Washington: President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated his claim of ending hostilities between India and Pakistan, suggesting that trade with the U.S. played a key role in the process.
“I think I settled it through trade,” Trump said in a media interview in the White House with visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, referring to the India-Pakistan hostilities. “We’re doing a big deal with India. We're doing a big deal with Pakistan … What are you guys doing? You know, 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.”
Trump went on to say, “We spoke to them, and we, 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. Pakistan has got some excellent people and some really good... great leaders, and India has my friend (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. He's a great guy.”
President Trump and his administration have repeatedly asserted that they played a role in ending hostilities between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, which was linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
While the U.S. and several other nations engaged with both sides, urging de-escalation, India maintains that the conflict ceased after a direct communication from the Pakistani military.
President Trump was the first to declare the end of hostilities, asserting that the U.S. had mediated the “ceasefire.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio later stated that both sides had agreed “to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site.”
India has consistently opposed third-party mediation in its disputes, maintaining a firm stance on bilateral resolution. Despite this, President Trump has repeatedly offered to mediate India’s conflicts with both Pakistan and China—proposals that India has firmly and politely rejected.
(inputs from IANS)