‘Trump used trade as leverage for Indo-Pak conflict to an end': White House
"[For] India and Pakistan [conflict], he [Trump] used trade in a very powerful way as leverage to bring that conflict to an end. So I know he's very proud of all of these achievements, and I know he's very honoured to serve as the president of the United States and to restore peace around the world," she said.
She said that Trump enjoyed having the Azerbaijan and Armenian leaders at the White House, helping them with the peace deal.
"I think he's proud of all of the peace deals that he's been able to achieve. You saw the president of Armenia and the head of Azerbaijan both at the White House just a couple of weeks ago. The president I know very much enjoyed spending time with them and helping to bring that conflict to an end. He very much enjoyed his time with leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Oval Office, talking to them about bringing that decades-long war to an end," she said.
Leavitt further said that the Secretary of State Marco Rubio continuously apprised Trump of various conflicts bubbling around the world, but now the Russia-Ukraine conflict has caught Trump's attention.
'In fact, there are many [conflicts around the world]. The State Department is always working around the clock under the leadership of Secretary Rubio and keeping the president apprised of conflicts that are bubbling up all over the world. But of course, as you all know, as we've talked a lot about in this briefing, he's spending a lot of time right now on ending this war in Russia, Ukraine, and of course, the conflict in Israel and Gaza, which he wants to see come to a close as well,' she said.
Trump had earlier, on July 28, stated that he was optimistic about brokering the peace deal between the Southeast Asian nations, describing the talks as "an easy one," compared to his past claims of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict.
"We're dealing with Thailand, and we do a lot of trade with Thailand and with Cambodia, and yet I'm reading that they're killing each other. You know, they're fighting. They're in a war. And I say this should be an easy one for me because I've settled with India and Pakistan, and Serbia and Kosovo were going at it," Trump said.
Trump was referencing the recent India-Pakistan conflict in May, where he had claimed credit several times for brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear nations, using trade as leverage.
The conflict erupted after 26 civilians were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, after which India retaliated through precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
However, according to Indian officials, it was Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) who contacted their Indian counterpart to request an end to hostilities, following which the ceasefire was then agreed upon.
"Getting those things settled, if I can do it and if I can use trade to do that, it's my honour," he added, reflecting his belief in trade as a diplomatic tool.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
23 minutes ago
- First Post
US Judge blocks bid to unseal grand jury records as pressure mounts on Trump for Epstein list
District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan ruled on Wednesday that the grand jury records – around 70 pages of testimony – were 'merely a hearsay snippet' compared with the government's 100,000 pages of investigative files Commuters walk past a bus stop near Nine Elms Station as activists put up a poster showing President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein near the US Embassy in London. AP A US judge has denied a Justice Department attempt to release grand jury records from the sex-trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein, saying the sealed materials are far less significant than the wider trove of government files on the disgraced financier that remain withheld from the public. District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan ruled on Wednesday that the grand jury records – around 70 pages of testimony – were 'merely a hearsay snippet' compared with the government's 100,000 pages of investigative files. He argued that if the administration was serious about transparency, it should release the broader cache of documents rather than seeking an exception to rules protecting the secrecy of grand jury proceedings. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump's promise collides with legal barriers The decision adds to the political pressure on Donald Trump, who has faced mounting criticism from his conservative base over his administration's handling of the Epstein files. During his 2024 campaign, Trump pledged to make public all material connected to Epstein and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. But in July, the Justice Department announced it would not release any further material, dismissed claims of a hidden client list, and insisted much of the evidence could not be disclosed. The stance infuriated supporters who had expected sweeping disclosures. Following Trump's instruction, Attorney General Pam Bondi had asked the court to approve the release of Epstein's grand jury testimony. The filing revealed that the panel had heard from just one witness – an FBI agent – before handing down Epstein's indictment. Wider legal push stalls across jurisdictions The latest ruling follows similar setbacks for the administration in other courts. Earlier this month, Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan rejected a bid to unseal grand jury materials from the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting underage girls. Engelmayer wrote that the evidence presented to her grand jury was already aired at her trial and contained no indication of others having sexual contact with minors. In July, a Florida judge also refused a request to release grand jury records from Epstein's earlier federal investigations in 2005 and 2007. Those probes culminated in a controversial 2008 plea deal that saw Epstein serve just 13 months in jail on a state prostitution charge. Epstein's legacy and lingering conspiracy theories Epstein, who pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking charges, died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019. His death, officially ruled a suicide by hanging, fuelled conspiracy theories that he was murdered to protect powerful associates. His connections with influential figures across politics, business and royalty have continued to stoke public interest in the case and demands for transparency. With inputs from agencies
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
US judge denies Trump administration's request to release Epstein grand jury transcripts
A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury transcripts from the criminal case against sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier with high-level connections, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking of underage girls.(Reuters) District Judge Richard Berman said the government had failed to prove there were any special circumstances that would justify releasing what are normally secret records. The Justice Department has been seeking the release of the grand jury transcripts to help defuse spiraling anger among President Donald Trump's own supporters over what they have long seen as a cover-up of Epstein's crimes. Epstein, a wealthy financier with high-level connections, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking of underage girls. Berman noted that the government holds a trove of Epstein investigation materials that it promised in February it would release to the public before abruptly announcing in July that it would not do so. Trump's supporters have been obsessed with the Epstein case for years and have been up in arms since the FBI and Justice Department said in July that Epstein committed suicide while in jail, did not blackmail any prominent figures, and did not keep a "client list." "The Government's 100,000 pages of Epstein files and materials dwarf the 70 odd pages of Epstein grand jury materials," the judge said. "The Government is the logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein Files," the judge said, and its bid to unseal the Epstein grand jury transcripts "appears to be a 'diversion.'" The judge also said unsealing the grand jury proceedings could pose "possible threats" to the safety and privacy of Epstein's more than 1,000 victims. Maxwell Berman's ruling comes a little over a week after another federal judge declined to release the grand jury transcripts in the case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the only former Epstein associate to have been convicted of criminal charges in connection with his activities. Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2021 of recruiting underage girls for Epstein. Her lawyers had opposed releasing the transcripts, saying it could potentially impact her ongoing legal appeals of her conviction. US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche -- who is also Trump's former personal lawyer -- met recently with Maxwell but has not revealed what was discussed. She was later moved to a minimum security prison. Trump, 79, was once a friend of Epstein and, according to The Wall Street Journal, the president's name was among hundreds found during a Justice Department review of the Epstein files, though there has not been evidence of wrongdoing. A House of Representatives committee has subpoenaed the Epstein files and is to receive a first batch of records on Friday from the Justice Department. A committee spokesperson said the panel would begin publicly releasing some of the records after victim identification and child sexual abuse material has been redacted.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Russia says it must be part of any talks on Ukraine security guarantees
Russia said on Wednesday it had to be part of any discussion on security guarantees for Ukraine and downplayed the likelihood of an imminent summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky, tempering hopes for a quick peace deal. In eastern Ukraine, far from the diplomatic deliberations, Russian forces claimed fresh advances on the ground and Ukrainian officials reported more deaths from Russian attacks.(Reuters) NATO military chiefs meanwhile held a virtual summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, the latest in a flurry of global diplomacy aimed at brokering an end to the nearly three-and-a-half year conflict. "On #Ukraine, we confirmed our support. Priority continues to be a just, credible and durable peace," the chair of the alliance's military committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, wrote on X after the meeting. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier warned that "seriously discussing security guarantees without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere". Moscow signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, which was aimed at ensuring security for Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan in exchange for them giving up numerous nuclear weapons left from the Soviet era. But Russia violated that first by taking Crimea in 2014, and then by starting a full-scale offensive in 2022, which has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes. On Tuesday, top US officer Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with European military chiefs on the "best options for a potential Ukraine peace deal", a US defence official told AFP. In eastern Ukraine, far from the diplomatic deliberations, Russian forces claimed fresh advances on the ground and Ukrainian officials reported more deaths from Russian attacks. Diplomatic flurry US President Donald Trump brought Zelensky and European leaders to the White House on Monday, three days after his landmark encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Russia's long-serving foreign minister downplayed the meeting in Washington, describing it as a "clumsy" attempt to change the US president's position on Ukraine. Trump, long a fierce critic of the billions of dollars in US support to Ukraine, earlier said European nations were "willing to put people on the ground" to secure any settlement. He ruled out sending US troops but suggested the country might provide air support. Russia has long said it will never tolerate the presence of any Western troops in Ukraine. While Trump said Putin had agreed to meet Zelensky and accept some Western security guarantees for Ukraine, Russia has not confirmed this. Lavrov also cast doubt on an imminent meeting between the sworn enemies, saying that any summit between Putin and Zelensky "must be prepared in the most meticulous way" so it does not lead to a "deterioration" of the situation surrounding the conflict. Fresh Russian strikes Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram Wednesday that its troops had captured the villages of Sukhetske and Pankivka in the embattled Donetsk region. They are near a section of the front where the Russian army broke through Ukrainian defences last week, between the logistics hub of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka. "Our units are engaged in heavy defensive battles against superior Russian forces," said Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky. Six civilians were killed by Russian attacks across eastern and southern Ukraine Wednesday, local authorities said. One person died in Russia's western Bryansk region as a result of a Ukrainian drone strike, the local governor said. Russia's aerial attacks on the northeastern town of Okhtyrka in the Sumy region wounded at least 14 people, including three children, according to regional governor Oleg Grygorov. Zelensky said these latest strikes showed "the need to put pressure on Moscow", including through sanctions.
