US President Donald Trump expressed confidence in resolving the Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict, describing Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir as “great people” during remarks at an international summit.
Speaking at the Thailand-Cambodia peace deal signing on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Trump addressed the recent border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. “I’ll get that solved very quickly. I know them both. And the Pakistan Field Marshal and the Prime Minister are great people, and I have no doubt we’re going to get that done quickly,” he stated.
The president framed his comments within a broader discussion of his administration’s diplomatic achievements, claiming to have ended eight conflicts in eight months. “We’re averaging one a month. There is only one left, although I heard that Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up,” Trump said, referring to the recent border tensions.
Trump emphasized his approach to conflict resolution, saying, “I do it nicely. I don’t need to do it, I guess. But if I can take time and save millions of lives, that’s really a great thing.”
The president’s remarks come as Pakistani and Afghan officials prepare for continued diplomatic engagement. A second round of talks between the two nations was scheduled in Istanbul, Turkey, following initial discussions held in Doha on October 19. Those first talks, facilitated by Qatar and Turkey, resulted in temporary calm along the border and established a framework for addressing mutual security concerns, particularly regarding cross-border terrorist activity.
Earlier this month, Trump had referenced Prime Minister Sharif’s recent Washington visit, recalling Sharif’s statement that “the President saved millions of lives” in connection with Trump’s claimed role in de-escalating India-Pakistan tensions in May. At a peace summit in Egypt, Sharif had publicly praised Trump’s diplomatic efforts and suggested he deserved Nobel Peace Prize consideration for his work on regional conflicts.
India has maintained that no third-party mediation was involved in its ceasefire arrangements with Pakistan. The tensions followed an April terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, which prompted India to launch Operation Sindoor against targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The military confrontation lasted four days before hostilities ceased.
Prime Minister Sharif previously met with Trump at the White House in September during his visit for the UN General Assembly session.
