
Key Points:
- US President Donald Trump lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India during the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday, October 13, 2025
- Trump expressed confidence that India and Pakistan “are going to live very nicely together,” while Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif stood behind him on stage
- Sharif credited Trump with preventing a potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan during their four-day conflict in May 2025
- The Pakistani PM formally nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his “extraordinary contributions” to stopping the India-Pakistan conflict and achieving the Gaza ceasefire
- Trump once again claimed credit for brokering the India-Pakistan ceasefire in his address to the Israeli Knesset, listing it among eight disputes he resolved
- India has consistently maintained that the May 10 ceasefire was reached through direct bilateral talks between military officials without third-party mediation
- PM Modi, though invited to the summit, skipped the event and deputed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to represent India
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India during his address at the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday, calling India “a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top”. Trump, who was co-chairing the summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, smiled at the cameras and said, “He has just done a fantastic job,” referring to PM Modi.
The US President then turned his attention to Pakistan-India relations, expressing optimism that “Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together”. In a moment that went viral on social media, Trump gestured toward Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was standing directly behind him on the stage, and asked with a smile, “Right?”. Sharif nodded in affirmation, sparking mild laughter among the assembled world leaders and media personnel.
Sharif Credits Trump with Preventing Nuclear War
In an unexpected exchange, Trump invited the Pakistani Prime Minister to address the summit during his own speech. Interrupting his remarks, Trump asked Sharif, “Do you want to say something?” and encouraged him to “say what you said to me the other day”. Sharif was the only head of government apart from Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to receive an opportunity to speak at the gathering.
Taking full advantage of the platform, Sharif spoke for over five minutes and showered Trump with effusive praise. The Pakistani leader credited Trump with preventing what could have escalated into a nuclear catastrophe between India and Pakistan during their four-day military conflict in May 2025. “Suffice it to say, had it not been for this gentleman… who knows India and Pakistan are both nuclear powers. Had he not intervened along with his wonderful team during those four days, the war could have escalated to a level… who would have lived to tell what happened,” Sharif declared.
#WATCH | Egypt | US President Donald Trump says, "India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top and he has done a fantastic job. I think that Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together…"
— ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2025
(Video source: The White House/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/rROPW57GCO
Nobel Peace Prize Nomination
Sharif formally announced that Pakistan had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in de-escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. “Pakistan had nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his outstanding, extraordinary contributions to first stop the war between India and Pakistan, and then achieve a ceasefire along with his very wonderful team,” the Pakistani Premier said. He added that he was nominating Trump again for the prize following the Gaza ceasefire, calling him “the most genuine and most wonderful candidate” for the honor.
Describing Trump as a “man of peace,” Sharif praised the US President’s tireless diplomatic efforts, stating, “Today is one of the greatest days in contemporary history because peace has been achieved after untiring efforts led by President Trump, who is genuinely a man of peace who had relentlessly and untiringly worked throughout these months, day in and day out, to make this world a place to live in peace and prosperity”.
Trump Claims Credit for Eight Conflicts Resolved
Earlier on Monday, Trump addressed the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, where he once again claimed credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire and listed it among eight disputes he had personally resolved. Speaking during a ceremony on the Gaza peace deal, Trump said the US would build bridges of peace in several countries and regions. “We will bridge Tel Aviv to Dubai, Haifa to Beirut, Israel to Egypt, Saudi Arabia to Qatar, India to Pakistan, Turkey to Jordan, UAE to Oman, and Armenia to Azerbaijan – another war that I settled,” he declared amid cheers from Knesset members.
Trump has been consistently claiming credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire since May 10, when both countries reached an understanding to end hostilities. He recently revealed that he threatened both countries with 200 percent tariffs to force them to agree to a truce. “With India and with Pakistan, I said, ‘If you guys want to fight a war and you have nuclear weapons! I’m going to put big tariffs on you both, like 100%, 150, and 200%.’ (They said:) ‘No, no, no, don’t do that.’ I said, ‘I’m putting tariffs.’ I had that thing settled in 24 hours,” Trump told reporters on Sunday while speaking on a flight.
Background of India-Pakistan Military Conflict
The brief but intense military confrontation between India and Pakistan began following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, which killed 26 tourists, mostly Indians. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan responded with cross-border drone and missile strikes, leading to four days of intense military exchanges between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
The two countries reached a ceasefire understanding on May 10, which Trump immediately announced on social media, claiming he had mediated the agreement after a “long night” of talks. Since then, Trump has repeated his claim dozens of times that he “helped settle” the conflict between the two nations.
India’s Consistent Denial of Third-Party Mediation
Despite Trump’s repeated assertions and Pakistan’s endorsement of his mediation claims, India has consistently maintained that the cessation of hostilities was achieved through direct bilateral talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries, without any third-party interference. The Indian government has clarified that the Director General of Military Operations of Pakistan called his Indian counterpart and requested a stop to the hostilities.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who shares a warm relationship with Trump, has refuted the US President’s claim that Washington played any role in establishing the truce between India and Pakistan. Yet, Trump has continued making such claims, drawing sharp criticism from India’s opposition Congress party, which has used the issue to take jabs at the Modi government and the Prime Minister’s bonhomie with the US President.
Modi-Trump Bonhomie Continues Despite Absence
Trump’s praise for Modi at the Gaza Peace Summit came despite the Indian Prime Minister’s absence from the event. PM Modi was invited to attend the summit but chose to skip it, deputizing Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to represent India. Trump’s mention of Modi despite his absence is another example of the strong rapport between the two global leaders.
Last week, Prime Minister Modi called Trump and congratulated him on the “success of the historic Gaza peace plan”. During the conversation, Modi also discussed progress in trade negotiations between the two countries. “Spoke to my friend, President Trump, and congratulated him on the success of the historic Gaza peace plan. Also reviewed the good progress achieved in trade negotiations. Agreed to stay in close touch over the coming weeks,” PM Modi posted on X. This marked the second conversation between the two leaders in a month.
Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize Aspirations
Trump has made no secret of his disappointment at missing out on the Nobel Peace Prize this year, though he insists he did not pursue the ceasefire deals for the honor. “This was picked for 2024,” Trump said while emphasizing, “I did this not for the Nobel. I did this for saving lives”. The US President has been vocal about his role in ending conflicts and bringing peace to war-torn regions, positioning himself as a global peacemaker.
The video of Trump’s remarks praising India and Modi, along with his interaction with Sharif, has rapidly gone viral on social media platforms, generating widespread attention and commentary on the complex dynamics between the three nations.