Daijiworld Media Network- New York
New York, May 22: In a controversial statement that has sparked fresh debate, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday once again claimed credit for de-escalating the recent military tensions between India and Pakistan, stating that he "settled the whole thing" through trade negotiations.
Speaking from the Oval Office during a meeting with visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump said, “If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India—we settled that whole... and I think I settled it through trade.”
The US President asserted that his administration is working on a “big deal” with both India and Pakistan and hinted at personal intervention. “And I said, ‘What are you guys doing?’ The shooting was getting worse, bigger, deeper into the countries. Somebody had to be the last one to shoot,” Trump remarked.
He went on to say that after speaking to both countries, tensions cooled off, although he cautiously added, “I hate to say we got it settled, and then two days later, something happens, and they say it's Trump’s fault.”
Trump had words of praise for both sides, describing Pakistan’s leadership as “excellent” and calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “great guy and my friend.” South African President Ramaphosa responded by affirming, “Modi, mutual friend.”
The comments come in the wake of India’s precision military operation, ‘Operation Sindoor’, carried out on May 7 in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. In the days that followed, Pakistan attempted a series of retaliatory strikes on May 8, 9, and 10, prompting a fierce counterattack by Indian forces targeting Pakistani military installations.
By May 10, both sides agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire”, which Trump claimed was the result of a “long night” of diplomatic efforts led by Washington.
While India has yet to officially acknowledge Trump’s role in brokering peace, the US President has repeatedly claimed that his behind-the-scenes diplomacy helped prevent further escalation.
Observers note that Trump's comments may be aimed at bolstering his foreign policy credentials ahead of the upcoming elections. However, in South Asia, the ground reality of complex bilateral relations and sovereignty remains unchanged, regardless of external assertions.