Gyeongju, South Korea: US President Donald Trump has praised Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir, describing him as a “great fighter” during his address at the APEC CEO Summit luncheon in Gyeongju.

Speaking at the event, President Trump lauded Pakistan’s leadership, saying, “The Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Field Marshal are both great men — and the Field Marshal is a tremendous fighter.”

Donald Trump has claimed that he personally intervened to prevent a potential war between Pakistan and India, threatening both nations with heavy trade sanctions if they did not de-escalate tensions.

Speaking at the APEC CEO Summit luncheon, Trump said the two nuclear-armed neighbors were on the brink of conflict, during which seven fighter jets were reportedly shot down. Calling the situation “very serious,” he said, “Pakistan and India were fighting — both are nuclear powers, and it was a big deal.”

Trump recounted his alleged mediation efforts, saying, “I called Prime Minister Modi and told him we couldn’t move forward with a trade deal because he was at war with Pakistan. Then I called Pakistan and said the same — no trade while you’re fighting India.”

He further claimed, “I told both sides that if they didn’t stop the war, I would impose a 250% tariff. That means you wouldn’t be able to do business ever again. Within two days, both countries called back and said they understood — and the fighting stopped.”

The U.S. president concluded by saying his intervention “saved millions of lives,” adding rhetorically, “Wasn’t that amazing? Could Biden have done that?”

Trump’s remarks drew attention from international observers for highlighting Pakistan’s leadership and military strength in a global economic forum setting.