Trade a big reason why they stopped fighting: Trump on India-Pak conflict

Speaking at an event at the White House, Trump said, 'Trade is a big reason why they stopped fighting.' He also asserted that his administration had a hand in facilitating the agreement

US President Donald Trump has once again asserted that he played a key role in averting a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, which had escalated following India’s Operation Sindoor — launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

 

Speaking at a White House press briefing on Monday (May 12), Trump said he intervened at a critical time, telling both countries, "I was 'gonna do a lot of trade with you, let's stop it’.” He credited this approach with defusing the heightened tensions.

 

Trump claimed his administration was instrumental in brokering the May 10 understanding between the neighbouring nations. He said he believed the ceasefire would hold indefinitely. 

 

 

"On Saturday, my administration helped broker an immediate ceasefire, I think a permanent one between India and Pakistan — the countries having a lot of nuclear weapons. Ending a dangerous conflict between two nations with lots of nuclear weapons. And they were going at it hot and heavy, and it was seemingly not going to stop,” he said.

We helped a lot, and we also helped with trade: Trump

Referring to both India and Pakistan as "powerful," Trump praised their leadership for showing restraint and awareness of the risks involved. 

मोदी से पहले ट्रंप ने किया देश को संबोधित ????  बोले- मैंने रुकवाया भारत-पाकिस्तान का युद्ध pic.twitter.com/yZRtc2FgXU

— Ranvijay Singh (@ranvijaylive) May 12, 2025

 

"I'm very proud to let you know that the leadership of Indian and Pakistan was unwavering and powerful, but unwavering in both cases — they really were from the standpoint of having the strength and the wisdom and fortitude to fully know and to understand the gravity of the situation,” he said.

 

He described his pitch for increased trade with both nations as a turning point. "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, let's stop it. If you stop it, we're doing trade. If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade,” Trump said. "People have never really used trade the way I used it. By that, I can tell you, and all of a sudden they said. I think we're gonna stop, and they have.”   

Operation Sindoor: Over 100 terrorists killed, Pak fighter jets down | India-Pakistan

 

He went on to thank Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their involvement, saying, “We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been killed.”

India-Pakistan military understanding

Earlier on May 10, India announced that an understanding had been reached with Pakistan to halt cross-border firing. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, during the press briefing, said that the understanding was reached after discussions between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries, and maintained that no third party was involved. This was reiterated by the senior Army authorities during the press briefing on Sunday (May 11), and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the nation on Monday.