Trump says he stopped potential nuclear war between India-Pakistan 'with phone calls and trade'

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - US President Donald Trump on Thursday again claimed credit for easing recent India-Pakistan tensions, saying he prevented a potential nuclear war by using trade pressure and direct diplomacy.

"I stopped a war between India and Pakistan, and I stopped it with trade," Trump told reporters after a bill signing event. "Pakistan, now, it was their turn to hit, and eventually they're going to go nuclear."

Trump said he made personal calls to both Indian and Pakistani leaders at the height of tensions. "I called each leader, I respect them greatly. I talked about trade. I said, but you're not trading with us if you're going to go to war, if you're going to start throwing nuclear weapons around."

"They understood it exactly. They stopped," he added.

He praised his is role in preventing casualties, saying: "I stopped that war with phone calls and trade."

"And India is here right now negotiating a trade deal, and Pakistan is coming, I think, next week," he added.

India and Pakistan saw one of the worst hostilities last month, sparked by an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, where unidentified gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, at the Pahalgam tourist site.​​​​​​​

New Delhi said the attack had "cross-border links," but Islamabad denied the claims and offered a neutral probe.

It led to an exchange of blame and denials, eventually escalating to retaliatory air strikes and drone attacks. Tensions eased after Trump announced a May 10 ceasefire, which remains in effect.