White House declares Trump’s trade proposal caused India-Pakistan ceasefire
(MENAFN) The U.S. government has asserted that a recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan was achieved due to an offer by former President Donald Trump, who promised both countries access to the American market. This claim was made in an official court filing by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at the U.S. Court of International Trade.
According to Lutnick, Trump’s intervention during the May 10 ceasefire announcement helped de-escalate a four-day military confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors. He argued that restricting the president’s emergency tariff authority could diminish U.S. diplomatic leverage globally and jeopardize the delicate truce between India and Pakistan.
The confrontation began when India launched “Operation Sindoor” on May 7, targeting what it said were terrorist camps in Pakistan. The military action followed a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 tourists in late April. Pakistan denied any role in the attack.
Trump claimed credit for mediating the ceasefire, stating publicly that he told both sides he intended to expand trade with them, but only if they halted hostilities: “I was ‘gonna do a lot of trade with you, let's stop it,” he said on social media.
However, Indian officials quickly dismissed the notion of U.S. involvement. The Indian Foreign Ministry stated that Washington neither facilitated nor was informed about the ceasefire. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar reinforced this position in interviews with European media, explaining that the ceasefire was arranged through direct military communication between India and Pakistan.
Lutnick’s statement came amid ongoing trade talks between India and the U.S., with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri currently in Washington to finalize a bilateral agreement. In April, the U.S. imposed an additional 26% tariff on Indian imports, though it has been temporarily suspended for 90 days until July 9. The base 10% tariff remains in effect.
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