In fresh comments on Pak-India May conflict, Trump says PM Shehbaz called to say he ‘saved millions’
In fresh comments on the military escalation between Pakistan and Indian in May, United States President Donald Trump has said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif phoned him to say that he had “saved millions”, adding that it took the threat of “350 per cent tariffs” to end the conflict.
Tensions between India and Pakistan had flared earlier this year when a deadly terror attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir was blamed on Islamabad, which denied the accusations. The two sides traded a series of tit-for-tat blows that ended in the declaration of a ceasefire by Trump in May, who has since repeatedly talked about his role in ending the military escalation between the two countries.
Addressing the US-Saudi Investment Forum on Wednesday, the US president said, “I’m good at settling disputes, and I’ve always been — I’ve done very well with that over the years.
“India, Pakistan — they were going to go at it, nuclear weapons. I said that’s okay, you can go at it, but I’m putting a 350pc tariff on each country. No more trade with the United States,” he said.
“No, no you can’t do that,” Trump said, doing an impression.
“I said I am going to do it. Come back to me and I’ll take it down, but I’m not going to have you guys shooting nuclear weapons at each other, killing millions of people and having the nuclear dust floating over Los Angeles. I’m not going to do it,” he said, reiterating that it took the threat of a 350pc tariff to settle the conflict.
“No other president would have done that. Joe Biden doesn’t even know what countries we are talking about. He wouldn’t have any idea,” Trump said as laughter rang out.
The US president said that he settled five out of eight wars he has taken credit for ending by threatening tariffs.
“I tell you what, the prime minister of Pakistan called me … he actually said I saved millions — and he said in front of Susie. He said, ‘President Trump saved millions and millions of lives. He doesn’t even know that, but he saved millions of lives’.”
The person the US president was referring to appeared to be White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Trump also said he had received a call from Indian PM Narendra Modi, recounting the exchange between the two, where the latter said that “we’re not going to go to war”.
“I said, ‘Thank you very much. Let’s make a deal’.”
Trump also recounted his role in ending other conflicts, including brokering a peace plan for Gaza in October, saying, “I’ve settled eight wars. I have one to go.”
However, he expressed disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin for his resistance to ending Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I thought that was going to be my easy one, because I have a good relationship with President Putin,” he said. “But I’m a little disappointed in President Putin right now. He knows that.”
The US president also said that the Saudi crown prince wanted him “to do something very powerful having to do with Sudan” and expressed his resolve to turn his attention there, although it had not previously been “on his charts”.
“I just see how important that is to you … and we’re going to start working in Sudan,” he said to applause. “I didn’t think that that was one that was going to be so easy to do, but we’re going to start working.”
The US president has previously stated on several occasions that five to eight planes were shot down during the May conflict between the two neighbouring countries. He had also reiterated his praise for PM Shehbaz and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asum Munir, both of whom he met in Washington in September.
India has differed with Trump’s claims that the ceasefire between the two countries resulted from his intervention and his threats to sever trade talks.
