US President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed confidence that he could “quickly resolve” the ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict, lauding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir as “great people.” Trump made the remarks while speaking at the signing ceremony of a Thailand–Cambodia peace accord, held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. Border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained closed since October 11, following deadly clashes earlier this month the most intense since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul which left dozens dead on both sides. The skirmishes erupted after Islamabad urged Kabul to rein in militants launching cross-border attacks into Pakistan from Afghan territory. A ceasefire brokered in Qatar and Turkiye last weekend has so far held, and during a follow-up round of talks in Istanbul, Pakistan reportedly handed over a comprehensive counterterrorism plan to the Afghan Taliban, according to diplomatic sources. Addressing the recent escalation, Trump said he was “very confident” that he could help both nations achieve lasting peace. “We’re averaging one [peace deal] a month. There’s only one left, although I’ve heard Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up again. But I’ll get that solved very quickly. I know them both the Field Marshal and the Prime Minister are great people and I have no doubt we’ll get that done fast,” he said. The US president emphasized that peacebuilding remained a cornerstone of his foreign policy. “If I can take time and save millions of lives, that’s really a great thing,” he said, adding, “Unlike other presidents, I focus on ending wars, not starting them. I can’t think of any president who ever solved one war they start wars; they don’t solve them.” Meanwhile, Trump witnessed the signing of an enhanced ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia a diplomatic breakthrough that has already earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for mediating the decades-long border conflict between the two Southeast Asian nations. The agreement builds on a truce signed three months ago after Trump called the then-leaders of the two countries, urging them to end hostilities, or risk their respective trade talks with Washington being put on hold. Both sides blame each other for starting the five-day exchange of rockets and heavy artillery, which killed at least 48 people and temporarily displaced an estimated 300,000 people in their worst fighting in recent history.
Trump claims he can ‘easily resolve’ Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict
