US President Donald Trump has done it yet again. Despite India previously rejecting Trump’s claims of mediating peace between India and Pakistan and stopping a war in May, the US President has continued to assert that he played a crucial role in halting the conflict. Trump emphasized that both countries are nuclear powers and that his intervention was critical.
On Wednesday, during a 35-minute phone call, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear to Trump that neither an India-US trade deal nor any mediation by the US President during the four-day war-like situation between India and Pakistan in May was discussed. Trump’s repeated claims of brokering peace between the two nations have become a major topic of discussion.
What has upset many Indians, however, is Trump’s on-camera remark: “I love Pakistan.” A significant number of Indians who admire Trump for his far-right ideologies have expressed disappointment at his audacious statement. Adding fuel to the fire, Trump went on to praise Pakistan Army Chief General Munir, calling him “extremely influential in stopping the war from the Pakistan side.”
In the same breath, however, Trump also said, “I think Modi is a fantastic man. We’re doing a trade deal with India shortly.”
Interestingly, Trump had sought a potential meeting with PM Modi in the US during his return from Canada. However, Indian officials informed him of Modi’s unavailability due to prior commitments. That said, Modi expressed his willingness to meet at a later date.
During the military tensions between India and Pakistan in mid-May, Trump reportedly threatened both nations with potential trade cut-offs as leverage to stop the escalation.
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