U.S. President Donald Trump has once again asserted that he played a role in de-escalating recent military tensions between India and Pakistan, claiming that trade discussions were key to reaching an understanding between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Speaking during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House’s Oval Office, Trump said, "If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole [situation], and I think I settled it through trade."
Expanding on his remarks, Trump said he directly intervened as the situation worsened between the two countries following a spike in cross-border hostilities. “And I said, ‘What are you guys doing?’ Somebody had to be the last one to shoot. But the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the countries. And we spoke to them, and I think we... you know, I hate to say we got it settled, and then two days later, something happens, and they say it's Trump's fault,” he said.
Trump also offered praise for both nations’ leadership, stating, “Pakistan has got some excellent people and some really good, great leader. And India is my friend, Modi.” To this, Ramaphosa responded, “Modi, mutual friend,” prompting Trump to add, “He's a great guy and I called them both.”
This is not the first time President Trump has made claims about diffusing India-Pakistan tensions. The recent flare-up followed India's launch of Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead, many of them tourists.
As part of the operation, Indian forces targeted and destroyed nine terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The cross-border offensive triggered a sharp military response from Pakistan, including drone incursions targeting Indian cities near the border and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC).
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Trump’s Ceasefire Announcement and India’s Rebuttal
Before any official announcement from India regarding the cessation of hostilities, President Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to declare success in mediating peace. 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!" However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India strongly rejected Trump’s claims. The MEA reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains a bilateral issue to be resolved only between India and Pakistan, dismissing any role of third-party mediation.
"As you are aware, we have a long-standing national position that any issues pertaining to the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian Territory by Pakistan," the MEA said in an official statement.
The ministry further clarified that trade discussions were never part of the diplomatic or military dialogue between Indian and U.S. officials during the escalation. "From the time Operation Sindoor commenced on 7th May till the understanding on cessation of firing and military action on 10th May, there were conversations between Indian and US leaders on the evolving military situation. The issue of trade did not come up in any of these discussions," the statement added.
After India’s initial strikes under Operation Sindoor, Pakistan responded with retaliatory shelling across the LoC and launched drone attacks targeting Indian border cities. In response, India stepped up its offensive, targeting critical Pakistani infrastructure.
Indian airstrikes were reported to have damaged significant Pakistani military installations, including the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi and the Rahim Yar Khan airbase, signaling a major escalation in the conflict. Eventually, after days of rising tensions and cross-border fire, both countries agreed to cease hostilities on May 10, though the details of the understanding have not been publicly disclosed by either side.
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