Donald Trump has once again claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, this time adopting a slightly modified tone. Addressing U.S. military personnel at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar on May 15, 2025, Trump stated, "I don't want to say I did, but I sure as hell helped settle the problem between Pakistan and India last week, which was getting more and more hostile". This marks the sixth time since May 10th that Trump has asserted his involvement in achieving the ceasefire.
Trump's initial claim, made on May 10th, stated that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate ceasefire" after a "long night of talks mediated by the United States". However, this claim has been consistently refuted by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Indian officials have clarified that the ceasefire was a result of direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of both countries via a hotline. The MEA has emphasized India's long-standing policy of not accepting third-party mediation on bilateral issues.
The recent tensions between India and Pakistan escalated following India's "Operation Sindoor," a series of precision strikes against terror infrastructure on May 7th, launched in response to the April 22nd Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in the death of 26 people. Following the Indian action, Pakistan reportedly attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8th, 9th, and 10th, prompting a strong counter-attack by Indian forces on several Pakistani military installations.
Trump's assertion of U.S. mediation has sparked outrage in Delhi, particularly as it contradicts India's established diplomatic principles. Furthermore, the MEA has denied Trump's claim that trade-related issues were discussed between Indian and U.S. officials, despite Trump's repeated statements that he influenced India and Pakistan to de-escalate by threatening to halt trade if they didn't and promising to enhance trade ties if they did.
In his recent remarks, Trump also touched upon the long history of conflict between India and Pakistan, stating, "They've been fighting for about a 1000 years in all fairness... It was really going to be escalating out of control". He further added, "We talked to them about trade. I said let's do trade instead of war. Both India and Pakistan were very happy with that, and I think they're on the way". However, some reports indicate that Trump's remarks contained historical inaccuracies, as India and Pakistan have only existed as separate nations since 1947.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar has firmly dismissed any notion of U.S.-led de-escalation, stating, "We achieved the goals which we set out to do by destroying the terrorist infrastructure... It is clear who wanted cessation of firing". He has also maintained that India's relationship with Pakistan will remain strictly bilateral, with discussions focused on terrorism and the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure.
Despite India's repeated denials and clarifications, Trump has persisted in claiming credit for the ceasefire, even suggesting that the leaders of India and Pakistan could now "go for a nice dinner" together. He has also praised his Secretary of State and National Security Advisor for their efforts in bringing about the agreement.
