“Can’t Trade With People Shooting”: Trump Repeats Claim of Defusing India-Pakistan Standoff

By A Staff Reporter

Washington D.C., May 30 — Former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again claimed credit for halting the recent military escalation between India and Pakistan, linking peace to trade and diplomacy. Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, alongside outgoing cabinet member Elon Musk, Trump said he warned both nations that continued conflict could jeopardize trade relations with the United States.

“We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting. I believe that could have turned out into a nuclear disaster,” Trump told reporters. “We said, ‘We can’t trade with people that are shooting at each other and potentially using nuclear weapons.’”

He went on to praise the leaders of both nations, calling them “great leaders” who understood the stakes. “They understood, and they agreed, and that all stopped,” he said, alluding to the May 10 ceasefire announced after intense cross-border hostilities.

Trump’s remarks come in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which left 26 civilians dead and triggered India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor. The operation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. For three days following the strikes, Pakistan responded with drone and missile attacks, which were met with strong Indian countermeasures before both sides agreed to de-escalate.

According to Indian government sources, the ceasefire was finalized through direct talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries — with no third-party involvement. New Delhi has consistently maintained that the resolution was bilateral and driven by military and diplomatic channels.

However, Trump has repeatedly asserted his influence, claiming his trade-based diplomacy helped avert a wider conflict. “We’re stopping others from fighting also,” he said. “Because ultimately, we can fight better than anybody. We have the greatest military in the world.”