NEW DELHI: Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his claim that tariff threats helped defuse tensions between India and Pakistan during their military standoff in May 2025. Speaking at an event of his proposed “Board of Peace,” Trump said he had warned both nations of “200 per cent tariffs” if they continued fighting.
The remarks were made in the presence of Shehbaz Sharif, who attended the event. India also participated in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on Gaza as an observer. The meeting was held at the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, where India was represented by Chargé d’affaires at the Indian Embassy, Namgya Khampa, PTI reported.
Trump praised his own role in de-escalating the crisis, citing Sharif’s alleged acknowledgment of his intervention. He claimed he had “saved 25 million lives” by stopping what he described as a raging war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Addressing the gathering, Trump said that planes were being shot down and tensions had escalated sharply before he intervened. He stated that he personally called both Sharif and Narendra Modi, warning that trade deals would be off the table if the conflict was not resolved. “I said, if you fight, I’m going to put 200 per cent tariffs on each of your countries,” Trump said, adding, “When it came to money, it’s nothing like money. When it came to losing a lot of money, they said, I guess we don’t want to fight.” He also claimed that 11 fighter jets had been shot down during the hostilities.
The comments came during the first formal meeting of the Board of Peace, an initiative unveiled by Trump as a global peace platform. Invitations for membership were extended to several countries, including India.
Pakistan formally joined the Trump-led initiative and has publicly endorsed his version of events. Sharif and Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir have previously nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him for what they describe as efforts to ease tensions.
India, however, has rejected any suggestion of third-party mediation. New Delhi has maintained that the situation following Operation Sindoor was addressed bilaterally. Prime Minister Modi has clarified that no foreign power played a role in resolving the India-Pakistan military tensions of May 2025.
