Trump claims tariffs helped stop wars, reiterates role in India-Pak ceasefire

US President Donald Trump on Monday, 6 October, described his use of tariffs as a tool for peace, claiming that trade measures have helped prevent wars around the world.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said his communication with India and Pakistan during their recent conflict was “very effective”, asserting that his trade policies played a key role in stopping hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

“Tariffs are very important for the United States. We are a peacekeeper because of tariffs. Not only do we make hundreds of billions of dollars, but we're a peacekeeper because of tariffs,” Trump said.

He added, “I use tariffs to stop wars. If you look at India and Pakistan, they were ready to go at it. Seven planes were shot down. They were ready to go at it. And they are nuclear powers… what I said was very effective. They stopped. And that was based on tariffs. It was based on trade.”

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he ended seven wars during his second term, including conflicts involving India-Pakistan, Cambodia-Thailand, Kosovo-Serbia, Congo-Rwanda, Israel-Iran, Egypt-Ethiopia, and Armenia-Azerbaijan, attributing at least half of these achievements to his “ability at trade and tariffs.” He said that without tariffs, “at least four wars” would still be ongoing, causing thousands of deaths daily.

India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May 2025, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam attack on 22 April, which killed 26 civilians. Pakistan responded with cross-border strikes, and intense hostilities continued for four days.

On 10 May, India and Pakistan reached a mutual understanding to end hostilities after direct talks between their Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs). Both India and Pakistan have consistently denied any third-party intervention in ending the conflict. Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarified in Parliament that no foreign leader asked India to halt Operation Sindoor.

Despite this, Trump has repeatedly claimed, including on social media, that Washington mediated a ceasefire and that his intervention helped settle the conflict between the two nuclear powers.

This marks another instance of Trump emphasising his unconventional approach to international diplomacy, linking trade measures and tariffs directly to conflict resolution on a global scale.

With PTI inputs