“We Stopped a Nuclear War”: Trump Repeats Disputed Claim on India-Pakistan Ceasefire via Trade Pressure

In a fresh reiteration of his controversial assertion, U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday once again claimed that he played a decisive role in halting a four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan—allegedly by using a proposed trade deal as leverage.

Speaking at a public event, Trump said the two nuclear-armed neighbours were on the brink of war, and that his administration stepped in just in time. “We stopped a lot of wars. And these were serious—India and Pakistan—that was going on. Planes were being shot out of the sky. I think five jets were shot down, actually. These are two serious nuclear countries, and they were hitting each other,” Trump stated, without naming which country suffered the losses.

Trump’s Repeated Claim Sparks Diplomatic Pushback

This is not the first time President Trump has claimed credit for averting what he has described as a major South Asian military conflict. According to him, an “understanding” to de-escalate was reached on May 10 following U.S. intervention—though official Indian accounts sharply contradict this narrative.

India’s position has remained firm. Last month, following a phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump, the Indian government issued a pointed clarification. “The discussion on halting military actions took place directly between India and Pakistan through established military channels, and at Pakistan’s request,” stated Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. “India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it,” he emphasized.

“No Trade Deal If You're Tossing Nukes Around”: Trump

Expanding on his claim, Trump said he used trade talks as a pressure point to cool down tensions between the two countries. “We got it solved through trade. We told them, you guys want a trade deal—we’re not doing one if you’re throwing around weapons, and maybe nuclear weapons. Both are very powerful nuclear states,” he said.

The U.S. president’s statement adds a new layer to his broader foreign policy approach, one often centered on transactional leverage. But for New Delhi, the comment is seen as both factually inaccurate and diplomatically inappropriate.

Context: The 2025 India-Pakistan Flare-Up

While specific details of the said conflict remain undisclosed, it is widely believed that a brief yet intense exchange of fire occurred along the Line of Control in May, resulting in casualties and reports of downed aircraft. However, neither side officially confirmed the shooting down of five jets, as Trump alleged.

India Asserts Autonomy

New Delhi’s rejection of any foreign mediation—especially on sensitive national security matters—is rooted in decades of strategic policy. Since the 1972 Shimla Agreement, India has consistently emphasized bilateral dialogue as the only acceptable framework for resolving disputes with Pakistan.

Despite President Trump’s repeated assertions, Indian officials maintain that the de-escalation in May was a direct result of internal military and diplomatic channels—not foreign pressure or mediation.