Washington (Rajeev Sharma): U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that his strategic use of trade measures, particularly tariffs, helped avert a major conflict between India and Pakistan during a period of heightened military tension.
Speaking at a recent event, Trump highlighted how his administration leveraged economic tools to prevent what he claimed could have become a full-blown war between the two nuclear-armed nations.
“India and Pakistan were on the brink,” Trump said. “Fighter jets had already been shot down. They were preparing for a serious conflict. But I had conversations with them — I won’t say exactly what was said — and it worked. They stepped back. And that was possible because of the pressure we applied through trade and tariffs.”
Without naming the exact timeline, Trump appeared to reference the 2019 crisis between the two countries, following a deadly terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. That incident led to airstrikes and the downing of military aircraft, raising fears of escalation.
Trump went on to claim that his administration’s economic leverage was not only central in calming the situation between India and Pakistan but also in deterring other global conflicts.
“If we hadn’t used the power of tariffs, you’d see four wars happening right now,” he said. “Tariffs aren’t just about trade. They’re a tool to make countries listen without firing a single shot.”
During his presidency, Trump was known for his aggressive trade policies, targeting not just adversaries like China but also longstanding partners. India, too, was subject to increased tariffs under his administration, which led to strained trade ties for a period.
While Trump’s claims about influencing the India-Pakistan standoff remain unverifiable, his comments have reignited debate about the use of economic pressure in diplomacy. Critics argue that multiple factors — including backchannel diplomacy, international mediation, and domestic constraints — likely played a more significant role in de-escalation than trade threats alone.
Still, Trump’s remarks fit into his broader narrative of using unconventional tools in foreign affairs, often bypassing traditional diplomatic approaches in favor of hardline economic pressure.
There has been no official response from New Delhi or Islamabad to Trump’s latest statement.
