Former U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that he was instrumental in establishing a ceasefire between India and Pakistan earlier this year. This assertion has been met with denial from New Delhi, which has maintained that the understanding for a ceasefire was reached through Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)-level discussions.
Speaking to reporters while aboard Air Force One, Trump responded to a question about potential negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the conflict in Ukraine. He stated that Putin had commended his efforts in facilitating peace in other international disputes, including those involving Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Trump characterized the Russia-Ukraine war as the most difficult challenge to resolve, contrasting it with his claimed success in pausing the India-Pakistan military conflict. “I got it done [ceasefire]. There are others. If you look at India and Pakistan. I could say almost any one of the deals that I’ve already done I thought would have been more difficult than Russia and Ukraine, but it didn’t work out that way,” Trump remarked.
He further elaborated on his interactions with Putin, expressing a desire for a clear path to a deal before engaging in further meetings. “I’m going to have to know that we’re going to have a deal [with Putin]. I’m not going to be wasting my time. I have always had a very great relationship with Vladimir Putin, but this has been very disappointing. I thought this would have gotten done before peace in the Middle East,” Trump said, recalling Putin’s praise for his success in mediating the Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute when others had failed.
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President Trump has a history of claiming credit for brokering ceasefires, including between India and Pakistan, often linking these achievements to trade concessions. India has consistently denied that trade discussions were part of any agreements during periods of military escalation.
Trump’s remarks come as he embarks on a multi-nation tour, including attending the ASEAN summit in Malaysia. He also used the opportunity to express optimism about achieving peace in the Middle East, while issuing a stern warning to Hamas regarding potential violations of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The former President stated, “I think it [ceasefire] will hold. Well, if it doesn’t hold, it’s Hamas. Hamas will not be hard to deal with very quickly. I hope it holds for Hamas too because they gave us their world on something, so I think it’s going to hold, and if it doesn’t, then they’ll have a very big problem.”
Following his visit to Malaysia, Trump is scheduled to travel to Japan and South Korea.