KUALA LUMPUR — United States President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed confidence that he could “quickly resolve” tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, describing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir as “great people.”
Speaking at the signing ceremony of a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit, Trump said his administration had “ended eight wars in eight months” and now sought to promote peace in South Asia.
“I heard that Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up [a conflict], but I’ll get that solved very quickly,” Trump said. “I know them both. The Field Marshal and the Prime Minister are great people, and I have no doubt we’ll get it done fast.”
His remarks come amid heightened border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The two countries’ main crossings have remained closed since October 11, following deadly clashes earlier this month that left dozens dead on both sides — the worst fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul.
The clashes erupted after Islamabad accused Kabul of harboring militants launching cross-border attacks. Talks hosted by Qatar and Turkiye helped broker a ceasefire, which continues to hold. During the second round of discussions in Istanbul, Pakistan presented a detailed counterterrorism strategy to the Afghan Taliban, according to sources.
Trump reiterated that his priority was peacebuilding rather than warfare. “If I can take time and save millions of lives, that’s really a great thing,” he said. “Most presidents start wars — I end them.”
Meanwhile, Thailand and Cambodia signed an enhanced ceasefire agreement in Trump’s presence. The accord follows a previous truce reached three months earlier after Trump’s diplomatic intervention, which earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
