Washington: US President Donald Trump doubled down on his claim of stopping eight wars, including military conflict between India and Pakistan last year, during the one year of his second term in the White House. The American commander-in-chief said Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told him that around 35 million people would have died in India's Operation Sindoor if not for US intervention for a truce.
"We're proudly restoring safety for Americans at home and abroad. In my first ten months, I ended eight wars... Pakistan and India would have had a nuclear war," Trump said during his State of the Union address to the US Congress.
"35 million people, said the Prime Minister of Pakistan, would have died if it were not for my involvement."
Trump added that his administration is "working very hard to end a ninth war."
"The killing and slaughter between Russia and Ukraine. This is a war that never would have happened if I were president."
Trump also honoured a World War II veteran. He later said, "I've always wanted the Congressional Medal of Honour, but I was informed I'm not allowed to give it to myself."
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he stopped eight wars within the first year of his second term in the White House. He has claimed credit for stopping the India-Pakistan conflict more than 80 times since May 10 last year, when he announced on social media that the two neighbours had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after talks mediated by the US.
The US leader has said that he had threatened to put 200 per cent tariffs on the two nuclear-armed neighbours if they didn't stop the fighting.
India, however, has consistently denied all claims about any third-party intervention during armed conflict in May 2025. According to New Delhi, the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
Source: NDTV