New York/Washington, Feb 25: US President Donald Trump has claimed that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told him that 35 million people could have died if he had not intervened to halt escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Speaking during his State of the Union address, Trump reiterated that his diplomatic efforts prevented what he described as a potential nuclear confrontation between the two neighbouring countries. He said Sharif credited him with averting massive casualties during the crisis.
The US President has made similar assertions on multiple occasions since May last year, when he announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire following talks that he said were mediated by Washington. India has consistently rejected claims of third-party involvement in the de-escalation process.
In his address, Trump also cited several other international conflicts that he said were eased through US efforts and asserted that American security and global standing have strengthened under his leadership.