Trump Pulls Back From Taking Credit For India-Pakistan Ceasefire

US President Donald Trump for the first time in weeks withdrew from his claim of having helped settle the India-Pakistan Conflict. Mentions “very smart” leaders of both nations “decided” to end the conflict. Trump made these remarks while speaking to the media at the Oval Office after hosting Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff.

“They were both here, but I was with Modi a few weeks ago. He was here actually, but now we speak to him. And I'm so happy that two smart people, plus you know, people on their staff too, but two smart people, two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war. That could have been a nuclear war. Those are two nuclear powers, big ones, big, big nuclear powers, and they decided that.” Trump made these remarks while speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, PTI Quoted. Trump credited the leaders of both the countries directly for ending the hostility withdrawing from his claim of helping mediate the conflict.

Since May 10, when India and Pakistan decided to stop the military conflict, Trump on multiple instances claimed that he “helped settle” tensions between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours and that America would do a “lot of trade” with them if they stopped the conflict.

Speaking about his meeting with Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir for lunch on Wednesday, Trump said “The reason I had him here, I want to thank him for not going into the war, ending the war. And I want to thank, as you know, Prime Minister Modi just left a little while ago, and we're working on a trade deal with India. We're working on a trade deal with Pakistan”.

The Scheduled Modi-Trump meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Canada got cancelled due to Trump's early return to Washington. On Trump’s request, a 35-minute phone call was held between Modi and Trump. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, in a video message from Kananaskis, said Modi conveyed to Trump that at “no point” during Operation Sindoor was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US trade deal or any proposal for mediation by the US between India and Pakistan. Modi firmly said India will never accept the mediation of a third party, and there is complete political consensus in India on this matter. Trump listened carefully to the points conveyed by Modi and expressed his support towards India’s fight against terrorism, Mishri added.

Apart from this Trump expressed his condolences to Modi and expressed his support against terrorism. Trump invited Modi to stop by the US on his way back from Canada, which Modi respectfully declined in light of prior commitments. Both leaders decided to meet soon.