Trump reiterates claim of solving India-Pakistan war, calls for Russia-Ukraine peace after Zelenskyy meeting

US President Donald Trump on Friday, October 17, reiterated his claim of having averted a potential war between India and Pakistan, even as he voiced optimism about brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine. His remarks followed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, where the two leaders discussed steps towards a possible negotiated settlement to the ongoing conflict.

During the working lunch, President Trump once again referred to his role in easing tensions between India and Pakistan following the May escalation, which he described as one of eight global conflicts he had "solved".

"I solved eight wars. Go to Rwanda and the Congo, talk about India and Pakistan. Look at all of the wars that we solved," Trump said. "The Prime Minister of Pakistan said I saved millions of lives. Look at Pakistan and India as an example - that would have been a bad one. Two nuclear nations."

Add Zee Business as a Preferred Source

The comment alluded to India's Operation Sindoor, a series of precision strikes on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack in April that killed 26 civilians.

India has repeatedly rejected suggestions of external mediation in its disputes with Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs has maintained that all outstanding issues between the two countries, including those related to Jammu and Kashmir, are to be resolved bilaterally under the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.

Turning to the war in Ukraine, Trump said he was confident of achieving "success" in ending the hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv, calling it "number nine" in his list of peace efforts.

"This will be number nine. We are going to have success with this (Ukraine) war," he said, adding that it would be "an easy one to solve" if given the chance.

The statement followed his hour-long phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week. Trump said that both leaders will meet in Budapest, Hungary, in the coming weeks to continue discussions on a possible ceasefire. The Kremlin confirmed that preparations for the summit were under way.

Following his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to urge both Russia and Ukraine to “stop the killing” and negotiate peace. "I told him, as I likewise strongly suggested to President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing and make a deal. Enough blood has been shed. They should stop where they are, let both claim victory, and let history decide," Trump wrote. He added that the conflict was causing “unsustainable financial and human costs”, stressing that the war “would never have started if I were President”.

Tomahawk missile issue remains unresolved

The White House meeting also saw discussions over Ukraine’s request for US-made Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles. Trump appeared reluctant to approve the transfer, saying the United States must prioritise its own defence stockpiles.

"I have an obligation to make sure we’re completely stocked as a country. We’d much rather have them (Ukraine) not need Tomahawks. We’d much rather have the war be over," he said.
Zelenskyy, however, pressed for access to the missiles, arguing that Ukraine needed them to strike strategic Russian targets.

Remarks on India's Russian oil imports draw rebuttal

Earlier in the week, Trump claimed that India had "de-escalated" its purchases of Russian oil and would soon halt them completely. He said, "India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore. They have already pulled back. They bought about 38 per cent, and they won’t be doing it anymore."

However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs refuted the claim, clarifying that no recent telephonic conversation had taken place between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ministry reaffirmed that India’s decisions on energy imports are guided by national interest and global market stability.