Why Donald Trump is doubling down on India-Pak ceasefire claim

US President Donald Trump is refusing to driblet the arguable contented of his claimed relation successful the India-Pakistan conflict. He has erstwhile again said that helium played a relation successful helping India and Pakistan halt hostilities, claiming that commercialized talks played a relation successful what helium has called a ceasefire but India has termed a specified cessation of hostilities. Notably, India has said that Operation Sindoor is lone suspended, and Pakistan is nether watch.

Speaking astatine the White House's Oval Office during a gathering with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump said, "If you instrumentality a look astatine what we conscionable did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole, and I deliberation I settled it done trade." Trump added, "And I said, ‘What are you guys doing?’ Somebody had to beryllium the past 1 to shoot. But the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the countries. And we spoke to them, and I deliberation we, you know, I hatred to accidental we got it settled, and past 2 days later, thing happens, and they accidental it's Trump's fault."

Also Read: We are doing large deals with India, Pakistan: US President Donald Trump

Despite repeated and categorical denials from India, Trump continues to propulsion this narrative. His insistence connected having played the peacemaker betwixt India and Pakistan reflects a analyzable interplay of idiosyncratic psychology, diplomatic repositioning, commercialized tactics and geopolitical considerations.

Why is Trump doubling down connected his claims?

With Trump's stubborn insistence, Trump is trying to burnish his representation of a peacemaker which has taken a beating. Besides that, helium is simply a compulsive recognition hogger. As John Bolton, Trump’s erstwhile National Security Advisor, observed successful an interrogation with ANI today, "It's thing idiosyncratic to India. This is Donald Trump, who takes recognition for everything."

Speaking to ANI, helium said, "I deliberation helium did person a telephone with Prime Minister Modi, and Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were besides connected the call. I'm definite different countries mightiness besides beryllium calling to spot what they tin do. It's emblematic of Trump due to the fact that helium would leap successful earlier everyone other could instrumentality credit. It whitethorn beryllium irritating, astir apt is irritating to galore people, but it's thing against India, it's conscionable Trump being Trump."

This succinct appraisal captures the halfway of Trump’s governmental persona. Throughout his presidency during his erstwhile word arsenic good arsenic the contiguous one, Trump sought to formed himself arsenic a planetary peacemaker, from his summits with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un to his much-publicized, though yet faltering, Middle East Abraham Accords. By claiming helium utilized commercialized to defuse tensions betwixt India and Pakistan, a assertion India has refuted repeatedly, Trump is trying to burnish his representation of a peacemaker, contrasting himself with erstwhile US presidents often associated with prolonged subject engagements. In a satellite weary of wars successful Iraq, Afghanistan, and present Ukraine and Gaza, this representation holds a batch of governmental worth for Trump astatine location arsenic good arsenic abroad.

Also Read: Cessation of firing and subject enactment negotiated straight betwixt India, Pakistan: EAM Jaishankar

However, Trump’s tendency to beryllium remembered arsenic a bid broker contrasts with his record. Despite bold promises, his efforts to mediate successful large conflicts person borne small fruit. His outreach to North Korea failed to output denuclearization during his erstwhile term. His run committedness to instantly halt the Ukraine and Russia warfare erstwhile helium has won remains unfulfilled. Likewise, his Middle East policy, portion lauded for diplomatic normalization efforts betwixt Israel and immoderate Arab states, did thing to code the halfway Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israel-Hamas warfare inactive rages connected and helium hasn't been capable to halt it. On the contrary, helium has intensified attacks connected the Houthi rebels successful Yemen.

These failures whitethorn beryllium motivating Trump to revive a communicative wherever helium tin assertion success, nevertheless disputed. Unlike Ukraine oregon Gaza, the India-Pakistan struggle is inactive opaque arsenic a batch has yet to travel to nationalist domain which makes it casual for him to make his ain mentation of events which projects him arsenic a bid mediator utilizing commercialized to execute a ceasefire.

There is besides a anticipation that Trump is repeating his claims due to the fact that helium is conscionable frustrated with India arsenic it has refused to validate his mentation of events. Known for his thin-skinned reactions to slights, existent oregon perceived, Trump whitethorn presumption India’s rebuttals arsenic a idiosyncratic affront alternatively than a regular diplomatic clarification. This bruised ego dynamic whitethorn beryllium propelling him to restate the assertion ever much publically and forcefully.

Trump is mixing commercialized with geopolitics

Trump is making a cardinal mistake by linking blistery geopolitical issues with dense affectional and humanities resistance with trade. India tin ne'er let a third-party mediation connected Kashmir for immoderate commercialized deal. With Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal presently successful the US negotiating a Bilateral Trade Agreement, Trump's revival of the India-Pakistan ceasefire assertion appears strategically timed. By hyphenating India-Pakistan, a determination India ever pushes against, Trump whitethorn beryllium trying to extract concessions from New Delhi astatine the negotiating table. Trump could beryllium trying to usage the Pakistan paper to get a favourable commercialized woody from India.

There are besides reports suggesting a much transactional motive down Trump's abrupt brushed country for Pakistan. Reportedly, Pakistan has sought to curry favour with Trump by promising lucrative concern deals to his household and friends. These see reported discussions implicit cryptocurrency ventures and entree to mineral resources — some highly strategical domains.

India has not lone denied Trump’s claims but has done truthful with uncharacteristic directness. Statements from officials, including Minister Jaishankar, person reaffirmed India’s long-held policy: that bilateral issues with Pakistan are to beryllium resolved straight betwixt the 2 countries, without third-party intervention. India’s subject posture successful effect to cross-border coercion is intelligibly communicated arsenic a sovereign enactment of deterrence and not an result of overseas diplomacy.

India is asserting itself arsenic a determination powerfulness that neither needs nor welcomes unsolicited arbitration, peculiarly from figures whose reliability is questionable. By pushing backmost firmly, India is protecting some its sovereignty and its communicative connected determination security. Trump could beryllium hyphenating India with Pakistan to diminish the higher planetary presumption of India. Yet, successful the look of wide denials from India and skepticism from seasoned diplomats similar John Bolton, Trump’s communicative finds itself connected shaky ...