WASHINGTON, JUN 18: US President Donald Trump has once again taken credit for preventing a potentially catastrophic war between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan — and this time, he singled out Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for playing a critical role in the de-escalation.
Speaking to the media at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said: “I stopped the war between Pakistan and India. Both are nuclear countries — they got to stop. This man — Asim Munir — was extremely influential in stopping the war from the Pakistan side. I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. Now we will have a trade deal with India.”
The president’s remarks came shortly after a phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada.
The call was their first direct exchange since the May 7–10 conflict between the two South Asian countries, which erupted along the Line of Control.
Trump praised both nations but reiterated that it was his intervention that prevented the situation from spiraling out of control. “I stopped a war between two major nuclear nations — India and Pakistan. I don’t think anyone ever wrote a story about it,” he added, expressing his dismay at the lack of media recognition for his role.
While Trump continues to assert his diplomatic influence, Indian officials have categorically denied any U.S. mediation. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a press statement that Prime Minister Modi informed Trump there was “no talk at any stage” regarding a U.S.-brokered ceasefire or a trade deal during the conflict period.
“Talks for ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan,” Misri said. “Prime Minister Modi emphasised that India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do.”
However, Trump’s comments suggest otherwise. He commended both Modi and Munir, indicating a more complex backchannel role played by the Pakistani military leadership during the crisis. Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s top military officer, has not commented publicly on the matter.
