Trump claims he ended eight wars, cites India-Pakistan tensions
India firmly rejects third-party role, stresses bilateral resolution
Former US President Donald Trump has once again revived his long-standing claim that he played a decisive role in ending conflicts around the world, including tensions between India and Pakistan, insisting that he has stopped eight wars without receiving due recognition. Speaking in New York during a recent interview with The New York Times, Trump said that despite resolving what he described as “tough wars,” he was overlooked for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I ended eight wars,” Trump said, stressing that these were not minor conflicts but prolonged and difficult ones. Referring to South Asia, he claimed, “India and Pakistan were going at it. As you know, they were going at it… But that was one of eight.” According to Trump, some of the conflicts he resolved had been ongoing for more than three decades, making his role, in his view, historically significant.
Trump also renewed his criticism of former President Barack Obama, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. “Nobody else has ever done that,” Trump said, referring to his claim of ending eight wars. Pretty amazing. Obama got it. He was there for a few weeks, and he got it.
This marked the third time in as many days last week that Trump publicly claimed credit for stopping a conflict between India and Pakistan. He has made similar assertions repeatedly since May 10 last year, when he announced on social media that the two countries had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire India, however, has consistently denied any third-party mediation in its dealings with Pakistan, maintaining that all issues between the two neighbours are handled bilaterally.
Trump reiterated his position during a meeting at the White House with oil and gas executives, where discussions were focused on Venezuela’s oil reserves. He went on to claim that some of these conflicts had lasted between 25 and 36 years, while others, like India and Pakistan, were “just getting ready to start.” Trump alleged that “already eight jets were shot out of the air” before he intervened and stopped the situation from escalating further, “without nuclear weapons.”
Adding to his narrative, Trump said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had publicly credited him with preventing a catastrophic conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. According to Trump, Sharif told him that his actions saved “a minimum of 10 million lives,” a claim that has not been acknowledged by India.
Earlier, in an interview with Fox News, Trump again said that India and Pakistan were “ready to go at it big” and repeated his claim that eight planes had been shot down during the confrontation. He suggested that stopping each major war should merit a Nobel Peace Prize, arguing that halting long-running conflicts deserves global recognition.
While Trump continues to frame these events as major foreign policy victories, his statements have drawn mixed reactions internationally. Supporters see them as evidence of decisive leadership, while critics question the accuracy of his claims, particularly regarding India and Pakistan. Nevertheless, Trump shows no signs of backing away from his narrative, continuing to present himself as a peacemaker whose achievements, he believes, have gone unacknowledged.