US President Donald Trump on Monday signaled his willingness to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan following deadly border clashes over the weekend, declaring that he was “good at making peace.”
The fighting erupted late Saturday and carried into Sunday morning, with intense exchanges of fire along the shared border. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), at least 23 Pakistani troops were martyred, while Islamabad claimed to have killed around 200 Taliban fighters and affiliated militants in retaliation against what it called Afghan aggression.
🇺🇸 U.S President Trump on Pakistan-Afghanistan situation. pic.twitter.com/RqWILkilhj
— Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) October 13, 2025
Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has frequently touted his self-proclaimed record as a peacemaker, claiming to have resolved multiple global conflicts and suggesting that his efforts merited a Nobel Peace Prize — a claim critics say is greatly exaggerated. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Washington to Israel, Trump referenced the Pakistan-Afghanistan hostilities while discussing his proposed Gaza peace plan, which includes a hostage-prisoner exchange between Tel Aviv and Hamas.
Trump’s peace narrative returns
When asked about his legacy and recent bipartisan praise for the Gaza agreement, Trump said, “This will be my eighth war that I’ve solved. And now I hear there’s a war between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I said, ‘I’ll have to wait till I get back — I’m doing another one.’ Because I’m good at solving wars, I’m good at making peace, and it’s an honor to do it. I save millions of lives.”
He also commented on Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado receiving the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. “In all fairness to the Nobel Committee, it was for 2024,” he said. “But many say you could make an exception, because a lot of things happened in 2025 that were done and completed — and great. But I didn’t do this for the Nobel; I did it to save lives.”
ALERT: U.S. President Donald Trump says he is ready to step in between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“I’ve heard reports of fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I’ll wait until I return to address it, but I’m preparing to step in — I’m good at solving wars and making peace.” pic.twitter.com/Nei7y270BR
— The Khorasan Diary (@khorasandiary) October 13, 2025
Trump went on to highlight what he described as his role in resolving past South Asian conflicts. “Think about India and Pakistan,” he said. “Some wars were going on for 31 years, 32 years, even 37 years — and I got every one of those done, for the most part, within a day. It’s pretty good.”
The US president claimed that his approach to diplomacy sometimes relied on economic pressure rather than conventional negotiation. “With India and Pakistan, I said if you want to fight a war and you have nuclear weapons, I’ll put big tariffs on you both — 100, 150, even 200 percent. I had that thing settled in 24 hours. Without tariffs, you could have never settled that war,” Trump said.
Trump has often taken credit for ending the May 2025 conflict between India and Pakistan — the most serious military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in decades. The fighting broke out after an attack on Hindu pilgrims in Indian-occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan without presenting evidence. Islamabad denied involvement, calling India’s accusations “fabricated and politically motivated.”
The four-day conflict saw both sides exchange artillery, drone strikes, and missile fire, leaving dozens dead. Pakistan claimed it shot down six Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales, while India admitted to “some losses” but dismissed Islamabad’s claim as exaggerated. The hostilities ended with a ceasefire agreement brokered under international pressure — a development Trump has since cited as proof of his ability to “make peace through strength.”
Story by GVS US News Desk with additional input by AFP and Reuters