US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, for a private lunch at the White House on Wednesday, in a move that has stirred controversy across South Asia and deepened a diplomatic rift between Washington and New Delhi.
Trump declared that he had personally “stopped the war” between India and Pakistan last month, a statement firmly rejected by the Indian government.
As reported by euglobal.news, the meeting with Munir was unprecedented in that it took place without any senior Pakistani civilian officials present. It marks the first time a Pakistani army chief — widely considered the most powerful figure in the country — has been received at the White House in such a setting.
Field Marshal Munir and Trump are said to have discussed bilateral trade, economic cooperation, the situation in the Middle East, and digital currencies during the two-hour engagement. According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s military, the two sides also exchanged views on tensions between Israel and Iran. Trump later told reporters that Munir was someone he “wanted to thank” for avoiding war with India following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which claimed 26 civilian lives.
“Two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war; that could have been a nuclear war,” Trump said, referring to Munir and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We’re going to make a trade deal with Modi of India. But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India.”
Trump’s comments contradict statements made by Indian officials. According to Reuters, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that Prime Minister Modi had told Trump during their phone call on Tuesday evening that the ceasefire had been arranged directly between Indian and Pakistani military channels and that no US mediation took place.
“PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-U.S. trade deal or U.S. mediation between India and Pakistan,” Misri said. He added that India had “not accepted mediation in the past and will never do so.”
India has consistently rejected any external involvement in the Kashmir dispute. However, Pakistan has publicly thanked the United States for helping to de-escalate the crisis, and Field Marshal Munir previously endorsed Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for allegedly averting a nuclear war.
The April conflict marked the most intense fighting between India and Pakistan in decades. After the Pahalgam attack, Indian jets reportedly struck targets across the Line of Control in Pakistan-administered territory, described by New Delhi as terrorist infrastructure. Pakistan responded with missile and artillery strikes, leading to four days of hostilities before a ceasefire was announced.
While Trump has taken credit for the cessation of fighting, Pakistani officials have indicated that the ceasefire followed a call initiated by India’s military and returned by Pakistan — a narrative at odds with both Trump’s assertion and India’s public stance.
During the same press interaction, Trump linked the Munir meeting to wider regional matters, saying Pakistan “knows Iran better than most” and suggesting that Munir had expressed agreement with his assessment of the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. Pakistani officials had reportedly expected Munir to use the meeting to advise Trump against direct US military involvement in the Middle East. Pakistan has condemned Israel’s recent airstrikes on Iranian targets, calling them violations of international law.
Trump’s decision to engage directly with Pakistan’s military leadership, bypassing the country’s civilian government, has raised questions in diplomatic circles about the message it sends regarding democratic accountability in Pakistan. The move has also prompted concern in New Delhi, where policymakers view military-to-military diplomacy — particularly without parallel civilian engagement — with suspicion.
Michael Kugelman of the Asia Pacific Foundation noted that Trump’s remarks could strain India-US ties, which have strengthened over the past decade, especially as Washington has sought to build strategic alignment with New Delhi in response to China’s growing influence.
“For Delhi, it all boils down to an age-old question: How much can it tolerate U.S.-Pakistan cooperation without having it spoil U.S.-India relations?” Kugelman said.
