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Donald Trump repeats stopping India-Pak conflict claim: 'I love Pakistan, Modi a fantastic man'
His remarks came after Modi told the US president that India and Pakistan halted military actions after direct talks between the armies of the two sides.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated his claim of stopping military conflict between India and Pakistan in May, weeks after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "a fantastic man" and asserted that the US and India will have a trade deal.
"Well, I stopped the war…. 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. But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India,” Trump said.
On a question about the White House hosting Pakistan army chief Asim Munir for lunch, Trump said that he (Munir) was extremely influential in stopping the hostilities from the Pakistan side.
"This man was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side," Trump said, referring to Munir. “Modi, from the India 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…” Trump added.
Trump's remarks come hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the US president that the decision by India and Pakistan to halt military actions in May was made directly during talks between the armies of the two sides.
Trump-Modi phone call
In the 35-minute phone conversation on Wednesday, Modi also told Trump that India has never accepted mediation and will never do so.
“India has never accepted mediation, does not and will never do so”, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said, speaking in Hindi.
Misri said that the prime minister also made it clear to Trump that during the entire episode of the four days of military clashes between the two countries during May 7-10, issues such as the “India-US trade deal or mediation by the US between India and Pakistan” were not discussed “at no time [or] at any level”.
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The prime minister also told Trump that after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India had conveyed its determination to take action against terrorism to the whole world.
"India had also made it clear that any act of aggression from Pakistan would be met with a stronger response," the foreign secretary said.
Misri said President Trump sought to know if Modi could visit the US on his way back from Canada. "Due to prior commitments, Prime Minister Modi expressed his inability to do so. Both leaders agreed to make efforts to meet in the near future," Misri said.
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Donald Trump was the first to announce the halting of hostilities between India and Pakistan on May 10. Since then, Trump has repteadly claimed that he got India and Pakistan to stop fighting and that he used the threat of stopping trade with both countries in these efforts.
