Donald Trump (AP)
US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that he prevented a potential conflict between India and Pakistan using the power of tariffs. Responding to a question on whether he would reconsider his stance on tariffs, Trump said they were a key tool in stopping wars and maintaining global peace.US President Donald Trump addressed questions on whether he would reconsider his stance on tariffs, emphasising their importance for the United States’ economic strength and global influence. He described tariffs as a crucial tool that not only generates billions of dollars but also positions the US as a “peacekeeper” on the world stage.
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Trump later claimed that his use of tariffs played a role in preventing potential hostilities between India and Pakistan.Trump on Monday while speaking to reporters said, “If I didn’t have the power of tariffs, you would have at least four of the seven wars raging. I use tariffs to stop wars. If you look at India and Pakistan, they were ready to go at it. Seven planes were shot down. They were ready to go at it. And then nuclear powers. I don’t want to say exactly what I said, but what I said was very effective. They stopped. And that was based on tariffs.”He also described tariffs as central to the United States’ role as a peacekeeper. “Tariffs are very important for the United States. We are a peacekeeper because of tariffs. Not only do we make hundreds of billions of dollars, but we’re a peacekeeper because of tariffs,” he added.This is not the first time Trump has made such a claim. At a private dinner with Republican lawmakers at the White House last month, he said, “We stopped a lot of wars. And these were serious, India and Pakistan, that was going on… These are two serious nuclear countries, and they were hitting each other. You know, it seems like a new form of warfare. Planes were being shot out of the air… five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down, actually.”India, however, has consistently maintained that the understanding to halt hostilities with Pakistan was achieved through direct military-to-military talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the two countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also clarified in Parliament that no foreign leader influenced India’s decision to end Operation Sindoor.Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on April 22, carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists, killed 26 people.In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, with the Indian Air Force targeting nine major terror hubs inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Pakistan attempted to retaliate with drones and missile strikes, which were intercepted by Indian air defence systems. The IAF responded with precision strikes on 11 Pakistani airbases, including strategic facilities at Nur Khan and Rahim Yar Khan.
