Trump Claims He Averted Nuclear War Between Pakistan and India, Repeatedly Praises Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir
Naeem Mehboob
US President Donald Trump has once again claimed credit for preventing a potential nuclear conflict between Pakistan and India, citing it as evidence of his ability to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Speaking at a news conference on December 22 at Mar-a-Lago, his private residence in Florida, Trump said, We have stopped eight wars, while responding to a question about the conflict in Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February 2022. During the event, he also announced a new class of heavily armed warships that he said would be named after him.
We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India,President Trump said, arguing that his past record proves he can bring the Ukraine war to an end despite having failed so far to do so, after once claiming he could resolve the conflict within 24 hours.
Trump further asserted that Pakistan’s top leadership had acknowledged his role in defusing tensions. “The head of Pakistan and a highly respected general a field marshal Asim Munir and the prime minister shabaz Sharif said that President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more,” he said.
The remarks marked at least the tenth time since June that Trump has publicly praised Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir. Trump returned to the White House in January for a second term and has frequently highlighted his relationship with Pakistan’s military leadership.
The most prominent instance came in October, when Trump addressed the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. While thanking world leaders involved in the process, Trump acknowledged Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif standing behind him and referred to Munir as “my favorite field marshal.”
On several occasions earlier this year, Trump described Munir as “a great fighter,” “a very important guy,” and an “exceptional human being.” After their first meeting in June, Trump said he was “honored” to meet the Pakistani military chief.
Analysts say Trump’s repeated references to Pakistan reflect his broader effort to project himself as a global dealmaker while signaling closer ties with key military and political figures in South Asia.
