'I said, fellas, come on, 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, and they both have very powerful leaders, very strong leaders, smart leaders, and it all stopped.'
US President Donald Trump while participating in the US-Saudi Investment Forum took credit for the cessation of tensions between India and Pakistan.
Trump said that he used trade to a large extent to reach the agreement.
'Just days ago my administration brokered an historic cease-fire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan and I used trade to a large extent to do it.
'I said, fellas, come on, 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, and they both have very powerful leaders, very strong leaders, smart leaders, and it all stopped,' he said.
Trump further hoped that the cessation of hostilities remain and credited US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance for it.
'Hopefully it will remain that way but it all stopped. I was very proud of Marco Rubio and all of the people that worked so hard. Marco, what a great job you did on that. Thank you, JD Vance,' he said.
Trump further offered that both sides, India and Pakistan have a 'nice dinner' together as a mark of them getting back together.
'The whole group worked with you but there's a great job. They are actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together a little bit, where they go out and have a nice dinner together. Wouldn't that be nice? We've come a long way,' he said.
Trump added that millions could have died in the conflict that 'started off small'.
'Millions of people could have died from that conflict that started off small and was getting bigger and bigger by the day,' he said.
Earlier, at his regular press briefing, the official spokesperson for India's ministry of external affairs was asked about the US role in the ceasefire.
To this, Randhir Jaiswal firmly reiterated that any issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir must be addressed bilaterally with Pakistan and noted that the outstanding issue is the vacation of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
'We have a long-standing national position that any issues pertaining to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. The outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan,' Jaiswal said.
Answering a query, he said there were conversations between Indian and US leaders on the evolving military situation from the time Operation Sindoor commenced but trade did not come up in any of these discussions.
Meanwhile the US and Saudi Arabia signed a record-breaking $142 billion arms and defence deal during Trump's visit to Riyadh, marking the largest such agreement in history.
The package includes advanced military systems, air-to-air missiles (including a $3.3 billion missile sale), services, and gas turbine exports.
The deal aligns with Trump's broader goal of securing massive Gulf investment in the US economy, targeting up to $1 trillion, with Saudi Arabia already pledging $600 billion over four years.
This agreement strengthens US-Saudi strategic ties, boosts American defence manufacturers, and signals Trump's continued emphasis on transactional diplomacy.
However, it may raise concerns about fueling regional tensions, especially with Iran, and potential human rights implications related to Saudi military operations.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
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