President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House Thursday, underscoring improved ties between Washington and Islamabad.
Relations have warmed as Trump’s once close partnership with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cooled, largely over India’s discounted Russian oil purchases after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump has responded by raising tariffs on India while striking a July trade deal with Pakistan to develop its untapped oil reserves and lower tariffs.
Sharif, joined by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, praised Trump as a “man of peace” for brokering the May ceasefire with India and invited U.S. investment in Pakistan’s agriculture, IT, mining, and energy sectors. While Sharif publicly endorsed Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, the U.S. president has mixed signals for India, alternating between heavy tariffs and hopeful talk of future trade progress.