With rare earths, deft diplomacy (and ample flattery), Pakistan shows how to deal with Trump 2.0

As US President Donald Trump took a victory lap in front of world leaders following the Gaza ceasefire on Monday, he gave a shout-out to Pakistan’s top soldier, calling him his “favorite field marshal.” He then relinquished the podium to allow Pakistan’s civilian leader, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to deliver to the cameras his own praise of Trump’s ceasefire efforts. Sharif announced that same day he intended to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize – again.

A year ago, such scenes would have been unthinkable. Washington had long kept Pakistan at arm’s length, over its chronic political instability and alleged ties to US-sanctioned Islamist terror groups. The fact it’s one of China’s closest allies didn’t help either.

Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden never even called either of the two Pakistani prime ministers who served during his term. After the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, he enraged neighboring Pakistan by calling it “one of the most dangerous nations in the world.”

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