'If you stop it, we're doing trade': Trump says he 'stopped nuclear conflict' between India, Pakistan

US President Donald Trump claimed his administration played a key role in securing a temporary ceasefire between India and Pakistan, using trade incentives as leverage to encourage peace between the two nuclear-armed nations.

 

Speaking at a White House press briefing, Trump explained, “I said, ‘Come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let’s stop it, let’s stop it. If you stop it, we’re doing trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade.’” He emphasised that the use of economic pressure, alongside diplomatic outreach, helped bring an end to the rising hostilities.

 

According to Trump, this intervention helped prevent a potential nuclear conflict. “We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been killed,” he added, acknowledging the severity of the situation.

 

The temporary ceasefire came into effect on May 10 after a call between Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and India’s Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai. The Pakistani DGMO proposed ending hostilities, which was accepted by the Indian side, leading to a halt in cross-border shelling and airspace violations starting at 5:00 pm that day.

 

However, the ceasefire did not hold for long. Lieutenant General Ghai later confirmed that Pakistani forces violated the agreement within hours, resuming cross-border firing and drone incursions shortly after the truce began.

 

Trump also praised the leadership of both countries, noting that the Indian and Pakistani leaders’ resolve played a vital role in the temporary cessation of hostilities. “The leadership of India and Pakistan was unwavering and powerful,” he said, underscoring the influence of his administration's diplomatic efforts in bringing both sides to the negotiating table.

 

The conflict had escalated dramatically following India's Operation Sindoor on May 7, which targeted nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). This operation was a direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, including a Nepali national. In retaliation, Pakistan escalated cross-border shelling, leading to a series of counterattacks by Indian forces.

 

Despite the temporary halt in military actions, tensions remain high, with the ceasefire’s fragility highlighted by the immediate violations.