Former US President Donald Trump has once again claimed credit for stopping five wars in the last five months, including a potential conflict between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack. This marks the second time in 20 days that Trump has repeated this assertion.
Trump made the fresh remarks during a White House press conference originally focused on the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, shifting attention to his foreign policy claims and criticism of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which he referred to as “Biden’s war.”
“This is Biden’s war, and we’re working very hard to get us out. I stopped five wars in the last five months — actually — and I’d like this to be the sixth, frankly,” Trump stated.
He went on to say that India and Pakistan were among the nations where conflict was prevented under his watch.
“The other ones I stopped within a matter of days, almost every one of them — including India and Pakistan. I could go over the whole list, but you know the list as well as I do,” he said.
In July, Trump made similar comments during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, stating that the India-Pakistan situation could have turned into a nuclear war if not for his intervention.
“India, Pakistan… that would have been a nuclear war within another week, the way that was going. It was going very badly,” he had said, adding that he used trade as leverage to de-escalate tensions:
“I said, we are not going to talk to you about trade unless you get this thing settled — and they did.”
However, India has strongly denied any such role by the United States, maintaining that all matters related to Jammu and Kashmir are strictly bilateral between India and Pakistan.
Amid rising tensions, Trump also announced plans to impose a steep hike on tariffs for Indian imports in response to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits,” Trump said in a social media post. “Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”
According to Reuters, Trump later told CNBC that the current 25% tariff on Indian goods would be increased “very substantially” within 24 hours, accusing India of “fueling the Russian war machine.”
Trump’s remarks have added to diplomatic unease as the US moves into a volatile phase of its election season, with foreign policy and global trade emerging as contentious campaign themes.