Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reaffirmed America's role in mediating peace between India and Pakistan, urging both nations to focus on trade rather than nuclear escalation. "Let's not trade nuclear missiles—let's trade the things that you make so beautifully," he stated.
Trump is currently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the first stop of a three-leg tour across West Asia. This visit serves as his first major foreign policy engagement since returning to the White House for a non-consecutive second term.
"Fellas, come on," Trump said as he told India and Pakistan, "Let's make a deal. Let's do some trading. Let's not trade nuclear missiles. Let's trade the things that you make so beautifully."
"Just days ago, my administration successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan, and I used trade to a large extent to do it," he said in a major foreign policy speech with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in the audience.
He added, "And they both have very powerful leaders, very strong leaders, good leaders, smart leaders. And it all stopped."
The American President singled out the Secretary of State Marco Rubio for leading US efforts in the India-Pakistan situation, saying, "Millions of people could have died from that conflict that started off small and was getting bigger and bigger and bigger by the day."
President Donald Trump positioned himself as a peacemaker, emphasising his commitment to resolving global conflicts, including the India-Pakistan dispute.
He then addressed his administration’s efforts to mediate the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Since his Truth Social post announcing the cessation of hostilities following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir—an attack attributed to a Pakistan-backed group—Trump has repeatedly highlighted the U.S. role in securing peace between India and Pakistan.
He used the word "ceasefire" and claimed it was the result of US mediation.
India has said the conflict was resolved as a result of an "understanding" reached between India and Pakistan.
(inputs from IANS)