Donald Trump has recently claimed that he prevented a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, stating that it was one of the seven wars he stopped during his presidency. These remarks were made during a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Korea. Trump asserted that the conflict was "probably two weeks away from being a nuclear war" and that "they were shooting down airplanes all over the place".
Trump stated that he used tariffs and trade measures as leverage to stop wars, including the alleged India-Pakistan conflict. He claimed that he told both nations that the U.S. would halt trade and impose heavy economic penalties if they continued fighting, giving them 24 hours to resolve the crisis. According to Trump, both sides de-escalated within a day and told him, "There's no more war going on". He said, "If you go fight and want to kill everybody, that is okay, but I am going to charge you each a 100% tariff when you trade with us.' They all gave up...".
However, India has refuted Trump's claims, asserting that the ceasefire was achieved through direct talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan.
Tensions between India and Pakistan had risen in May following India's Operation Sindoor to destroy terror launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This action was reportedly taken in response to the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians on April 22. Heightened tensions between the two countries occurred from May 7-10, before the fighting ceased.
Trump's assertions have sparked discussions regarding the role of the U.S. in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, as well as the use of trade measures as a tool for coercive diplomacy. Some experts have raised questions about the evidentiary basis for attributing the resolution of interstate conflicts to third-party intervention. Meanwhile, others point to the potential impact of Trump's trade policies on global conflicts.
Vice President JD Vance defended the imposition of secondary sanctions and tariffs on India, stating that they are part of Washington's strategy to apply "aggressive economic leverage" against Russia over the war in Ukraine. Vance said the Trump administration is making it harder for Moscow to profit from its oil economy through measures that include tariffs on India.
