'Let's trade goods, not nukes': Trump tells India & Pakistan

Washington, May 13 (IANS) US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, reiterated the US' role in brokering peace between India and Pakistan, saying he told the two sides to "not trade nuclear missiles (and) trade the things that you make so beautifully".

President Trump is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the first for a three-leg tour of West Asia, on a first major foreign policy visit abroad after returning to the White House for a non-consecutive second term.

"Fellas, come on," Trump said as he told India and Pakistan, "Let's make a deal. Let's do some trading. Let's not trade nuclear missiles. Let's trade the things that you make so beautifully."

"Just days ago, my administration successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan, and I used trade to a large extent to do it," he said in a major foreign policy speech with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in the audience.

He added: "And they both have very powerful leaders, very strong leaders, good leaders, smart leaders. And it all stopped."

The American President singled out the Secretary of State Marco Rubio for leading US efforts in the India-Pakistan situation, saying "millions of people could have died from that conflict that started off small and was getting bigger and bigger and bigger by the day".

Trump referred to the India-Pakistan conflict essaying his role as a peacemaker who is committed to resolving conflicts in the world.

He next spoke of his efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

President Trump has trumpeted the US role in ending the India-Pakistan conflict almost every day since the Truth Social post that was the first announcement of the cessation of hostilities triggered by the terrorist attack by a Pakistan-backed terror group in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22.

He used the word "ceasefire" and claimed it was the result of US mediation.

India has said the conflict was resolved as a result of an "understanding" reached between India and Pakistan.

--IANS

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