NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his claim that he helped “settle” tensions between India and Pakistan following a four-day military confrontation that, he suggested, could have escalated into a “nuclear conflict.”
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump asserted that “five or six planes got shot down” during the standoff between the South Asian neighbors. He did not clarify whether these losses were suffered by India, Pakistan, or both.
India has consistently maintained that hostilities ceased after direct talks between the two countries’ military leaders, without any U.S. mediation.
Trump made the remarks while standing alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, after the two leaders signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement during a trilateral ceremony.
“As President, my highest aspiration is to bring peace and stability to the world. Today’s signing follows our success with India and Pakistan,” Trump said.
“They were going at it big. Two great leaders came together just before what could have been a tremendous conflict—probably a nuclear conflict,” he added.
Trump linked his role in the India–Pakistan episode to trade, saying, “I got things settled with India, Pakistan. I think it was trade more than anything else. That’s how I got involved. I didn’t want to deal with countries that might blow themselves up—and maybe the world. They are nuclear nations.”
Referring to the skirmish again, he told Aliyev, “That was a big one. They were shooting airplanes out of the sky—five or six planes—and it could have escalated very badly.”
India, however, has reiterated that the understanding to halt military action was reached directly between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations.
Trump went on to say he is working to resolve conflicts globally “to save lives,” citing disputes in Congo and Rwanda, Thailand and Cambodia, and Serbia and Kosovo.
On the Ukraine war, he claimed progress was being made: “I think we are getting close. I’m not going to mention anything about India, but maybe that had an impact. The bigger factor was NATO stepping up its military spending.”
He also remarked that, regardless of his efforts, he would not receive the Nobel Peace Prize. “I’m not politicking for it. It would be a great honor, but I’m doing this to save lives—that’s why I’m so involved with Ukraine and Russia,” he said.
If you want, I can also prepare a more concise, newswire-style version that strips away repetition and quotes to fit a sharper journalistic tone. That would make it cleaner for quick reading.
