Trump urges India, Pakistan to choose trade over conflict during Saudi visit

US President Donald Trump, currently on a visit to Saudi Arabia, urged Pakistan and India to pursue trade with the United States instead of engaging in conflict. A full and immediate ceasefire between India and Pakistan was reached after US intervention on May 10.

Speaking at an investment forum in Riyadh on Tuesday, he said that just days ago, his administration had successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop escalating violence between India and Pakistan.

Read More: Pakistan and India agree to immediate ceasefire

“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,’” Trump said.

The US president praised the leaders of both countries and expressed optimism that the ceasefire would hold. “They both have very powerful leaders—very strong leaders, good leaders, smart leaders. And it all stopped. Hopefully it’ll remain that way, but it all stopped,” he added.

Trump also lauded the efforts of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and thanked Vice President JD Vance for helping de-escalate tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

“I was very proud of Marco Rubio and all of the people that worked so hard. Marco, stand up. What a great job you did on that. Thank you, JD Vance. Marco, the whole group worked with you, but it was a great, great job,” he said.

He said he hoped for friendlier relations between Pakistan and India and shared his intention to invite both leaders to a dinner to help resolve the long-standing Kashmir dispute.

“And I think they’re actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together a little bit, Marco, where they go out and have a nice dinner together. Wouldn’t that be nice?” he said.

Trump noted the magnitude of the averted crisis, saying, “We’ve come a long way, and that’s going to be—millions of people could have died from that conflict that started off small and was getting bigger and bigger and bigger by the day.”

Read more: Pakistan downs five Indian fighter jets in retaliation for India's missile attack

A day earlier, Trump had said that his administration played a key role in preventing a potential nuclear conflict between Pakistan and India, crediting the promise of trade as a crucial factor in de-escalating recent hostilities.

"They were going at it hot and heavy, and it was seemingly not going to stop," he said. "I said, come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys, let's stop it, let's stop it. If you stop it, we'll do a trade. If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade," said Trump.

He praised the leadership of Pakistan and India for agreeing to a ceasefire, pledging to support efforts toward a resolution of the Kashmir dispute and to increase trade substantially with both nations.

In a message posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump called the agreement “historic and heroic” and said both countries had shown “strength, wisdom, and fortitude” by halting what he described as escalating aggression.

“I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many, and so much,” Trump wrote.

Pakistan-India ceasefire

Pakistan and India agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire on May 10 following days of intense military exchanges that raised fears of a full-scale conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The announcement was first made by Trump and later confirmed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Rubio. The ceasefire came after missile strikes, drone incursions, and retaliatory operations across the border.

Tensions flared after a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), that left 26 civilians dead. India blamed Pakistan-based elements without providing evidence; Islamabad rejected the claim.

India responded by closing the Wagah border, revoking Pakistani visas, and suspending the Indus Waters Treaty—moves Pakistan labelled as an “act of war.”

By May 6–7, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, downing five Indian jets, including Rafales, and intercepted 77 Israeli-origin Harop drones.