Trump hosted Pak's Asim Munir after he backed Nobel Peace Prize bid: White House
The White House confirmed the meeting through spokesperson Anna Kelly, who said the visit came in light of Munir's remarks hailing Trump's role in halting what could have been a devastating escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
In Short
- Trump hosted Pakistan's General Asim Munir at the White House
- Munir praised Trump for averting nuclear conflict with India
- PM Modi denied US mediation in ceasefire talks with Pakistan
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hosted Pakistan's military chief, General Asim Munir, at the White House in a rare meeting that followed Munir's call for Trump to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Munir credited Trump with preventing what could have become a nuclear war between India and Pakistan during their brief military standoff in May, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
The White House confirmed that the meeting was held in recognition of Munir's remarks lauding Trump's role in halting a potential escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Just hours before the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a 35-minute phone call with Trump to firmly clarify that the ceasefire following the May 7-10 military standoff had been achieved through direct communication between the Indian and Pakistani militaries - not through any external mediation.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said PM Modi reiterated that New Delhi has never accepted third-party involvement in its bilateral issues with Islamabad and never will.
Despite India's assertion, Trump insisted his intervention was decisive. Speaking to reporters ahead of Munir's visit, Trump said both countries were "going at it" and credited his outreach with defusing the crisis. He praised both Prime Minister Modi and General Munir for their roles, calling it a collaborative success, but one shaped significantly by US diplomacy.
"I stopped a war between Pakistan and India. I love Pakistan," Trump said. "Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We are going to make a trade deal with Modi of India."
He added, "This man [Munir] was extremely influential in stopping the war from the Pakistani side, and Modi from the Indian side. They were going at it-and they're both nuclear countries. I stopped a war between two major nuclear nations, but I don't think I've seen a single story written about it."
The four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in early May was sparked by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people - most of them tourists - were killed.
In response, India launched retaliatory strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of Operation Sindoor. Pakistan countered with unprovoked attacks targeting civilian areas and military infrastructure, all of which were thwarted by India's air defence systems.
India has maintained that the de-escalation was the result of existing backchannel military communications. Foreign Secretary Misri also dismissed suggestions of a US-India trade dialogue or any request for mediation during the standoff.
He confirmed that while Trump and PM Modi had planned to meet in person on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, the meeting was called off due to Trump's early departure amid the escalating Middle East crisis.
Trump reportedly invited the PM to visit the US en route back from Canada, but PM Modi declined due to prior commitments, and instead extended an invitation to Trump to attend the Quad leaders' summit in India later this year - an offer the US President accepted.