In a characteristically blunt remark, US President Donald Trump on Friday said that India and Pakistan have been embroiled in conflict over Kashmir for “1,000 years,” and described border tensions as a “1,500-year” old issue, a statement riddled with historical inaccuracies, yet typical of Trump’s hyperbolic style.
Despite the exaggerated timeline, diplomatic circles in Delhi have largely viewed Donald Trump’s comments with relief, noting that he refrained from offering mediation. The Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan has remained unresolved since 1947.
Responding to questions about the strained India-Pakistan relations following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives, Donald Trump emphasized that both nations would eventually find a solution themselves.
“I am very close to India and I’m very close to Pakistan, as you know. And they’ve had that fight for 1,000 years in Kashmir. Kashmir has been going on for 1,000 years, probably longer than that. And it was a bad one yesterday — that was a bad one. Over 30 people,” Donald Trump said during a press interaction aboard Air Force One en route to Rome.
He further added, “There have been tensions on that border for 1,500 years. So, you know, it’s the same as it’s been. But they’ll figure it out one way or the other. I’m sure… I know both leaders. There is great tension between Pakistan and India, but there always has been.”
This is not the first time Donald Trump has waded into the India-Pakistan discourse. In July 2019, he sparked controversy by claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had requested him to mediate on the Kashmir issue, a claim firmly denied by New Delhi.
