A security expert has claimed that Donald Trump’s invitation for PM Modi to visit at the same time as Pakistan’s Asim Munir was intended to garner brownie points for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Recently, US President Trump hosted Pakistani army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House. Around the same time, it was reported that Trump also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit to the White House; however, the latter could not agree to it.
Now, experts have raised questions about whether the coincidental timing of both events was actually true or part of a plan to bring the two leaders together, and also serve as a way for Trump to strengthen his standing for a Nobel Peace Prize.
What Are Experts Saying?
Now, amidst all this, the timing of Munir’s White House lunch and Trump’s invitation to Modi for a visit has raised questions.
Derek J Grossman, Professor at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences and a National security and Indo-Pacific analyst in a tweet wrote, “Pretty wild that Trump tried to sneakily invite Modi to the White House today, presumably when Asim Munir would also be present for lunch. He doesn’t understand the context and history of India-Pakistan tensions at all, and just wants the photo op to win a Nobel peace prize later.”
Strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney also commented on this, saying, “President Trump hosting Pakistan army chief Asim Munir at the White House for a private, closed-door luncheon is a potent geopolitical signal — chiefly aimed at New Delhi.”
What Is The Situation?
On Wednesday, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief, was invited by U.S. President Donald Trump for a lunch meeting. This was reportedly the first time that the head of Pakistan’s army was hosted at the White House without the presence of any other senior Pakistani civilian officials.
As per a Reuters report, Trump, speaking with the media later on, talked about how they discussed Iran, and also praised Modi and Munir for choosing to de-escalate the situation between India and Pakistan that erupted last month after a terrorist attack took place in Pahalgam, Kashmir, India, and killed at least 26 people.
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Trump said, “They were both here, but I was with Modi a few weeks ago. He was here actually, but now we speak to him. And I’m so happy that two smart people, plus you know, people on their staff too, but two smart people, two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war. That could have been a nuclear war. Those are two nuclear powers, big ones, big, big nuclear powers, and they decided that.”
According to an Indian Express report, Trump had even invited PM Modi to stop at the White House while returning from his trip to Canada. The two spoke about several things over a 35-minute call, including how the ceasefire talks did not take place due to any mediation, and were carried out directly between India and Pakistan, initiated “at Pakistan’s request.”
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was quoted as saying, “Prime Minister Modi clearly conveyed to President Trump that at no point during this entire sequence of events was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US trade deal, or any proposal for a mediation by the US between India and Pakistan. The discussion to cease military action took place directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces, and it was initiated at Pakistan’s request. Prime Minister Modi firmly stated that India does not and will never accept mediation. There is complete political consensus in India on this matter.”
Misri also added that, “President Trump enquired if Prime Minister Modi could stop over in the US on his way back from Canada. Due to prior commitments, Prime Minister Modi expressed his inability to do so. Both leaders agreed to make efforts to meet in the near future.”
Many are also marvelling at Trump’s 180 regarding the India-Pakistan crisis, since just a while ago, he had been taking credit for the situation calming down.
As per reports, Trump has taken credit for this since May 10, when India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire and stopped active firing at each other, almost 14 times. Claiming that he brokered peace or “helped settle” the tension, or even creating an incentive that America would do a “lot of trade” with the two countries if they stopped the conflict, are some of the instances.
In fact, barely hours after his call with Modi, Trump even told reporters that “Well, I stopped the war between Pakistan…. I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We are going to make a trade deal with Modi of India. But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India.”
He also said that while Modi and Munir were “extremely influential” in stopping the conflict, he claimed that his trade diplomacy was also a reason behind it, taking offence when his role was being dismissed, saying, “I don’t think I had one story written, did I have one story written? I stopped a war between two major nations, major nuclear nations. I did not have a story written about it, but that’s okay. You know why? The people know.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Business Today, News18, The Indian Express
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Trump, Trump nobel, trump nobel peace, trump modi, trump modi meeting, trump modi pakistan, trump pakistan, Donald Trump, Donald Trump Asim Munir, Asim Munir, Donald Trump Asim Munir lunch, Asim Munir trump, Asim Munir lunch with trump, Asim Munir trump meeting, nobel peace prize, donald trump nobel peace prize
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