Trump Claims to Have Stopped India-Pakistan War Amidst Controversy over Ceasefire

President Trump reasserted his claim of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, suggesting it prevented a potential nuclear crisis. His comments have provoked silence from the Indian government, which maintains that the ceasefire request came from Pakistan’s military leadership. U.S. officials, in recent court filings, corroborated Trump’s assertions, complicating India’s diplomatic stance.

In the midst of ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, U.S. President Donald Trump has once again claimed credit for mediating a ceasefire, asserting that it prevented a potential nuclear disaster. His comments, made on the evening of May 30, highlight the U.S. role as a negotiating force to diffuse conflict in the region. “We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting. I believe that could have turned into a nuclear disaster, and I want to thank the leaders of India and Pakistan, and I want to thank my people,” he stated.

Trump elaborated on the importance of trade relations, stating, “…we can’t trade with people that are shooting at each other and potentially using nuclear weapons.” He praised the leaders of India and Pakistan for their cooperation, adding, “They understood and they agreed, and that all stopped, and we’re stopping others from fighting. We have the greatest military in the world.”

India’s government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been silent regarding this claim, which could be perceived as a blow to its narrative of a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. The government’s stance on the ceasefire remains that it was Pakistan’s military leadership, specifically the Director-General of Military Operations, who reached out to India’s counterpart to request the ceasefire following Indian airstrikes on military targets in Pakistan.

High-level Indian officials, including Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, have reiterated this version of events but have not publicly addressed Trump’s assertion. Questions linger about why Trump announced the ceasefire before any official confirmation came from either government.

Since the ceasefire agreement, Trump has portrayed a scenario where India and Pakistan acquiesced under U.S. pressure for lucrative trade agreements, suggesting that he played a pivotal role in preventing nuclear escalation. This contradicts Modi’s firm stance against being influenced by “nuclear blackmail,” raising eyebrows about the current administration’s narrative.

Adding fuel to the fire, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard W. Lutnick made statements in a New York federal court filing, asserting that Trump effectively used “trade access” as leverage to avert war, alongside other cabinet officials involved in a legal case regarding Trump’s tariffs. This development further complicates the diplomatic fabric between the United States, India, and Pakistan amidst evolving geopolitical tensions.

In conclusion, Trump’s claims regarding mediating the ceasefire between India and Pakistan have stirred controversy and left Indian officials silent or unresponsive. While he projects a strong influence over the region, the narrative conflicts with India’s own account of the events leading to the ceasefire. With the Modi administration emphasizing a hardline stance against terrorism, the implications of Trump’s assertions on U.S.-India relations remain unclear amidst ongoing dialogue.

Original Source: m.thewire.in