Donald Trump, US President, has once again asserted that his use of trade tariffs played a decisive role in stopping a potential large-scale conflict between India and Pakistan. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday (November 6), Trump claimed that his intervention “settled” the crisis within a single day.
“Of the eight wars I ended, five or six were because of tariffs,” the President said. “If you look at India and Pakistan, they were about to fight – two nuclear nations. Eight planes were shot down. And I said, ‘If you guys are going to fight, I am going to put tariffs on you.’ They were not happy, and within 24 hours, I settled the war. Without tariffs, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”
The President was referring to the border escalation earlier this year following India’s precision strikes on Pakistani terror camps under 'Operation Sindoor', conducted in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in the month of April this year.
'A great man and a friend': Trump on PM Modi
During the same press briefing, which primarily focused on a new policy aimed at reducing prices of weight-loss drugs, President Trump praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “a great man” and “a friend.”
“He largely stopped buying from Russia. He is a friend of mine, and we speak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a great man. He wants me to go there, and I will. We’ll figure that out,” Trump said, suggesting he might visit India next year. When asked about specific travel plans, he replied, “It could be.”
White House stresses strong India-US partnership
Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to strengthening the India-US relationship, calling it a partnership the President “feels very strongly about.”
“The President is positive and feels very strongly about the India-US relationship. A few weeks ago, he spoke to Prime Minister Modi directly while celebrating Diwali in the Oval Office with senior Indian-American officials,” Leavitt said.
Similar remarks at APEC Summit
Trump’s claim on Thursday echoed remarks he made at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea last week, where he stated that he had “threatened India and Pakistan with tariffs” to prevent a potential nuclear war.
India dismisses Trump's version
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi swiftly rejected Trump’s version of events, asserting that the ceasefire was achieved through existing military channels between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two nations. “India’s position remains unchanged- all issues with Pakistan are to be resolved bilaterally, without any third-party involvement,” the MEA reiterated.