President Donald Trump has claimed credit for brokering last month’s ceasefire between India and Pakistan, attributing the de-escalation to his warning that the United States would pull back from trade talks if the two nations continued their military confrontation.
The ceasefire, achieved on May 10, brought an abrupt end to the deadliest military standoff in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors. The conflict, sparked by an April 22 attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 tourists, escalated rapidly. India blamed Pakistan for the attack and responded with airstrikes on May 7 targeting Pakistani cities. Pakistan denied involvement and retaliated with strikes on Indian military positions, resulting in a total of around 70 casualties.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday, during a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump detailed his role in defusing the crisis.
“I spoke to some very talented people on both sides … and I said, you know, we’re dealing with you on trade, Pakistan and India right now,” Trump said. “I said we’re not going to deal with you on trade if you’re going to go shooting each other and whipping out nuclear weapons that maybe even affect us.”
He underscored the broader implications of nuclear conflict, adding: “Because you know that nuclear dust blows across oceans very quickly, it affects us.”
Trump credited his warning on trade deals and the potential nuclear threat as decisive. “I got that war stopped,” he said, while also commending both Indian and Pakistani leadership for stepping back from the brink.
Following the truce, Pakistan has publicly acknowledged Trump’s role and expressed gratitude for his mediation. India, however, has denied that its decision was influenced by any external pressure.
