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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration had helped to avert a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, and that the promise of trade was the big driver in ending the recent hostilities.
The Trump administration helped to broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan over the weekend, and it has largely held so far.
"We stopped a nuclear conflict, I think it could have been a bad nuclear war, millions of people could have been killed, so I'm very proud of that," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday morning.
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Why It Matters
A massacre of 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, in Indian-controlled Kashmir sparked a series of diplomatic, then military, escalations between India and Pakistan that brought the two nuclear-armed powers to the brink of all-out war.
India accused Pakistan of having a hand in what it said was a terror attack, who denied any involvement.
India then struck what it said were terror camps inside Pakistani territory, but Islamabad said a number of civilian targets were hit, resulting in deaths.
What followed were a number of clashes, including drone attacks and shelling, by both sides, largely along the Line of Control that separates the two countries. The series of escalations sparked fears of a miscalculation that could lead to a nuclear war.
What To Know
Trump announced on Saturday that both India and Pakistan had agreed to "a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE" after what he said was a long night of talks mediated by the U.S.
Both the Indian and Pakistani governments also confirmed the ceasefire after contacts between the two sides to de-escalate the conflict. The Kashmir dispute dates back to the late 1940s and the chaotic partition that ended British colonial rule.
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"They were going at it hot and heavy, and it was seemingly not going to stop," Trump said at the White House as he prepared to sign an executive order on drug prices.
"I said, come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys, let's stop it, let's stop it. If you stop it, we'll do a trade. If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade.
"People have never really used trade the way I used it. That I can tell you. And all of a sudden, they said, 'I think we're going to stop.' And they have.
"And they did it for a lot of reasons, but trade is a big one. We're going to do a lot of trade with Pakistan, we're going to do a lot of trade with India."
Trump continued: "We stopped a nuclear conflict, I think it could have been a bad nuclear war, millions of people could have been killed, so I'm very proud of that."
What People Are Saying
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an address to his people on Monday, said India had only "paused its military action" and will "retaliate on its own terms" if there is another terror attack: "We will be monitoring every step of Pakistan...This is not an era of war, but this is not an era of terrorism either. There should be zero tolerance for terrorism."
Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in his address to the nation, claimed a "historic victory" after the ceasefire announcement: "We dealt with the enemy in a way that upholds the dignity of our nation. Our brave and valiant forces delivered a resounding response, bringing the enemy to its knees."
What's Next
The ceasefire appears to be holding for the moment, but another attack like that at Pahalgam, which sparked the latest clashes, threatens to collapse the fragile truce.
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