US President Donald Trump has once again claimed personal credit for halting last spring’s hostilities between India and Pakistan. Speaking on Monday alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters the stand-off “would have been a nuclear war within another week” had he not intervened.
VIDEO | US President Donald Trump (@POTUS) on India and Pakistan military conflict says, “We’ve been very successful in settling wars. You have India and Pakistan. You have Rwanda and the Congo, that was going on for 30 years. India, by the way, Pakistan would have been a nuclear… pic.twitter.com/8qvCAzImFL
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 14, 2025
The president said he threatened to suspend trade negotiations with both nations: “I said, ‘we’re not going to talk trade unless you settle this’.” Trump then applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s leadership as “great” for agreeing to de-escalate.
New Delhi Stresses Military-to-Military Ceasefire
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly refuted Trump’s narrative. Officials point out that the 10 May 2025 ceasefire followed direct talks between the Directors-General of Military Operations (DGMOs) after four days of shelling along the Line of Control.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told journalists the truce came at Islamabad’s request after India’s Operation Sindoor — a 7 May series of missile and drone strikes against terror camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. “No trade discussions occurred during the crisis,” the Foreign Office said, countering Trump’s assertion of economic leverage.
Earlier, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh highlighted that Trump has repeated the claim “21 times in 59 days,” and asked when Modi would “break his silence.” In a 35-minute phone call last month, the Prime Minister told the US President that India “does not and will never accept” outside mediation on bilateral disputes.
Hostilities erupted after militants attacked civilians in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22 April 2025, killing 26. New Delhi blamed Pakistan-based extremists and authorised Operation Sindoor. Pakistan’s forces responded with cross-border fire, prompting the brief but intense exchange that raised fears of a wider conflict.
Trump’s latest remarks come after he hosted Pakistan’s army chief at the White House — a move regional analysts say could complicate Washington’s ties with New Delhi. While the president continues to present himself as the crisis broker, India maintains the flare-up was contained through its own military channels, without external pressure.
