US again claims Trump ended India-Pak conflict by 'using trade leverage'

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt once again repeated US President Donald Trump's claim of having brokered peace between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.

During a press briefing, Leavitt stated that Trump was proud of the peace agreements he helped facilitate and that he used trade diplomacy to de-escalate tensions after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Despite repeated denials from New Delhi, the White House continues to maintain that President Trump played a central role in ending the India-Pakistan conflict.

Leavitt outlined several international disputes Trump has reportedly helped resolve in recent months, highlighting his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and leaders from Europe.

"[For] India and Pakistan [conflict], he [Trump] used trade in a compelling way as leverage to bring that conflict to an end. So I know he's very proud of all of these achievements, and I know he's very honoured to serve as the president of the United States and to restore peace around the world," she said.

India has consistently asserted that the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was the outcome of direct communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) from both sides.

The conflict escalated after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. In response, India launched precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

However, as per Indian officials, the initiative to halt the fighting came from Pakistan, with its DGMO reaching out to the Indian counterpart to request a ceasefire. It was after this outreach that both sides agreed to end hostilities.