U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed credit for helping to defuse a dangerous standoff between India and Pakistan, saying his focus on trade negotiations played a key role in preventing a potential conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Speaking at an event, Trump alleged that during a past flare-up between India and Pakistan, “five or six planes got shot down” in what he described as a “little skirmish” that could have escalated into something “very, very bad.”
“I think it was trade more than any other reason,” Trump said, explaining that by renegotiating what he called “some of the worst trade deals we’ve ever made,” he was able to influence both sides. “I don’t want to be dealing with countries that are trying to blow up themselves and maybe the world,” he added.
The President said that some of the United States’ worst trade agreements had been with allied nations, not adversaries, but that his administration “was taking in trillions of dollars” and “was respected” after revising them.
Trump thanked the leaders of both India and Pakistan for their “courage” in stepping back from confrontation, stating: “They’re going to go down in the history books, and it’s a great honor to be involved. I love saving lives — when you save lives, you really end up having a peaceful world.”
