NEW YORK/WASHINGTON:
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that the deal he is most proud of during his presidency was preventing a potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan—not through military might, but by leveraging trade.
Speaking to reporters, Trump stated, “I think the deal I’m most proud of is the fact that we’re dealing with India, we’re dealing with Pakistan, and we were able to stop potentially a nuclear war through trade as opposed to bullets. Normally, they do it through bullets. We do it through trade. So I’m very proud of that.”
Over recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly asserted that he warned both countries the U.S. would suspend trade relations unless they de-escalated their conflict. He added, “I told them, we can’t trade with countries that are shooting at each other and potentially using nuclear weapons.”
Despite Trump’s remarks, Indian officials have refuted the claim. On Thursday, India firmly stated that trade was never a topic of discussion during its conversations with American leaders amid military tensions with Pakistan. The Indian government maintains that the ceasefire understanding was reached through direct military-to-military talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations.
Trump reiterated his position multiple times on Friday. Speaking at Joint Base Andrews, he said, “India, as you know, we’re very close to making a deal. I wouldn’t be interested in making any deal if they were at war. I told them that.” Later, in a White House press conference alongside billionaire Elon Musk, Trump emphasized, “We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting. I believe that could have turned into a nuclear disaster.”
Trump also praised the leadership in both countries and credited his administration for diffusing tensions. “The leaders of India and Pakistan are great leaders. They understood, and they agreed. And that all stopped,” he said.
Meanwhile, India continues to assert that its recent military actions were in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The cross-border conflict saw four days of intense drone and missile exchanges before an understanding was reached on May 10 to halt hostilities.
An all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, is scheduled to visit Washington D.C. around June 3, following stops in Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil. The delegation aims to highlight India’s firm stance against terrorism and draw attention to Pakistan’s alleged terror links. Indian officials have emphasized that the conflict was triggered by terrorism, not by any unprovoked military action as claimed by Islamabad.
