US President Donald Trump has once again claimed credit for defusing tensions between India and Pakistan, asserting that he ended eight major conflicts during his presidency but was overlooked for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In an interview with The New York Times last week, Trump said several of the conflicts he claims to have resolved were long-running and difficult, including one involving India and Pakistan.
He alleged that the two countries were “going at it” before the situation was brought under control, describing it as one of eight wars he said he had ended, some of which had lasted for over three decades.
Trump repeated his long-standing criticism of former US president Barack Obama, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, saying Obama received the honour just weeks into his presidency.
Trump said he had resolved eight wars without receiving similar recognition, calling the contrast “pretty amazing”.
The remarks marked the third time in as many days last week that Trump publicly claimed to have stopped a conflict between India and Pakistan.
He has made similar assertions repeatedly since May last year, when he announced on social media that the two countries had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire following what he described as Washington-mediated talks.
India has consistently rejected claims of any third-party intervention in its bilateral issues with Pakistan.
Trump reiterated his position during a meeting at the White House with oil and gas executives on Friday, where he again said he had settled eight major conflicts, some spanning more than 30 years.
Referring to India and Pakistan, he claimed the situation was escalating rapidly, with aircraft allegedly shot down, before being defused “in rapid order” without the use of nuclear weapons.
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He further said that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had publicly credited him with preventing large-scale loss of life during the standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
According to Trump, Sharif had stated that millions of lives were saved due to his intervention.
Earlier in an interview with Fox News, Trump made similar claims, describing India and Pakistan as being on the brink of a major conflict and again asserting that eight aircraft were shot down before hostilities were halted.
He argued that stopping each prolonged conflict should warrant a Nobel Peace Prize, particularly in cases involving nuclear powers.
India, however, has repeatedly maintained that any de-escalation with Pakistan was achieved through direct engagement and without the involvement of any external mediator.
