New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has once again asserted that his use of tariffs played a key role in bringing about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan earlier this year. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said his trade measures not only generated massive revenue for the United States but also prevented multiple wars across the globe.
When asked if he planned to alter his stance on tariffs, Trump responded, “If I didn’t have the power of tariffs, you’d have at least four of the seven wars raging right now.” He went on to highlight the India-Pakistan conflict as an example, saying, “If you look at India and Pakistan, they were ready to go at it. Seven planes were shot down. I don’t want to say exactly what I said, but it was very effective. Not only did we make hundreds of billions of dollars, but we became a peacekeeper because of tariffs.”
The US President has repeatedly credited himself for mediating peace between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In May, he claimed that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a long night of talks facilitated by Washington. Trump has since reiterated that his intervention helped “settle” tensions that were on the brink of escalating into a larger conflict.
In another instance, Trump said he warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Washington would impose steep trade tariffs unless both sides agreed to de-escalate. “I told him, ‘We’re not doing any trade deals with you. You guys are going to end up in a nuclear war. Call me tomorrow, or we’ll put tariffs so high your head will spin.’ Within five hours, they had an understanding,” Trump claimed.
New Delhi, however, has consistently maintained that the ceasefire understanding was reached through direct military-to-military talks. According to Indian officials, the Pakistani military’s Director General of Military Operations had contacted his Indian counterpart, leading to an agreement on halting hostilities.
While Pakistan initially denied Trump’s version of events, it later acknowledged his role and even nominated him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his “decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.”
Trump’s comments have once again stirred global debate over his self-proclaimed role as a “peacekeeper,” with critics questioning the accuracy of his claims and the extent of US involvement in the truce between the two South Asian nations.
