Amidst a flurry of activity at the NATO summit in The Hague, US President Donald Trump has once again asserted his role in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, while also praising Pakistan's Army Chief, General Asim Munir. Trump's remarks, made during a press conference, reiterated his claim that the threat of withholding trade deals led to de-escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Trump stated that he engaged with leaders from both India and Pakistan, conveying that the United States would not pursue trade agreements if hostilities continued. According to Trump, this approach prompted both sides to reconsider their positions, ultimately leading to a cessation of conflict. He highlighted a conversation with Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir, describing him as "very impressive" and an "inspiring figure." Trump also acknowledged his relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him "a great friend" and "a great gentleman".
"May be the most important of them all (wars) was India and Pakistan. I ended that with a series of phone calls and said that if you fight each other, we are not doing any trade deal. The General (Asim Munir of Pakistan) was very impressive. Prime Minister Modi is a great friend of mine, he is a great gentleman and I got them to reason. They said we want a trade deal. So we stopped a nuclear war," Trump said at the briefing.
This is not the first time Trump has made such claims. Following a ceasefire understanding reached between India and Pakistan on May 10, Trump announced that he had brokered the agreement. However, India has refuted these claims, stating that the ceasefire was a result of direct talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries, initiated by Pakistan.
Despite India's denial, Trump has persisted in his narrative. He has repeatedly stated that he offered trade assistance to both nations as an incentive to de-escalate. During the NATO summit, when questioned about his lack of success in halting the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump pointed to his alleged achievements in resolving the Israel-Iran and India-Pakistan tensions.
Trump's recent statements echo previous instances where he credited himself with preventing a potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan. He has consistently maintained that his administration played a crucial role in bringing the two countries to the negotiating table and averting a catastrophic conflict.
Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir for lunch at the White House last Wednesday. The American president told reporters he was "honored" to meet the Pakistani general and that the two discussed the Iran-Israel conflict.
In addition to his remarks on India and Pakistan, Trump also addressed the issue of NATO defense spending. He stated that NATO allies had agreed to a new target of spending 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense by 2035. He called the outcome "a monumental win for the United States," claiming credit for pressuring alliance members to increase their defense spending.
While Trump celebrated the increased defense spending commitments, tensions arose with Spain. After Madrid refused to meet NATO's 5 percent spending target, Trump stated Spain would have to pay “twice as much” in tariffs.
Despite past criticisms of European allies, Trump affirmed his commitment to NATO, intimating that he could still supply Ukraine with aid, chastised Russian President Vladimir Putin and spoke admiringly of other leaders' love for their countries. He also defended his decision to strike Iran's nuclear sites as an unequivocal success.
The NATO summit concluded with a sense of cautious optimism. While disagreements remain on issues such as defense spending and trade, the member states reaffirmed their commitment to collective security and transatlantic cooperation.
