US President Donald Trump repeated his assertion that he mediated between India and Pakistan during the 2025 military standoff. Speaking at his Board of Peace event in Washington, he claimed he threatened to impose 200 per cent tariffs on both nuclear-armed neighbours if they continued fighting. He also expanded his earlier claims by stating that 11 jets were shot down during the conflict.
India has consistently rejected claims of any third-party intervention during the armed conflict in May 2025. New Delhi has also differed from Trump’s statements regarding aircraft losses. The Chief of Defence Staff declined to specify the number of jets India lost. However, the Indian Air Force stated that no pilot involved in the operations died in action.
What Trump Said at the Event
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the Board of Peace event along with other global leaders. During his remarks, Trump asked Sharif to stand while discussing his claimed mediation efforts. He said, “Pakistan and India. That was a big one. I think you (Sharif) should actually stand. Come, please, stand just for a second. Pakistan and India. Thank you very much.”
Trump then repeated his assertion that Sharif had said he saved 25 million lives by mediating a truce. “You made that statement,” Trump said to Sharif. “I said 25 million lives, could have been much more actually, but it was really a beautiful thing… That war was raging. Planes were being shot down, and it was Pakistan and India,” he stated. He thereby raised his earlier figure of 10 million lives saved.
#WATCH | At the Board of Peace Event, US President Donald Trump says, “…He (Pakistani PM) said in front of our Chief of Staff that President Trump saved 25 million lives when he stopped the war between us and India…That war was raging. Planes were being shot down. And I got… pic.twitter.com/pm5eT7xjz3
— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2026
‘200 Per Cent Tariff’ Threat
Trump claimed he used tariff policy as leverage to push both countries towards a deal. He said, “I got on the phone with both of them, and I knew them a little bit. I knew Prime Minister Modi very well…I called them, and I said, listen, I’m not doing trade deals with you two guys if you don’t settle this up… And all of a sudden, we worked out a deal.”
He further added, “I said, if you fight, I’m going to put 200 per cent tariffs on each of your countries. They both wanted to fight. But when it came to money, it’s nothing like money. When it came to losing a lot of money, they said, I guess we don’t want to fight…11 jets were shot down. Very expensive jets.”
The statement marks another revision in numbers offered by Trump. Earlier this month, he said 10 jets were shot down. Previously, he mentioned five jets, later revising the number to seven in August, eight in November, then 10, and now 11.
India’s Position on Ceasefire
Trump has claimed more than 80 times since May 10 last year that he ended the India-Pakistan conflict. On that date, he posted on social media that both nations agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after US-mediated talks.
However, India has maintained that the cessation of hostilities followed direct discussions between the Directors General of Military Operations of both militaries.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year. The operation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Authorities carried out the strikes in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
