Avoid war with Pakistan, focus on trade instead, Trump warns Modi

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that war with Pakistan “must be avoided,” stressing that trade and diplomacy have helped him prevent several potential global conflicts.

The comments came during a Diwali celebration at the White House.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he had a “great” phone conversation with Modi earlier in the day, in which the two discussed trade, energy, and regional stability.

“We talked about trade… He’s very interested in that,” Trump said. “Although we did talk a little while ago about let's have no wars with Pakistan.”

The president claimed his approach — using economic and trade pressure — has successfully prevented eight wars worldwide, including between India and Pakistan.

“During the Pakistan-India conflict, seven planes were shot down,” Trump said. “I called both countries and told them that if they went to war, the United States would stop trading with them. Within 24 hours, they called back and said they didn’t want to fight.”

He added, “And we have no war with Pakistan and India. That was a very, very good thing.”

Background: May conflict and US mediation

Trump’s remarks refer to the May military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed rivals — the worst in decades — which erupted after a terrorist attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the assault that killed 26 people, a claim Islamabad denied, calling it a baseless provocation.

India carried out unprovoked attacks on Pakistani territory for three days before Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, which downed six Indian Air Force fighter jets — including three Rafales — and dozens of drones.

The escalation ended on May 10 after US-brokered ceasefire talks halted the fighting.

Trump praises Modi but warns on Russian oil

Trump also said Modi reassured him that India would limit purchases of Russian oil, a key concern for Washington amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“He’s not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see that war end as much as I do,” Trump said, noting that energy issues were part of their discussion.

The US president has repeatedly targeted India for its continued imports of discounted Russian crude, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to discourage purchases that, according to Washington, fund Moscow’s war machine.

Trump warned that if India continues buying Russian oil, it will face “massive tariffs.”

“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “If they want to deny that, they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs.”

India denies recent Trump-Modi call

India’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of any recent call between Trump and Modi, while trade officials confirmed that talks between the two countries remain “congenial.”

An Indian delegation that visited Washington earlier this month for trade discussions has since returned, though officials declined to share further details due to the sensitivity of negotiations.

Indian government sources told Reuters that while the US claims India has halved its Russian oil purchases, no immediate reduction has been observed, with refiners already committed to November and December shipments.

According to data firm Kpler, India’s Russian oil imports are expected to rise by 20% this month to 1.9 million barrels per day, as Russia ramps up exports following Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries.