US ready to help India, Pakistan with trade: Trump

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States is ready to help India and Pakistan in the wake of a ceasefire agreement that he says his administration helped broker.

Trade is a big reason why they stopped fighting, Trump said at an event at the White House.

Trump had announcement ceasefire between India and Pakistan on Saturday, followed four days of intense exchanges of fire as the nuclear-armed arch rivals targeted each other’s military installations with missiles and drones, killing dozens of civilians.

Trump said that US intervention prevented a “bad nuclear war” between India and Pakistan, AFP reported.

“We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war, millions of people could have been killed. So I’m very proud of that,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

Leaders of India and Pakistan were “unwavering”, and the US “helped a lot”, Trump said, adding that trade was a “big reason” why the countries stopped fighting.

“We are going to do a lot of trade with Pakistan…and India. We are negotiating with India right now. We are soon going to negotiate with Pakistan,” he said.

Trump further said, “Let’s stop it, let’s stop it. If you [Pakistan and India] stop it [the conflict], we’re doing trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade.”

Pakistan enters ceasefire with upper hand

“I’m very proud to let you know that the leadership of India and Pakistan was unwavering and powerful, but unwavering in both cases. They really were, from the standpoint of having the strength and the wisdom and fortitude to fully know and to understand the gravity of the situation,” he added.

“People have never really used trade the way I used it. By that, I can tell you, and all of a sudden they said. I think we’re gonna stop, and they have,” Trump continued.