Riyadh (TDI): US President Donald Trump did not stay silent about US’ role in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, on his Riyadh trip. Perhaps eager to take credit amidst a number of unsuccessful ceasefire attempts, including Israel and Russia-Ukraine, Trump is making maximum use of the India-Pakistan ceasefire, mentioning it repeatedly.
So what did he exactly say and why did it make Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman smile. South Asia analyst and writer of Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief, Michael Kugelman, posted on X quoting Trump’s remarks.
“I said, ‘fellas, come on, let’s make a deal. Let’s do some trading. Let’s not trade nuclear missiles, let’s trade the things that you make so beautifully.’”
Trump, in Riyadh, on his role in brokering the India-Pakistan ceasefire: “I said, ‘fellas, come on, let’s make a deal. Let’s do some trading. Let’s not trade nuclear missiles, let’s trade the things that you make so beautifully.’”
MBS seen smiling as Trump said this.— Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) May 13, 2025
And while Trump made these remarks, MBS smiled; for the US President has a reputation for making every serious situation sound light and easy.
Trump even went on to make some bold claims, “They’re actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together, Marco, where they go out and have a nice dinner together,” directly addressing the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was directly involved in speaking to Pakistani and Indian officials at the height of escalation.
But if India and Pakistan are actually getting along is hard to say. So far, the ceasefire agreed upon between the two nuclear-armed neighbors is very fragile, and both sides are cautious and alert.
However, Trump’s Middle East visit has started off on high notes. Analysts are not very optimistic about the $1 Trillion pledges which, though sound like a big deal, are still elusive of details.
Nuzhat Rana is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
