Washington/New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has again claimed success for pulling India and Pakistan from the brink of war, and also that India is “willing to cut 100 percent of their tariffs” for the United States.
In an interview to Fox News, the US President, asked about his role in helping bring about the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, said that the US’ role in mediating the ceasefire is much bigger than he will ever get credit for.
“It’s a bigger success than I will ever be given credit for,” the US President said, amid India stating that the DGMOs of India and Pakistan spoke to each other directly on May 10.
“Those were major nuclear powers, …and they were angry, and the next stage was probably, you see the way it was going, it was tit-for-tat.
“It was deeper, and more missiles, everyday it was stronger, stronger, to a point where the next stage was, you know the N word,” to which the interviewer replied “Nuclear”.
“The N word is a very nasty word; it’s the worst thing that can happen, and I think they were very close. The hatred was great; and I said, we’re going to talk about trade, we’re going to do a lot of trade. I am using trade to settle scores and to make peace,” the US President said, reiterating his claim that the US helped avert a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, and that he used trade as a ploy to lure the two nations out of getting into more hostilities.
India has said that trade was never discussed during the telephonic talks between the two sides.
“I’ve told Iran we’re going to be making a deal, we’re going to be really happy,” Trump said, referring to the US’ negotiations with Iran.
Going back to India, he said:
“But in the case of India, they’re one of the highest tax, highest tariff nations in the world; they make it almost impossible to do business,” he said.
“Do you know that they are willing to cut 100 percent of their tariffs for the United States,” he reiterated his claim.
On whether the trade deal is coming soon, he said he is “in no rush”, and added, “Look everybody wants to make a deal with us.”
The US President’s claim on India willing to cut 100 percent tariffs comes two days after EAM S Jaishankar said that the negotiations with the US on a trade deal are still going on, and that any deal has to be mutually beneficial.
EAM Jaishankar said on Thursday: “Between India and the US, trade talks have been going on. A team is just going there at this point of time.
“These are complicated negotiations, very intricate negotiations. Nothing is decided till everything is.
“But any trade deal has to be mutually beneficial; it has to work for both the countries.
“I think that would be our expectation from the trade deal. And until that is done, any judgment on it would be premature,” he added.
The US President’s comments come even as Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is visiting the US at the head of a trade delegation to take forward negotiations on the free trade deal with the US.
Minister Goyal is accompanied by Rajesh Agrawal, India’s chief negotiator for bilateral trade talks.
India is seeking to clinch a trade deal with the US within the 90-day pause on tariff hikes announced by Trump on April 9 for major trading partners, including a 26 per cent tariff on India.
UNI
