“Had a great conversation with my friend, President @realDonaldTrump, congratulating him on his spectacular victory. Looking forward to working closely together once again to further strengthen India-US relations,” Modi had tweeted on Twitter when Trump was reelected. Most of the Indians felt a sense of satisfaction as the U.S. and India could aim for a strong strategic alliance. Now we have to wait and watch what is stored for us in the coming days in the Indo-U.S. relations. Let us hope for the best.
U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House on Wednesday in an unprecedented meeting that risked worsening a disagreement with India over the president’s claim that he stopped last month’s conflict between the nuclear-armed South Asian foes. The lunch meeting was the first time a U.S. president had hosted the head of Pakistan’s army, widely regarded as the most powerful figure in the country, at the White House unaccompanied by senior Pakistani civilian officials.
Trump said he was honoured to meet Munir, loved Pakistan, and that they had discussed Iran, which he said Pakistan knew better than most. Trump told reporters he had thanked Munir for ending the war with India, for which he also praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who he spoke to on Tuesday night.
“Two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war; that could have been a nuclear war,” Trump told reporters. Pakistan’s military issued a statement that the two discussed trade, economic development, and cryptocurrency during the two-hour meeting, and also exchanged views on the tensions between Israel and Iran.
“President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests,” the army said. Munir had been expected to press Trump not to enter Israel’s war with Iran and seek a ceasefire, Pakistani officials and experts said. A section of Pakistan’s embassy in Washington represents Iran’s interests in the United States, as Tehran does not have diplomatic relations with the U.S.
Pakistan has condemned Israel’s airstrikes against Iran, saying they violate international law and threaten regional stability. The meeting represented a major boost in U.S.-Pakistan ties, which had largely languished under Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, as both courted India as part of efforts to push back against China. Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir has recommended US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, for the latter’s alleged role in preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan last month, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly has said. Mr Trump hosted Mr Munir after he called for the President to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, Ms Kelly told reporters.
The White House spokeswoman’s remarks came even as India has constantly denied the US’ role in curbing tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad, which were triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. New Delhi has, on several occasions, emphasised that neither Washington nor any third party had a role in its decision to cease military hostilities with Pakistan. India has maintained that the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations sought to speak to his Indian counterpart on May 10 after India struck several airbases in the country, including the important Nur Khan airbase, also known as the Chaklala airbase. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Mr Modi held a 35-minute telephonic conversation with Mr Trump, mainly on Operation Sindoor, and made it clear that at no time were issues such as the India-US trade deal or mediation by the US to broker peace between India and Pakistan discussed.
Mr Trump, however, once again claimed credit for “stopping the war” between the two neighbouring countries. “Well, I stopped the war between Pakistan – I love Pakistan – I think Modi is a fantastic man, I spoke to him last night. We are going to make a trade deal with Modi of India… And I stopped the war between Pakistan and India. This man (possibly referring to Asim Munir) was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistani side, Modi from the Indian side, and others. And they were going at it, they are both nuclear countries. I got it stopped,” Mr Trump claimed.
Complaining that the press had failed to take note of this, the US President continued, “I don’t think I had one story written, did I have one story written? I stopped a war between two major nations, major nuclear nations. I did not have a story written about it, but that’s okay. You know why, the people know.” In a similar reiteration, Mr Trump said: “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP!”.
