Washington – Former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again placed himself at the center of global peace narratives, this time claiming credit for preventing a major conflict between India and Pakistan. Speaking at a campaign-style rally, Trump told supporters that his administration used trade diplomacy to “stop a war” between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Trump went further, suggesting that his role in averting not just that crisis but “seven wars in total” should qualify him for the Nobel Peace Prize. “We stopped India and Pakistan from going at it — that would have been a war like you’ve never seen before. We used trade, we used strength, and we got it done. Frankly, I should get the Nobel Prize for that,” he declared to loud applause.
The reference appeared to point back to the heightened tensions of 2019, following the Pulwama attack and the Balakot airstrikes, when fears of escalation between New Delhi and Islamabad gripped the region. At the time, Trump publicly hinted at behind-the-scenes U.S. involvement in urging restraint on both sides.
While the former president did not provide specifics on the other “seven wars” he claims to have prevented, he has in the past pointed to his administration’s outreach to North Korea, his decision to limit military action in the Middle East, and the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab states as evidence of his peacekeeping credentials.
Critics, however, have dismissed Trump’s latest claims as exaggerated campaign rhetoric. Foreign policy analysts noted that while U.S. diplomacy may have played a role in calming tempers between India and Pakistan, the notion of “ending seven wars” stretches beyond verifiable facts.
Still, Trump’s remarks underscore how foreign policy remains a central pillar of his political messaging as he seeks another term in the White House. By casting himself as a dealmaker who prevented global conflicts, he is not only reviving his old “peace through strength” narrative but also positioning himself as a global peacemaker in contrast to his rivals.
Whether the Nobel Committee agrees with Trump’s self-assessment is another matter entirely. But for now, his claim of stopping wars — and particularly preventing a clash between India and Pakistan — is likely to spark debate on both sides of the Atlantic.