Trump Pledges to Resolve Pak-Afghan Tensions

Iftikhar Ali

New York: US President Donald Trump, while en route to attend a historic Middle East “peace summit” in Egypt, pledged on Sunday to help resolve the latest escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, declaring that he is “good at solving wars.”

“This will be my eighth war that I’ve solved, and I hear there’s a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while on his way to Israel — referring to the Gaza ceasefire as his eighth major peace achievement.

“I said I’ll have to wait till I get back. I’m doing another one. Because I’m good at solving wars, I’m good at making peace, and it’s an honour to do it. I saved millions of lives — millions of lives,” he added.

Deadly border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted late Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 23 Pakistani troops were martyred while 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists were killed as Islamabad responded to aggression from across the border.

“Because I am good at solving wars… think about India and Pakistan,” Trump said. “Think about some of the wars that went on for years — 31, 32, 37 years — with millions of people being killed in every country. I got every one of those done, for the most part, within a day. It’s pretty good.”

Trump’s remarks further positioned him as a self-proclaimed key player in resolving complex international conflicts.

Commenting on the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, Trump said: “In all fairness to the Nobel Committee, it was for 2024. But some say they could make an exception because a lot of great things happened during 2025 that are done and completed.”

“But I did this not for the Nobel,” he added. “I did this for saving lives.”

On Monday, Trump is scheduled to land in Israel, where he will meet families of hostages and address the Knesset (Parliament).

He will then travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to co-chair the Peace Summit alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. According to the Egyptian presidency, the summit aims “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and usher in a new phase of regional security and cooperation.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations confirmed in New York that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also en route to Egypt to join leaders from more than 20 countries at the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit.