United States President Donald Trump has once again asserted that he played a key role in resolving the recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan, stating that the conflict was &ldquo;settled&rdquo; through trade negotiations. The remarks were made during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
Referring to the ceasefire reached following days of hostilities between the two countries, Trump said, &ldquo;If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole, and I think I settled it through trade.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He noted that the United States is currently engaged in significant trade agreements with both India and Pakistan, and recalled his intervention during the height of tensions. &ldquo;And I said, &lsquo;What are you guys doing?&rsquo;&rdquo; he added.
Describing the escalation, Trump said, &ldquo;Somebody had to be the last one to shoot. But the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the countries. And we spoke to them, and I think we, you know, I hate to say we got it settled, and then two days later, something happens, and they say it's Trump's fault.&rdquo;
The US President also offered praise for the leadership of both nations. &ldquo;But... Pakistan has got some excellent people and some really good, great leader. And India is my friend, Modi.&rdquo;&nbsp;
In response, President Ramaphosa commented, &ldquo;Modi, mutual friend.&rdquo; Trump added, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great guy and I called them both. It&rsquo;s something good.&rdquo;
These statements echo Trump&rsquo;s earlier claim, made on May 10, that India and Pakistan had reached a &ldquo;full and immediate&rdquo; ceasefire after what he described as a &ldquo;long night&rdquo; of discussions mediated by Washington.
The ceasefire came after a significant military exchange triggered by India&rsquo;s Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7. The operation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in 26 deaths.&nbsp;
Indian forces reportedly eliminated more than 100 terrorists linked to organisations including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
In retaliation, Pakistani forces carried out strikes on Indian military positions on May 8-10. The Indian military responded with forceful counter-attacks, striking Pakistani military targets. The exchange concluded on May 10 after four days of drone and missile operations.
Despite President Trump&rsquo;s repeated assertions of American involvement in brokering peace, the Indian government has consistently maintained that the ceasefire understanding was achieved through direct communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGsMO) of India and Pakistan.&nbsp;
Responding to Trump&rsquo;s earlier remarks about mediation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed India&rsquo;s position that any matters concerning Jammu and Kashmir must be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan.

During a meeting with Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump claimed he settled the recent India-Pakistan conflict via trade.

Trump Repeats Role in Easing India-Pakistan Strains

During a meeting with Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump claimed he settled the recent India-Pakistan conflict via trade.

May 22, 2025 | 11:23 IST