Trump offers to 'help' as India-Pakistan tensions escalate
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Washington: Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan following India’s recent airstrikes on terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, United States President Donald Trump has expressed deep concern over the situation and said he is willing to extend help, urging both countries to bring an end to the growing conflict.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said, "It’s so terrible. My position is I get along with both. I know both very well and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop and hopefully they can stop now. They have gone tit for tat so hopefully they can stop now. I know them both, we get along with both the countries very well."
"I have good relationships with both and I want to see it stop. And if I can do anything to help, I will be there," he added, responding to a question regarding the ongoing 'war' between India and Pakistan.
Tensions spiked after India launched Operation Sindoor early Wednesday, targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives.
In a related statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said he is closely monitoring the situation between the two countries. "I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely. I echo President Trump’s comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution," Rubio posted on X.
Commenting further on the developments, Trump on Tuesday said he hopes hostilities between India and Pakistan end "very quickly." "It’s a shame," he said, noting, "We heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval [Office]. I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past."
"They’ve been fighting for a long time. They’ve been fighting for many, many decades and centuries, actually, if you really think about it," Trump observed. Asked whether he had a specific message for the countries, he replied, "No, I just hope it ends very quickly."
With IANS inputs
