Reiterating his claim of defusing the India-Pakistan conflict in May this year, US President Donald Trump credited his trade deals and tariff threat for helping end global disputes. However, this time he has revised the count of jets down during the three-day hostilities in May.
"You know, I was in the midst of a trade deal with both of them (India and Pakistan), and then I read on the front page of a certain newspaper... I heard they were going to war. Seven planes were shot down, and the eighth was really badly wounded... Eight planes were shot down essentially," Trump said at the America Business Forum in Miami on Wednesday.
His latest figure contradicts his earlier versions. Trump first said three jets had been shot down, then revised it to five in July. In August, he raised the count to seven. With his newest claim, the number of downed jets during the India-Pakistan clash has reached eight.
Speaking at the forum, Trump further mentioned, “I said, this is war, and they are going at it. And they are two nuclear nations. I said, ‘I'm not going to make any trade deals with you guys unless you agree to peace’,” he added.
“The two nations said 'no way. This has nothing to do...'I said, It has everything to do (with it). You are nuclear powers. I'm not trading with you. We're not making any deals with you if you're at war with each other'."
"A day later, I get a call saying, 'We made peace'. They stopped. I said, 'Thank you. Let's do trade'. Isn't that great? Tariffs did that. Without tariffs, that would have never happened," Trump said amid applause.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire" after a long night of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim several times that he helped settle the tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
India has consistently denied any third-party intervention.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
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