Trump asks Pakistan and India to talk trade, not nukes

RIYADH: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his administration may be able to get Pakistan and India together, just days after ensuring a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed rivals

“Maybe we could even get them together a little bit,” Trump said and encouraged to the South Asian nations to talk about trade, not nuclear war.

He was during addressing the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, where the oil-rich kingdom promised billions of dollars in deals with the United States from defence to artificial intelligence.

Trump had earlier in the day landed in the Saudi capital. He is on first foreign visit after entering the White House for a second term in January.

He is also scheduled to visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates after selecting the Middle East for his foreign visit amid the ongoing Gaza genocide, bombing on Yemen and the ongoing talks with Iran.

Addressing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he said “they” (Pakistan and India) could “go out and have a nice dinner together.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice?” remarked Trump who had earlier forced the two South Asian neighbours to a ceasefire on Saturday.

TRADE, NOT NULCEAR WAR

The US president asked the two countries to talk about trade, not nuclear war, as Trump said that he wanted to become torchbearer of peace.

As Trump praised Vice President Vance and Rubio for their role in ceasefire, he again warned that millions of people would have died in case of atomic war in South Asia.

Trump reiterated his emphasis on trade just days after his earlier comments in which he had mentioned that US trade with Pakistan and India was used carrot to make the two hostile countries stop the war.