In a provocative speech at the American Cornerstone Institute Founder’s Dinner, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed credit for ending seven international conflicts, including the India-Pakistan standoff earlier this year. He asserted that his trade diplomacy was the key to halting hostilities and insisted he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I stopped wars between India and Pakistan, Thailand and Cambodia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Congo,” Trump said. “Sixty percent of them were stopped because of trade”.
Trump specifically referenced the May 10 ceasefire between India and Pakistan, which followed Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strikes after the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. He claimed his threat to halt trade with nuclear-armed nations pushed both sides to the negotiating table.
However, India has firmly denied any third-party involvement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated in Parliament that the ceasefire was the result of direct military talks between the two nations’ Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs).
Trump’s remarks have reignited debate over his foreign policy legacy and the credibility of his peace claims. He also suggested that if he could end the Russia-Ukraine war, he should receive “a Nobel for each of the seven wars” he claims to have stopped.