Trump doubles down on his role in defusing tensions between India and Pakistan, rekindling a debate in India over sovereignty, diplomacy, and the limits of foreign intervention.
BY PC Bureau
May 31, 2025: US President Donald Trump on Friday repeated his controversial claim that he helped prevent a full-scale war—possibly even a nuclear conflict—between India and Pakistan.
Speaking at a press conference in the Oval Office, Trump said, “We talked trade and we said, ‘We can’t trade with people that are shooting at each other and potentially using nuclear weapons.’”
Seated beside him was Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is stepping down from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration.
“We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting. I believe that could have turned into a nuclear disaster,” Trump said, crediting his diplomatic efforts and the cooperation of leaders from both countries. “I want to thank the leaders of India, the leaders of Pakistan—and I want to thank my people also,” he added. Trump called both leaders “great,” saying, “They understood, and they agreed, and that all stopped.”
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Trump also claimed the US is playing a broader role in conflict prevention. “We are stopping others from fighting also, because ultimately, we can fight better than anybody. We have the greatest military in the world. We have the greatest leaders in the world.”
Trump takes another victory lap, claiming he used trade leverage to help bring about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/BKqQLYa2dZ
— Madhusudhan Reddy (@TheMsReddy) May 30, 2025
This marks the latest in a string of assertions by Trump that his administration “helped settle” India-Pakistan tensions. The claim created diplomatic discomfort for the Modi government, which has long maintained that Kashmir is a strictly bilateral issue with Pakistan, and that no third-party intervention is acceptable. The Indian opposition seized on Trump’s remarks to criticize the government, accusing it of compromising India’s longstanding diplomatic stance.
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The latest remarks come in the aftermath of heightened cross-border hostilities. On April 22, 26 people—mostly tourists—were killed in a terrorist attack at Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. India responded with ‘Operation Sindoor,’ targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. After four days of cross-border drone and missile strikes, both sides agreed to a ceasefire on May 10.
While Trump claims credit for de-escalation, Indian officials maintain there was no external involvement. New Delhi said the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGsMO) of India and Pakistan reached the agreement directly. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized that the cessation of hostilities was a result of bilateral discussions and warned that India would retaliate against any future terror attacks, indicating that Operation Sindoor may not be over.
