US President Donald Trump is refusing to drop the controversial issue of his claimed role in the India-Pakistan conflict. He has once again said that he played a role in helping India and Pakistan stop hostilities, claiming that trade talks played a role in what he has called a ceasefire but India has termed a mere cessation of hostilities. Notably, India has said that Operation Sindoor is only suspended, and Pakistan is under watch.
Speaking at the White House's Oval Office during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump said, "If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole, and I think I settled it through trade." Trump added, "And I said, ‘What are you guys doing?’ Somebody had to be the last one to shoot. But the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the countries. And we spoke to them, and I think we, you know, I hate to say we got it settled, and then two days later, something happens, and they say it's Trump's fault."
Also Read: We are doing big deals with India, Pakistan: US President Donald Trump
Despite repeated and categorical denials from India, Trump continues to push this narrative. His insistence on having played the peacemaker between India and Pakistan reflects a complex interplay of personal psychology, diplomatic repositioning, trade tactics and geopolitical considerations.
Why is Trump doubling down on his claims?
With Trump's stubborn insistence, Trump is trying to burnish his image of a peacemaker which has taken a beating. Besides that, he is a compulsive credit hogger. As John Bolton, Trump’s former National Security Advisor, observed in an interview with ANI today, "It's nothing personal to India. This is Donald Trump, who takes credit for everything."
Speaking to ANI, he said, "I think he did have a call with Prime Minister Modi, and Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also on the call. I'm sure other countries might also be calling to see what they can do. It's typical of Trump because he would jump in before everyone else could take credit. It may be irritating, probably is irritating to many people, but it's nothing against India, it's just Trump being Trump."
This succinct assessment captures the core of Trump’s political persona. Throughout his presidency during his previous term as well as the present one, Trump sought to cast himself as a global peacemaker, from his summits with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un to his much-publicized, though ultimately faltering, Middle East Abraham Accords. By claiming he used trade to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan, a claim India has refuted repeatedly, Trump is trying to burnish his image of a peacemaker, contrasting himself with previous US presidents often associated with prolonged military engagements. In a world weary of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Ukraine and Gaza, this image holds a lot of political value for Trump at home as well as abroad.
Also Read: Cessation of firing and military action negotiated directly between India, Pakistan: EAM Jaishankar
However, Trump’s desire to be remembered as a peace broker contrasts with his record. Despite bold promises, his efforts to mediate in major conflicts have borne little fruit. His outreach to North Korea failed to yield denuclearization during his previous term. His campaign promise to immediately stop the Ukraine and Russia war once he has won remains unfulfilled. Likewise, his Middle East policy, while lauded for diplomatic normalization efforts between Israel and some Arab states, did nothing to address the core Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israel-Hamas war still rages on and he hasn't been able to stop it. On the contrary, he has intensified attacks on the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
These failures may be motivating Trump to revive a narrative where he can claim success, however disputed. Unlike Ukraine or Gaza, the India-Pakistan conflict is still opaque as a lot has yet to come to public domain which makes it easy for him to create his own version of events which projects him as a peace mediator using trade to achieve a ceasefire.
There is also a possibility that Trump is repeating his claims because he is just frustrated with India as it has refused to validate his version of events. Known for his thin-skinned reactions to slights, real or perceived, Trump may view India’s rebuttals as a personal affront rather than a routine diplomatic clarification. This bruised ego dynamic may be propelling him to restate the claim ever more publicly and forcefully.
Trump is mixing trade with geopolitics
Trump is making a cardinal error by linking hot geopolitical issues with heavy emotional and historical drag with trade. India can never allow a third-party mediation on Kashmir for any trade deal. With Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal currently in the US negotiating a Bilateral Trade Agreement, Trump's revival of the India-Pakistan ceasefire claim appears strategically timed. By hyphenating India-Pakistan, a move India always pushes against, Trump may be trying to extract concessions from New Delhi at the negotiating table. Trump could be trying to use the Pakistan card to get a favourable trade deal from India.
There are also reports suggesting a more transactional motive behind Trump's sudden soft corner for Pakistan. Reportedly, Pakistan has sought to curry favour with Trump by promising lucrative business deals to his family and friends. These include reported discussions over cryptocurrency ventures and access to mineral resources — both highly strategic domains.
India has not only denied Trump’s claims but has done so with uncharacteristic directness. Statements from officials, including Minister Jaishankar, have reaffirmed India’s long-held policy: that bilateral issues with Pakistan are to be resolved directly between the two countries, without third-party intervention. India’s military posture in response to cross-border terrorism is clearly communicated as a sovereign act of deterrence and not an outcome of foreign diplomacy.
India is asserting itself as a regional power that neither needs nor welcomes unsolicited arbitration, particularly from figures whose reliability is questionable. By pushing back firmly, India is protecting both its sovereignty and its narrative on regional security. Trump could be hyphenating India with Pakistan to diminish the higher global status of India. Yet, in the face of clear denials from India and skepticism from seasoned diplomats like John Bolton, Trump’s narrative finds itself on shaky ground.
Speaking at the White House's Oval Office during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump said, "If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole, and I think I settled it through trade." Trump added, "And I said, ‘What are you guys doing?’ Somebody had to be the last one to shoot. But the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the countries. And we spoke to them, and I think we, you know, I hate to say we got it settled, and then two days later, something happens, and they say it's Trump's fault."
Also Read: We are doing big deals with India, Pakistan: US President Donald Trump
Despite repeated and categorical denials from India, Trump continues to push this narrative. His insistence on having played the peacemaker between India and Pakistan reflects a complex interplay of personal psychology, diplomatic repositioning, trade tactics and geopolitical considerations.
Why is Trump doubling down on his claims?
With Trump's stubborn insistence, Trump is trying to burnish his image of a peacemaker which has taken a beating. Besides that, he is a compulsive credit hogger. As John Bolton, Trump’s former National Security Advisor, observed in an interview with ANI today, "It's nothing personal to India. This is Donald Trump, who takes credit for everything."
Speaking to ANI, he said, "I think he did have a call with Prime Minister Modi, and Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also on the call. I'm sure other countries might also be calling to see what they can do. It's typical of Trump because he would jump in before everyone else could take credit. It may be irritating, probably is irritating to many people, but it's nothing against India, it's just Trump being Trump."
This succinct assessment captures the core of Trump’s political persona. Throughout his presidency during his previous term as well as the present one, Trump sought to cast himself as a global peacemaker, from his summits with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un to his much-publicized, though ultimately faltering, Middle East Abraham Accords. By claiming he used trade to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan, a claim India has refuted repeatedly, Trump is trying to burnish his image of a peacemaker, contrasting himself with previous US presidents often associated with prolonged military engagements. In a world weary of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Ukraine and Gaza, this image holds a lot of political value for Trump at home as well as abroad.
Also Read: Cessation of firing and military action negotiated directly between India, Pakistan: EAM Jaishankar
However, Trump’s desire to be remembered as a peace broker contrasts with his record. Despite bold promises, his efforts to mediate in major conflicts have borne little fruit. His outreach to North Korea failed to yield denuclearization during his previous term. His campaign promise to immediately stop the Ukraine and Russia war once he has won remains unfulfilled. Likewise, his Middle East policy, while lauded for diplomatic normalization efforts between Israel and some Arab states, did nothing to address the core Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israel-Hamas war still rages on and he hasn't been able to stop it. On the contrary, he has intensified attacks on the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
These failures may be motivating Trump to revive a narrative where he can claim success, however disputed. Unlike Ukraine or Gaza, the India-Pakistan conflict is still opaque as a lot has yet to come to public domain which makes it easy for him to create his own version of events which projects him as a peace mediator using trade to achieve a ceasefire.
There is also a possibility that Trump is repeating his claims because he is just frustrated with India as it has refused to validate his version of events. Known for his thin-skinned reactions to slights, real or perceived, Trump may view India’s rebuttals as a personal affront rather than a routine diplomatic clarification. This bruised ego dynamic may be propelling him to restate the claim ever more publicly and forcefully.
Trump is mixing trade with geopolitics
Trump is making a cardinal error by linking hot geopolitical issues with heavy emotional and historical drag with trade. India can never allow a third-party mediation on Kashmir for any trade deal. With Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal currently in the US negotiating a Bilateral Trade Agreement, Trump's revival of the India-Pakistan ceasefire claim appears strategically timed. By hyphenating India-Pakistan, a move India always pushes against, Trump may be trying to extract concessions from New Delhi at the negotiating table. Trump could be trying to use the Pakistan card to get a favourable trade deal from India.
There are also reports suggesting a more transactional motive behind Trump's sudden soft corner for Pakistan. Reportedly, Pakistan has sought to curry favour with Trump by promising lucrative business deals to his family and friends. These include reported discussions over cryptocurrency ventures and access to mineral resources — both highly strategic domains.
India has not only denied Trump’s claims but has done so with uncharacteristic directness. Statements from officials, including Minister Jaishankar, have reaffirmed India’s long-held policy: that bilateral issues with Pakistan are to be resolved directly between the two countries, without third-party intervention. India’s military posture in response to cross-border terrorism is clearly communicated as a sovereign act of deterrence and not an outcome of foreign diplomacy.
India is asserting itself as a regional power that neither needs nor welcomes unsolicited arbitration, particularly from figures whose reliability is questionable. By pushing back firmly, India is protecting both its sovereignty and its narrative on regional security. Trump could be hyphenating India with Pakistan to diminish the higher global status of India. Yet, in the face of clear denials from India and skepticism from seasoned diplomats like John Bolton, Trump’s narrative finds itself on shaky ground.
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