Despite Modi’s counter, Donald Trump repeats his claim, says he ‘stopped a war’
Donald Trump’s schedule for Wednesday included a meeting over lunch with Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir in the Cabinet Room of the White House
NEW DELHI: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US President Donald Trump that last month’s cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was finalised without any mediation by the US, the American leader repeated his claim that he “stopped a war” between the two South Asian nuclear-armed countries.
During a phone call initiated at Trump’s request, Modi pushed back against the US leader’s repeated claims that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan by saying that New Delhi “has never accepted mediation, does not and will never do so”. Modi also made it clear to Trump that during the four days of clashes between the two countries, issues such as the “India-US trade deal or mediation by the US” were not discussed “at no time [or] at any level”.
Also Read: India has not, will not accept any mediation, says PM Modi during 35-minute call with Trump
However, while interacting with reporters in Washington on Wednesday, Trump again claimed that he “stopped a war” between India and Pakistan, and even contended that the media had not reported on his role in ending the hostilities.
When Trump was asked what he expected to achieve diplomatically from his meeting later in the day with Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, he replied: “I stopped the war between Pakistan and India. This man [Munir] was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side, Modi from the Indian side, and others.”
“They were going at it, and they’re both nuclear countries. I got it stopped. I don’t think I had one story - did I have one story written about it? I stopped the war between two major… nuclear nations, I don’t think I had a story written about it, but that’s okay. You know why? The people know.”
Trump added, “I stopped a war between Pakistan - I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man, I spoke to him last night. We’re going to make a trade deal with Modi of India.”
There was no immediate response from Indian officials to Trump’s latest comments.
People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the Indian side’s position had been outlined in a statement by foreign secretary Vikram Misri on the phone conversation between Modi and Trump. “He [Trump] didn’t mediate or play any role,” one person said.
Trump was the first to announce the halting of hostilities between India and Pakistan on May 10 - something that did not go down well in official circles in New Delhi. This was followed by a statement from the Pakistani side and an official statement by Misri in New Delhi.
An official American readout had even described the development as a ceasefire brokered by the US. Since then, Trump has claimed on at least 15 occasions that he got India and Pakistan to stop fighting, and that he used the threat of stopping trade with both countries in these efforts.
During the phone conversation with PM Modi, Trump asked if the Indian leader could stop over in the US after leaving Canada, where Modi was attending the outreach session of the G7 Summit. Modi expressed his inability to do so because of “prior commitments”. The Prime Minister was scheduled to travel to Croatia for the final leg of a three-nation tour.
If Trump’s suggestion had been accepted, the Prime Minister would have been in Washington at the same time as Munir.
Trump’s schedule for Wednesday included a meeting over lunch with Munir in the Cabinet Room of the White House. US presidents have rarely hosted Pakistan Army chiefs in such a manner in recent decades. While president George W Bush hosted Gen Pervez Musharraf in 2001, the latter was also the military ruler of Pakistan at the time.
