Trump showers praise on Field Marshal Asim, PM Shehbaz

SEOUL: US President Donald Trump Wednesday said he had threatened India and Pakistan with 250% tariffs to help end their four-day military conflict earlier this year.

He made these comments while addressing a meeting of corporate leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, reports Geo News.

“I called Prime Minister Modi, I said, ‘We can’t make a trade deal with you,’” Trump said. “‘You’re starting a war with Pakistan. We’re not going to do it.’”

Trump said he made a similar phone call to Pakistan, and that both sides told him that “you should let us fight.”

Ultimately, the president said, he threatened “250% tariffs on each country, which means that you’ll never do business.”

He continued that “after literally two days, they called up and they said, ‘We understand’. And they stopped fighting. How is that? Isn’t that amazing? Now, you think Biden would have done that? I don’t think so...”

The US president described India and Pakistan as “tough people.”

He once again praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Trump’s recent praise of Shehbaz and Asim comes days after he publicly thanked both and described the COAS as his “favourite” for their contribution to Gaza peace efforts.

He had also offered to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan to help ease border tensions.

Trump referred to both leaders as “great people” and commended their efforts for promoting regional stability.

“I’m doing a trade deal with India, and I have great respect and love for Prime Minister Modi. We have a great relationship,” he said.

“Likewise, the prime minister of Pakistan is a great guy. They have a Field Marshal. You know why he’s a Field Marshal? He’s a great fighter. And so I know them all.

“I’m reading that seven planes were shot down. These are two nuclear nations. And they’re really going at it,” he added.

He described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “nicest looking guy,” before mimicking his mannerisms and adding that Modi was “a killer” and “tough as hell.”

Trump has previously taken credit on several occasions for helping defuse tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, who have fought three wars since independence and remain at odds over the disputed territory of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).

News Desk adds: In a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, the Trump administration is actively courting Pakistan, a move that directly challenges the long-standing strategic partnership with India. This recalibration was highlighted by President Trump’s September 25, 2025, meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, writes Ariel Cohen in Forbes.

The new U.S.-Pakistan engagement includes a $500 million partnership for refining rare-earth elements and critical minerals, with a multibillion-dollar arms deal also under discussion. For the Trump administration, this represents a pragmatic effort to pull a traditional Chinese ally away from Beijing. For India, however, it is perceived as a direct affront.

The U.S.-India relationship, recently praised by Vice President J.D. Vance, soured following a terror attack in Kashmir and India’s retaliatory “Operation Sindoor.” Washington’s call for de-escalation and its subsequent claim of mediating a ceasefire—later endorsed by Pakistan’s Prime Minister who nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize—were flatly rejected by New Delhi. New Delhi, by contrast, rejected the claim outright. Prime Minister Modi repeatedly emphasized that India does not accept third-party involvement in its disputes with Pakistan.

As Modi maintained this position and continued India’s purchases of oil from Russia amidst Trump’s efforts to impose secondary sanctions, the U.S. levied an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, raising rates to 50%. President Trump later mocked India’s economy as “dead” and threatened 200% tariffs on pharmaceuticals and 50% on copper. The rift widened as the U.S. imposed steep new tariffs on Indian goods and fees on H-1B visas, directly impacting the Indian tech sector and straining broader cooperation in forums like the Quad and I2U2.

This new U.S. embrace of Pakistan overlooks the country’s profound instability. Pakistan’s economy is fragile, it faces internal political volatility and rising Islamist influence. Furthermore, its deep ties with China—evidenced by over $65 billion in Chinese investment through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the fact that 81% of its arms imports come from Beijing—complicate its value as a U.S. partner.

While the U.S.-India partnership, built over three decades, may withstand this pressure but not without consequence.

As Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, notes: “For Delhi, it all boils down to … how much can it tolerate U.S.–Pakistan cooperation without having it spoil U.S.–India relations – a partnership that’s thrived in recent years despite continued U.S.–Pakistan links.” In the view of this author, India remains far more central to American economic and geopolitical interests. A close, transparent and cooperative relationship with India—from critical minerals to defense and Indo-Pacific security—is likely to deliver more durable returns than any transactional tilt toward a China-aligned, unstable Pakistan.

In the end, from Washington’s point of view, the best of all possible worlds may be expanded cooperation on both the economic and security fronts with these historic rivals. It remains to be seen whether India will become willing to engage in the kind of regulatory reforms that can further unleash its geoeconomic potential, as suggested by Dr. Kamran Bokhari, a fellow Forbes contributor. Can the Modi government step up to bat on the security front to help balance China? These are not “easy” asks – however, these are not easy times. Washington will remain engaged to try and advance the equilibrium. The fortunes of both New Delhi and Islamabad and the peace and prosperity of South Asia depend on the new balance-of-power policies pursued by the U.S.

The ultimate challenge for Washington will be to advance a stable equilibrium in South Asia without undermining the more durable and strategic returns offered by a transparent partnership with India.