Donald trump and Mark Carney (left), PM Modi (agencies)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney lavished praise on US President Donald Trump as he met him in the Oval Office on Tuesday, calling him “transformative” and citing gains in economy, NATO defense commitments, and regional stability. “Thank you very much, Mr President. If I may, you kindly hosted me and some of my colleagues a few months ago, and I said at the time, you are a transformative president. And since then, the transformation in the economy, unprecedented commitments of Nato partners to defense spending,” he said.In his remarks, Carney went further suggesting that Trump had played a role in “peace” between India and Pakistan, potentially referring to Trump’s claim of easing tensions between the two neighbours earlier this year.“Peace from India, Pakistan, through to Azerbaijan, Armenia, disabling Iran as a force of terror,” Carney said, crediting Trump with contributing to this shift.However, New Delhi has consistently rejected the notion that the United States intervened in Operation Sindoor or the resulting ceasefire with Pakistan.Since the ceasefire was announced following Operation Sindoor in May 2025, Trump has repeatedly asserted that he was instrumental in halting the India‑Pakistan conflict – often attributing this to his use of trade and tariffs as leverage.During a recent interaction with reporters, Trump said, “If I didn’t have the power of tariffs, you would have at least four of the seven wars raging. … If you look at India and Pakistan, They were ready to go at it. … What I said was very effective. They stopped. And that was based on tariffs.”He added, “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.”These claims are not new. Trump previously asserted, at a private dinner with Republican lawmakers, that he “stopped a lot of wars … these were serious, India and Pakistan … hitting each other … planes were being shot out of the air … five … but I think five jets were shot down.”Yet, India maintains the decision to pause hostilities was reached via direct talks between the two sides’ military leadership, without third-party mediation.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has categorically stated in Parliament that no country asked India to halt its counter‑terror operation. The ministry of external affairs has affirmed that trade or tariff negotiations with the US had nothing to do with Operation Sindoor. The conflict was triggered after a dastardly terror attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. Backed by groups believed to be from across the border. In response, on May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, striking multiple terrorist camps in Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan. After several days of military exchanges, a ceasefire was announced on May 10, after a ceasefire was agreed upon by direct dialogue between the directors general of military operations (DGMOs) of both countries, on request of Pakistani DGMO.
