‘Used trade to a large extent': Trump doubles down on claim of brokering India-Pakistan peace
Hours after India's Ministry of External Affairs dismissed claims by US President Donald J Trump that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan was brokered with American involvement and hinged on trade negotiations, Trump on Tuesday doubled down on his assertions — including a dire warning that the world narrowly avoided 'a bad nuclear war.'
Speaking at the US-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum, Trump insisted, 'Just days ago, my administration successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan. And I used trade to a large extent to do it. I said, fellas, come on, let's make a deal. Let's do some trading. Let's not trade nuclear missiles. Let's trade the things that you make so beautifully.'
'Millions of people could have died from that conflict that started small and was getting bigger and bigger and bigger by the day,' he said, adding that the US had also been working relentlessly to 'end the terrible bloodshed' between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump on India-Pakistan: 'Maybe we could even get them together a little bit, Marco, where they go out and have a nice dinner together. Wouldn't that be nice?' pic.twitter.com/PX8E4O9y2z
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2025
He also praised the US lawmakers involved in the diplomatic effort. 'I was very proud of Marco Rubio ( United States secretary of state) and all of the people that worked so hard. Marco, stand up. What a great job you did on that… JD Vance (US vice president), Marco, the whole group worked with you.'
The remarks followed a May 10 post on Truth Social, in which Trump announced that his administration had mediated an 'immediate and full ceasefire' between the two South Asian rivals after a surge in tensions after India launched Operation Sindoor — a cross-border strike on terror targets inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) — in response to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed 26 civilian lives.
On Monday, Trump told reporters: 'I said [to the Indian and Pakistani leaderships], let's stop it. If you stop it, we're doing trade. If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade.'
'I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been killed,' he had said.
India wasted little time pushing back on Trump's assertions. At a media briefing in New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India's longstanding position that Jammu and Kashmir is a bilateral issue to be resolved between India and Pakistan alone.
'We have a long-standing national position that any issues pertaining to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed,' Jaiswal said.
He also disputed the role of trade in discussions between Indian and American leaders. 'The issue of trade did not come up in any of these discussions,' he said. 'Operation Sindoor was entirely in the conventional domain,' he added, rejecting Trump's nuclear scenario as speculative. 'As you know, India has a firm stance that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail or allow cross-border terrorism to be conducted invoking it.'
Jaiswal clarified that Operation Sindoor was aimed exclusively at 'terrorist infrastructure operating out of Pakistan,' and that India had pre-briefed global partners accordingly. 'If the Pakistani military stayed out, there would be no problem,' he said, adding that several foreign governments were informed that India's actions would remain limited and proportionate.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
27 minutes ago
- Hans India
Israel's strikes set back Iran's nuclear program, but fail to dismantle it completely
Israel's recent wave of airstrikes inflicted significant damage on Iran's nuclear infrastructure but failed to fully dismantle the program, according to global nuclear experts. This outcome leaves both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S. administration facing a critical decision on how to proceed. Preliminary reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicate that while Israel targeted surface-level structures at the Natanz nuclear facility, the heavily fortified underground halls—where uranium enrichment occurs—remain intact. Natanz is central to Iran's nuclear ambitions, and the inability to penetrate its core enrichment areas suggests the operation, while serious, was incomplete. Strikes on other key sites, including Isfahan and Fordow, will also factor heavily into Israel's strategic calculus. The Isfahan facility is Iran's only uranium conversion site—an essential part of the nuclear fuel cycle. Disabling it could temporarily freeze Iran's capacity to enrich additional uranium, though experts note the country still holds considerable stockpiles of enriched material. 'If you interrupt that piece of the flow-sheet, the fuel cycle doesn't work anymore,' said Robert Kelley, a former IAEA weapons inspector. 'The front end of their program dies.' The air campaign reportedly killed nine senior nuclear scientists, which could severely set back Iran's technical capabilities. Still, the bigger challenge may be what happens next. Analysts warn that further escalation could push Iran to deepen its nuclear activities underground, cut off access to international inspectors, and abandon remaining diplomatic efforts. In retaliation, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israeli cities, signaling that tensions could sharply intensify. UN officials, including IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, have expressed concern that the strikes could limit future monitoring of Iran's nuclear program. The potential for Iran to divert enriched uranium to undisclosed locations, or exit the Non-Proliferation Treaty altogether, has heightened global anxiety. 'Iran's 400 kilograms of highly-enriched uranium could be easily concealed in a few cylinders,' Kelley added, warning that any move toward weaponization would be difficult to detect without full inspection access. Fordow, another critical enrichment site buried deep within a mountain, remains virtually untouched. Experts say only the U.S. military has the capability to destroy such a fortified facility with bunker-busting munitions. 'Israel cannot destroy Fordow without U.S. support,' said Kelsey Davenport of the Arms Control Association. This raises a difficult question for the Trump administration. While President Trump has repeatedly voiced preference for diplomacy over military intervention, pressure is mounting for the U.S. to act if Iran's program shows signs of recovery. The Center for Strategic and International Studies noted, 'While the administration may not want to launch strikes, allowing Iran to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure may be seen as a greater risk.' Even Israeli leadership concedes that airstrikes alone are not a permanent solution. 'It is impossible to destroy the nuclear program with force alone,' said Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. 'The goal is to make the Iranians understand that they will have to stop the nuclear program.' With diplomatic negotiations on uncertain footing and regional tensions rising, the path forward for both Israel and the United States remains fraught with complexity and risk.
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
Flying suitcases packed with Hard Drives to China, taking hundreds of servers on rent and ...: How Chinese AI companies dodge US chip ban
(AI image) In a bid to bypass stringent U.S. restrictions on advanced AI chips, Chinese companies are resorting to innovative workarounds, including processing data abroad. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, in early March, four Chinese engineers traveled from Beijing to Malaysia, each carrying a suitcase with 15 hard drives containing 80 terabytes of data for training an AI model. At a Malaysian data center, the engineers utilized approximately 300 servers equipped with Nvidia's advanced chips to develop the AI model, which they later brought back to China. Smuggling AI hardware Since 2022, the U.S. has tightened export controls on high-end AI chips to China, citing national security concerns. According to WSJ report, these restrictions have limited Chinese firms' access to cutting-edge American technology, prompting them to explore alternatives. Some have substituted domestic chips for American ones, while others have smuggled AI hardware through third countries. However, increased U.S. pressure has made smuggling more challenging, pushing Chinese companies to process data outside China in regions like Southeast Asia and the Middle East. 'This was something we were consistently concerned about,' said Thea Kendler, former head of export controls at the Commerce Department under the Biden administration, referring to Chinese firms' remote access to U.S. AI chips, told WSJ. The process involves layers of intermediaries, obscuring whether U.S. regulations are being violated. The Biden administration proposed country-specific caps on American chip purchases to curb such activities, but the Trump administration scrapped these in May, citing unnecessary regulatory burdens on U.S. companies like Nvidia. Instead, it issued guidance urging firms to prevent their chips from being used to train Chinese AI models. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo How and why China uses countries in Southeast Asia as base In Malaysia, the Chinese company's operation required meticulous planning. Engineers reportedly spent over eight weeks optimizing data sets in China, as transferring large data volumes online could take months. Last July, the company worked through a Singaporean subsidiary but later registered a Malaysian entity to avoid scrutiny after Nvidia and its vendors intensified end-user audits. To evade suspicion at Malaysian customs, the engineers distributed hard drives across four suitcases, a shift from bundling them into one the previous year. They returned to China with several hundred gigabytes of model parameters guiding the AI system's output. Southeast Asia is reported to be emerging as a hub for such activities, with data centers rapidly expanding. Jones Lang LaSalle estimates nearly 2,000 megawatts of data-center capacity in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia -- matching Europe's largest markets. Malaysia's AI chip imports from Taiwan surged to $3.4 billion in March and April, exceeding its 2024 total. Meanwhile, the Middle East is also becoming a destination for Chinese AI developers, with Nvidia recently announcing significant chip sales to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. These maneuvers highlight the challenges of enforcing U.S. export controls as Chinese companies exploit global data centers to access American technology. While Southeast Asian authorities, like Singapore's, are cracking down on transshipments, the region's booming infrastructure continues to attract both Western and Chinese clients, testing the limits of regulatory oversight. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
NDTV
33 minutes ago
- NDTV
Indian Embassy In Tel Aviv Establishes 24x7 Helpline Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Jerusalem: The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv on Saturday set up a round the clock emergency helpline and advised Indian nationals to stay vigilant after escalation in Israel's conflict with Iran. "We are continuously monitoring the evolving situation including the safety of Indians nationals. In case of any emergency, please contact the 24x7 helpline of the Embassy: Telephone +972 54-7520711 +972 54-3278392 *Email* Indian embassy posted on X on Saturday. The embassy also advised Indian nationals to adhere to the safety protocols "as advised by the Israeli authorities and home front command." Similar advisory was issued on Friday when Israel announced the launch of Operation Rising Lion against Iran. "Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters", the embassy advised on Friday. Israel attacked Iran early Friday targeting its nuclear, missile and military infrastructure. Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel killing at least three people and wounding dozens.
