WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has claimed that his diplomatic intervention played a crucial role in averting a nuclear war between India and Pakistan by shifting the focus from conflict to trade.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Trump described the tense situation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors as a “tit-for-tat cycle” that was dangerously close to escalating into full-scale nuclear war. He termed his role in brokering the ceasefire as a significant foreign policy success, saying, “Those are major nuclear powers and they were angry. The next phase was probably… you see where it was getting.”
Trump recounted how he urged both nations to prioritize trade over conflict, stating, “I said we’re gonna talk about trade. We’re gonna do a lot of trade… don’t forget Iran wants to trade with us.”
Highlighting his positive view of Pakistan, Trump praised the country’s people and products, calling them “brilliant” and expressing optimism about future trade relations. “Ohh… they would love to trade… they are brilliant people… they make brilliant products,” he said.
The US president’s comments come after he previously told American troops stationed in Qatar that his efforts helped bring about a ceasefire after the worst India-Pakistan clashes in nearly 30 years. The two countries agreed to halt hostilities on May 10 following diplomatic pressure from the US.
Pakistan welcomed Trump’s role in defusing tensions, confirming that India approached the US to facilitate the ceasefire.
This episode highlights the critical role of trade diplomacy in easing geopolitical tensions between long-standing rivals in South Asia.
