Summary
- Trump claims he used trade leverage to prevent nuclear war between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack.
- India strongly refutes any foreign involvement in Kashmir, asserting that all talks with Pakistan remain strictly bilateral.
- Hostilities ended following DGMO-level dialogue during India’s Operation Sindoor, not due to U.S. intervention.
“We Prevented Nuclear War”: Trump Claims Role in India-Pakistan Ceasefire
In remarks that have triggered a diplomatic pushback, former U.S. President Donald Trump once again claimed that his administration averted a potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan by leveraging trade negotiations during a period of heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Speaking at a press briefing with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said, “Pakistan would have been in a nuclear war within another week, the way that was going. It was going very badly… We did that through trade. I said, we’re not going to talk to you unless you get this thing settled.”
Trump repeated a claim he made earlier in June on Air Force One, stating, “They have great leaders… but they could have gone at it nuclear. I spoke to both of them, and we solved a big problem.”
But the Indian government has categorically denied this narrative, asserting that the de-escalation post-Operation Sindoor was a result of direct military communication, not foreign diplomatic pressure.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸🇮🇳 #USA President #Trump Says:
— Activist Hamza (@Activist_Hamza) July 15, 2025
"We have been very successful in the settling war, India, Pakistan. India, #Pakistan would have been nuclear war. we did that through trade."
🇺🇸😆Trump has now restated his claim of ending #India Pakistan May conflict around 20 times… pic.twitter.com/5c40DOUHDL
India’s Firm Rebuttal: Kashmir Is Bilateral, Not Bargainable
- MEA reasserts that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter and bilateral issue with Pakistan.
- Denies Trump’s trade leverage claim, says no trade dialogue took place during Operation Sindoor.
- Clarifies that de-escalation occurred via DGMO-level talks, not White House mediation.
India wasted no time in firmly rebutting Trump’s claims. In a sharp statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said:
“We have a long-standing national position that any issues pertaining to the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed.”
Refuting the claim that trade was used as leverage, the MEA clarified:
“From the time Operation Sindoor commenced on May 7 till the cessation of military action on May 10, there were conversations between Indian and U.S. leaders on the evolving situation. The issue of trade did not come up in any of these discussions.”
India also underscored the core unresolved issue remains Pakistan’s illegal occupation of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)—a reminder that sovereignty, not third-party diplomacy, defines India’s stance.
What Really Ended the Hostilities? A Call Between DGMOs
- India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
- The military operation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
- Hostilities ceased after a formal call from Pakistan’s DGMO to India’s DGMO on May 10.
- India disabled Pakistani airbases during the retaliation, achieving military objectives.
Operation Sindoor was India’s response to a devastating terrorist strike in Pahalgam, and saw surgical airstrikes against terrorist camps in PoK, followed by counter-escalations from Pakistan.
It was not U.S. trade diplomacy but a tactical DGMO-level conversation that ended the four-day confrontation. According to defence officials, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of Pakistan reached out to his Indian counterpart, leading to a mutual ceasefire agreement that halted military action on May 10.
Far from being a backchannel trade resolution, the end to hostilities was led by India’s strategic retaliation and military deterrence—a point that contradicts Trump’s framing entirely.
Political Fallout: Trump’s Claim Fuels Opposition Ammo in India
- Congress seizes on Trump’s remarks to question Modi government’s transparency.
- Jairam Ramesh calls Trump’s repeated statements a diplomatic embarrassment.
- BJP dismisses remarks as “self-promotion” by a former leader with little relevance.
Back in India, the political ramifications have been swift. Congress party leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X, noting:
“65 days. 22 times. The same claim. It keeps getting repeated.”
The Opposition is using Trump’s comments to raise questions about the Modi government’s transparency during a critical military standoff. Was there any U.S. pressure? Did Delhi concede any ground diplomatically? The BJP, however, dismissed the claims as exaggerated and politically motivated.
Party insiders maintain that Trump’s remarks are part of his broader pattern of overstating foreign policy wins as part of his 2026 presidential re-election push.
Final Verdict: Narrative Tug-of-War Over De-escalation Diplomacy
Trump’s assertions about preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan add to a long list of unverified claims that often place him at the center of world events. But in this case, the Indian government has decisively pushed back, reinforcing its position that Kashmir is not a topic for third-party mediation—no matter how powerful or persistent.
With both sides now entrenched in competing diplomatic narratives, what remains clear is this: the conflict ended not with trade leverage or tweets, but with strategic deterrence and a DGMO-to-DGMO call.
