US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan’s military chief, General Asim Munir, for lunch at the White House on June 18. The meeting, praised by Munir as a crucial moment in preventing a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, has drawn mixed reactions from experts who question whether this encounter signals a shift in US policy or is simply diplomatic theatrics.
Following the lunch, Trump said, “This man (Munir) was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side. Modi, from the Indian side, and others. They were going at it, and they’re both nuclear countries. I got it stopped.”
Earlier the same day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarified and reiterated in a 35-minute call that India did not engage in trade talks related to Operation Sindoor and has never and will never accept third-party mediation on any issue.
The White House confirmed the meeting, with spokesperson Anna Kelly describing it as a recognition of Munir’s public praise of Trump’s role in de-escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Experts from India and the US have expressed scepticism about the long-term implications of the meeting.
Meera Shankar, former Indian Ambassador to the US, suggested that Pakistan may be offering tactical advantages, cautioning that “Trump is extremely transactional. He’s not going to be sentimentally drawn to Pakistan.”
“Given the current situation in the Gulf, Pakistan may have offered some clandestine listening posts or something to the Americans vis-à-vis Iran, because Pakistan has long had the habit of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds, so they can say one thing and do another,” she told CNBC-TV18.
However, given their situation and dire need for the IMF bailout, it’s possible that they have provided some assurances for listening posts or similar facilities, although not necessarily staging posts, she explained.
Adding to the critique, Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official, commented bluntly, “Diplomatic rhetoric… everyone sees Pakistan for what it is, except perhaps Donald Trump,” implying the meeting may be more symbolic than substantive.
Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, South Asia practice head at Eurasia Group, told CNBC-TV18 that while Pakistan remains relevant to US counterterrorism interests, its strategic importance has diminished post-Afghanistan withdrawal.
He pointed out the dominance of the military in Pakistan’s politics, with General Munir wielding substantial power behind the scenes.
“The Trump administration has made it clear that it sees Pakistan as useful both on the terrorist counterterrorism front, and it has expressed some mild interest in mineral resources in Pakistan. Trump is not particularly protocol-driven. He does his own foreign policy, and I think he knows very well what he does. The good thing for India is that Pakistan has very little to offer. There is virtually no American corporate interest in Pakistan, and the country is playing a weakening hand in its relationship with the United States.”
