Why Trump first stayed away, then claimed the Indo-Pak ceasefire

Here’s what might have prompted Donald Trump to initially ignore the Indo-Pak conflict and later take full credit for brokering the peace

By Sanjay Dubey

When the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan spoke on May 10, 2025, and agreed to a ceasefire after four days of escalating conflict, neither country announced it immediately. It was Donald Trump who first broke the news on social media, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Only then did India and Pakistan confirm the ceasefire — each framing it differently. While Pakistan publicly thanked Trump, India made no mention of America’s role.

This sequence raises an obvious question: why did the Trump administration initially stay out of Indo-Pak ceasefire efforts, only to suddenly claim credit? That indifference was clear just two days earlier when US Vice President JD Vance declared that America wouldn’t intervene in a conflict “that is fundamentally none of our business.” Yet after the ceasefire, Vance posted on Twitter: “Great work from the President’s team, especially Secretary Rubio.”

The answer lies in a mix of foreign policy compulsions and domestic political calculations. Here’s a breakdown.