US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about India-Pakistan relations, stating at the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, that he believed the two nations would “live very nicely together.”
Addressing reporters while standing alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Trump said, “India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top. And he has done a fantastic job. I think that Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together,” prompting laughter from Sharif.
Trump, co-hosting the summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, also praised Pakistan’s military leadership, adding, “regional peace depends on good friends doing good things.” Gesturing toward Sharif, he quipped, “He is going to help make that happen, right?”
Sharif, speaking immediately after Trump, publicly thanked him for his role in defusing a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, stating, “Had it not been for this gentleman, who knows -- India and Pakistan are both nuclear powers -- had he not intervened with his wonderful team during those four days, the war could have escalated to a level where no one would have lived to tell what happened.”
Trump reiterated his claim of preventing an India-Pakistan conflict, a point he had emphasised the previous day while addressing the Knesset in Israel, listing it among “eight conflicts” he claimed to have helped resolve. On May 10, Trump announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire following US-mediated talks.
However, India has consistently maintained that the cessation of hostilities was achieved through direct negotiations between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries’ militaries, without external mediation.
India at Gaza Peace Summit
India was represented at the Gaza Peace Summit by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, marking the first official meeting between an Indian minister and Trump since Operation Sindoor. In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “India welcomes the signing of the landmark peace agreement and hopes this will lead to lasting peace in the region.”
PM Modi Praises Trump
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also commended Trump for his “unwavering peace efforts” in brokering the Gaza ceasefire. In a post on X, Modi welcomed the release of the final 20 surviving hostages held by Hamas for over two years, freed as part of the first phase of the Gaza peace plan.
He stated, “We welcome the release of all hostages after over two years of captivity. Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu. We support President Trump’s sincere efforts to bring peace to the region.”
The summit concluded with Trump signing a landmark ceasefire document alongside leaders from the Arab and Muslim world. Attended by numerous regional leaders, the event marked what Trump described as a “new and beautiful day” for the Middle East, following two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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