US President Donald Trump on Monday once again defended his approach to foreign conflicts, insisting that his administration played a decisive role in preventing wars across the globe, including a potential clash between India and Pakistan.
Trump’s remarks came during a primetime interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, just hours after his much-anticipated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without any breakthrough on halting Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
When asked why he was investing so much effort in disputes that, as Hannity put it, “do not impact the United States as much as [they do] allies in Europe,” Trump argued that his motivations were humanitarian.
“Number one, to save lives in all cases. Because wars are wars,” Trump said. “Take Cambodia as an example. I was involved with negotiating a trade, and it helped avoid disaster.”
.@seanhannity on Russia-Ukraine negotiations: “This does not impact the United States as much as it does our allies in Europe… but you’re doing it anyway. Now, why?”
President Trump: “Number one is lives, and number two is everything else. Wars are very bad.” pic.twitter.com/LxhOopbReA
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 16, 2025
He went on to repeat a familiar claim — that his intervention was key to stopping a dangerous escalation between India and Pakistan.
“Look at India and Pakistan. They were already shooting down airplanes, and it could have gone nuclear. I would have said it was going to get nuclear, but I was able to get it done. Number one is lives, number two is everything else,” Trump stated.
India Pushes Back on Trump’s Ceasefire Claims
This is not the first time Trump has credited himself for brokering peace between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. In the past, he has claimed that without his involvement, as many as “six major wars” might have erupted worldwide.
But New Delhi has consistently rejected those assertions. Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clarified in Parliament that the understanding with Pakistan was reached directly through talks between the two countries’ Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs), with no role played by Washington.
“I want to make two things very clear,” Jaishankar told lawmakers. “At no stage in any conversation with the United States was there any linkage between trade and what was happening. And there was no call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump during the period in question.”
Despite repeated denials, Trump continues to frame himself as central to diffusing tensions in South Asia. Since May, he has highlighted the India-Pakistan ceasefire alongside other disputes, including clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, to reinforce his foreign policy record.
On the Southeast Asian conflict, Trump claimed that his administration pressured both nations by warning that Washington would block trade agreements unless they halted fighting. “We got them settled in 24 hours,” he said, referring to the ceasefire that followed border clashes leaving at least 33 dead.
Foreign Policy and the Ukraine War
In the Hannity interview, Trump also pointed to his approach with Russia. He said he gave President Putin a strict “10 or 12 day” timeline to end the war in Ukraine, positioning himself as tough but pragmatic in dealing with Moscow.
