that led to the ceasefire.
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