WASHINGTON: Expressing pride in halting eight wars across the globe, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that he stopped a war from “restarting” between nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan and India.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is visiting the US for the first time in seven years, at his Oval Office, Trump said: “I’ve stopped eight wars… I’ve actually stopped eight wars.”
The US president said that he had done a lot of good with his office. He said, “We stopped India and Pakistan. I could go through the list… I’m very proud. I stopped one that was almost ready to start again.”
Trump is plausibly referring to the May 2025 India–Pakistan escalation when he says he “stopped one that was almost ready to start again.”
The US did engage and helped secure a ceasefire.
Responding to a question, the US president said Pakistan and India are now “doing well”.
Moving on to Russia, Trump said: “I’m a little surprised at Putin. It’s taken longer than I thought.”
Earlier this year, Pakistan and India engaged in a military showdown, the worst between the old foes in decades, which was sparked by a terrorist attack on tourists in IIOJK’s Pahalgam area, which New Delhi alleged was backed by Pakistan.
Islamabad denied involvement in the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 men and offered to participate in a neutral probe into the deadly incident.
During the clashes, Pakistan downed seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.
The US president, during a White House media briefing last month, had said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif credited him with preventing a catastrophic nuclear war with India that could have killed millions.
Trump asserted he had halted eight wars, including recent Gaza breakthroughs, and is pushing to end the Ukraine conflict.
Addressing reporters, Trump had recounted a meeting with Sharif. “The prime minister said to me, ‘Mr. President, you saved millions of lives. You stopped that India war from going nuclear,’” Trump added.
Trump also highlighted his broader diplomatic record. “Eight wars stopped in nine months—India-Pakistan, Israel-Iran, Rwanda-Congo, Ethiopia-Egypt, Armenia-Azerbaijan, and now Gaza. I’m working on Ukraine next,” he had said, touting his mediation of a Gaza deal that saw 20 Israeli hostages freed and 2,000 Palestinian detainees swapped.
