Trump Claims US Averted India-Pakistan Nuclear War Through Trade Threat
| 2025-05-12
President Donald Trump on Monday (May 12, 2025) claimed that his administration stopped a ‘nuclear conflict’ between India and Pakistan
US President Donald Trump claims his administration averted a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan by threatening to suspend trade with both countries.
Trump says US stopped potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan
United States President Donald Trump has claimed that his administration played a decisive role in halting a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan by leveraging the prospect of bilateral trade deals to persuade both sides to de-escalate tensions.
Speaking at a press briefing at the White House on Monday, President Trump said the United States had helped broker an understanding between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, following a series of military escalations in early May.
“I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been killed,” he said. “We helped a lot, and we also helped with trade. I said, ‘Come on, we’re going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let’s stop it.’”
Escalation following Operation Sindoor
The latest tensions between India and Pakistan arose after India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May. The operation targeted alleged terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to a deadly attack in the Indian region of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists on 22 April.
Indian and Pakistani forces reportedly exchanged fire across the Line of Control (LoC) for several days before India announced on 10 May that an understanding had been reached to stop cross-border firing. Government sources in New Delhi stated that this was achieved through a direct conversation between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries, denying the involvement of any third party.
Despite this, President Trump insisted that the United States had helped prevent a much larger conflict. “They were going at it hot and heavy,” he said, referring to the military exchanges. “It was seemingly not going to stop.”
Claims of trade leverage
President Trump further claimed that he used trade incentives as a tool to influence both New Delhi and Islamabad.
“If you stop it, we’re doing trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade,” he said. “People have never really used trade the way I used it.”
He added that his administration was already engaged in trade negotiations with India and would soon begin talks with Pakistan. “They did it for a lot of reasons. But trade is a big one.”
Reactions and official denials
Trump’s remarks were met with scepticism from Indian officials. According to sources cited by Indian news agency ANI, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio held multiple conversations with Indian counterparts during the crisis but made no reference to trade.
The sources stated that Vance spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May, and Rubio contacted India’s External Affairs Minister on 8 and 10 May, as well as the National Security Adviser on 10 May. “There was no reference to trade in any of these discussions,” the sources were quoted as saying.
New Delhi has maintained that the ceasefire was the result of direct military-level communication and not influenced by outside actors.
Controversial timing and political fallout
President Trump’s comments come amid ongoing diplomatic sensitivities and ahead of the next meeting of India’s Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs. Opposition leaders in India have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly clarify the Government’s stance on Trump's assertions.
“The Prime Minister must respond,” said Dipankar Bhattacharya of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). “By keeping quiet on these claims, the PM has failed to assure the people against American or third-party intervention in bilateral affairs concerning India and Pakistan.”
Trump also thanked Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio for their roles, although no official statement from the US State Department has yet corroborated the President’s version of events.
Context: Fragile ties between nuclear neighbours
India and Pakistan have fought three full-scale wars since gaining independence in 1947, and their bilateral relationship remains tense, especially over the disputed region of Kashmir. Both countries possess nuclear weapons, and past escalations—such as the 2019 Pulwama-Balakot episode—have raised concerns globally about the potential for miscalculation.
India has consistently opposed third-party mediation in its relations with Pakistan, insisting that any issues be addressed bilaterally. Past claims by Donald Trump of offering to mediate the Kashmir dispute were also denied by India.
While President Trump’s comments suggest a bold diplomatic intervention, the lack of confirmation from either government raises questions about the extent of US involvement in the latest de-escalation.
Broader implications
If confirmed, the claim that the United States influenced peace through trade threats would mark a notable shift in American diplomatic strategy in South Asia. However, absent corroboration from India or Pakistan, the assertion remains controversial.
As of now, no joint statement has been issued by the Indian or Pakistani governments acknowledging any US-brokered agreement.
“Biased and politically motivated”: India dismisses report by US panel on religious freedom, describes it as “entity of concern”
Efforts to undermine India’s standing as a beacon of democracy and tolerance will not succeed, says MEA.
|2025-03-26
India & US actively working to build framework for Bilateral Trade Agreement: MEA
India and the US plan to finalise the first tranche of a Bilateral Trade Agreement by the end of 2025
|2025-03-21
Tulsi Gabbard's India visit sets tone for stronger bilateral intelligence and security cooperation
This marks the first high-level visit from the U.S. in President Donald Trump’s second term.
|2025-03-18
PM Modi in US: On the trajectory of “MEGA partnership for prosperity”
There has been a bipartisan consensus in both India and the US regarding stronger ties between the two nations.
|2025-02-17
PM Modi and President Trump launch US-India COMPACT for 21st century: Big push to defence procurement and co-production, military cooperation
In a major development, the US announces a review of its policy on releasing fifth generation fighters and undersea systems to India
|2025-02-14