Trump claims his words calmed India-Pakistan tensions swiftly.
After four tense days of drone and missile strikes, India and Pakistan agreed on May 10 to finally halt hostilities.
On Monday, October 6, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump once again turned to one of his favorite subjects — tariffs — and described them not just as an economic tool but as a weapon of peace. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump claimed that his strategic use of tariffs had helped prevent wars and even played a direct role in calming the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.
We are a peacekeeper because of tariffs.
To most people, tariffs are a dry subject — taxes imposed on imported goods. But for Trump, they have always been something more, a symbol of strength and leverage. During his first term in office, he wielded them freely — against China, Mexico, and even U.S. allies — often justifying them as a way to make other nations “respect America again.” Now, back in the White House, he’s trying to frame them as instruments not of economic aggression but of global stability.
The president went further, saying that without his tariff policies, several major wars might still be raging. “If I didn’t use the power of tariffs,” he told reporters, “we’d still have four wars going on right now.”
Trump then referred to the most recent flashpoint — the short but intense conflict between India and Pakistan earlier this year. For four days in early May, the world watched nervously as the two nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged drone and missile strikes across the border. The clashes began after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
The operation triggered a strong military response from Pakistan, leading to fears that the situation could spiral into a larger war. But on May 10, both nations announced that they had reached an understanding to halt hostilities — an outcome that Trump was quick to take partial credit for.
They stopped. And that was based on tariffs. It was based on trade.”
In typical Trump fashion, he didn’t provide details about his communication with the two governments. But according to aides, the president had spoken separately to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s leadership during the height of the crisis. The White House has not released transcripts of those conversations, but sources described Trump’s tone as “direct and forceful.”
While Trump’s comments made headlines, India was quick to dismiss any suggestion of foreign intervention. Indian officials reiterated that New Delhi had acted independently in its counterterrorism operations and had not sought or accepted mediation from any third party. “India has consistently maintained that all matters with Pakistan are bilateral,” an Indian government spokesperson said. “There is no role for external involvement.”
For Trump, however, the claim of personal influence fits neatly into his long-standing narrative of being a global dealmaker. Throughout his political career, he has portrayed himself as a man whose words alone can shift the course of international events — whether it’s cooling tensions with North Korea, securing trade deals with China, or, as he now claims, helping bring peace to South Asia.
Critics, however, view his statements with skepticism. Diplomats and analysts argue that the India-Pakistan de-escalation was primarily the result of backchannel talks facilitated by neutral intermediaries and pressure from both nations’ military and political establishments — not an outcome of U.S. trade policy.
Still, Trump’s version of the story resonated with his supporters, who see tariffs as proof of his tough, America-first philosophy. To them, his comments in the Oval Office were another example of how he blends economic nationalism with a promise of global peace — a paradox that only Trump seems able to sell.
In his characteristic blend of boastfulness and simplicity, Trump summarized his foreign policy doctrine in one line: “Tariffs keep the world in line.”
Whether his words truly influenced the India-Pakistan ceasefire or not, the president clearly believes they did — and for Trump, belief often matters as much as fact. As he smiled and waved to reporters before leaving the room, he added one final remark that summed up his worldview perfectly: “Sometimes you don’t need bombs or threats. You just need a strong economy — and a phone call.”