US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has claimed that his administration leveraged trade pressure to persuade India and Pakistan to agree to a ceasefire, ending a dramatic escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours earlier this month.
Speaking at a Saudi-US investment forum in Riyadh on Tuesday, Trump said, “Just days ago, my administration successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan.”
“And I used trade to a large extent to do it. And I said, ‘Fellows, come on. Let's make a deal. Let's do some trading’,” Bernama cited him telling the audience, which included Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who applauded the remarks.
Between 7 and 10 May, India and Pakistan exchanged hundreds of missiles and drones in one of the most severe flare-ups in recent years. Diplomatic efforts from several nations, including Saudi Arabia and Iran, played a role in de-escalation, urging both countries to show restraint.
Trump credited US diplomatic and economic influence as central to halting the violence, saying, “Let’s not trade nuclear missiles. Let’s trade the things that you make so beautifully.”
He added, “And they both have very powerful leaders, very strong leaders, good leaders, smart leaders. And it all stopped. Hopefully, it’ll remain that way, but it all stopped.”
US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also involved in the mediation efforts, reportedly pushing for a ceasefire on 10 May through direct channels with both New Delhi and Islamabad.
While details of the ceasefire arrangements have yet to be formally disclosed by either South Asian capital, Trump’s comments suggest that Washington’s trade leverage was actively used to temper military escalation and restore calm. - May 14, 2025
