In a bold claim made during a reception at the White House, former U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that his intervention “stopped the recent war” between India and Pakistan from escalating into a nuclear conflict. Speaking before Republican members of Congress on Tuesday, Trump said, “They’re both powerful nuclear nations and that would have happened, and who knows where that would have ended up. And I stopped it.”

The former President claimed that five fighter jets were shot down during the hostilities, describing the situation as “back and forth” combat. “They shot down five planes… I called them and said, ‘Listen, no more trade. If you do this, you’re not going to be good,’” he recounted.

Trump also reiterated that the U.S. had played a stabilizing role in multiple global hotspots during his term. “We stopped wars between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda… and a couple of others that we didn’t stop a war, but we stopped what probably could have ended up in a war,” he said.

The comments follow similar remarks Trump made last Friday, during a dinner with Republican senators, where he claimed “five jets were shot down” in the conflict between India and Pakistan. “That was looking like it was going to go. These are two serious nuclear countries and they were hitting each other,” he warned.

His remarks have stirred political debate in India, with the Opposition Congress party demanding a clear statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Trump’s claims and the extent of U.S. involvement in de-escalating the conflict.

While both India and Pakistan have remained largely silent on Trump’s statements, the former President’s revelations, if accurate, hint at high-level backchannel diplomacy during one of the tensest flashpoints in recent South Asian history.

Russia on Wednesday launched one of its largest multi-theatre naval exercises, involving more than 150 vessels, 120 aircraft, and 15,000 military personnel across the Pacific and Arctic Oceans as well as the Baltic and Caspian Seas. Dubbed “July Storm,” the drills will run from July 23 to 27 and are aimed at testing the operational readiness of the Russian Navy for advanced and non-traditional maritime warfare.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, the drills will focus on long-range precision weapons, unmanned systems, coastal missile defenses, and the ability to repel modern threats such as drone swarms and unmanned boats.

“At sea, ship crews will carry out deployment to combat areas, anti-submarine warfare, and defense of maritime economic zones,” the ministry stated. “They will also rehearse air defense, protection from unmanned attacks, and offensive strikes on enemy naval groups.”

Navy Chief Admiral Alexander Moiseev is leading the high-profile exercises. The ministry emphasized the drills’ emphasis on integrating cutting-edge naval technologies, including autonomous systems and advanced missile platforms.

Despite recent setbacks in the Ukraine conflict, Russia continues to project its naval strength globally. With the third-largest navy in the world after China and the United States, the Kremlin appears intent on reaffirming its maritime influence and enhancing inter-fleet coordination under increasingly complex combat scenarios.

Western analysts are closely monitoring the drills, which come amid heightened tensions with NATO and a broader shift in global maritime power dynamics.

At least 27 people were killed and over 160 injured after a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara area on Monday. The jet had taken off shortly after 1:00 PM local time before slamming into the side of the school building.

Fire and rescue officials confirmed that 19 bodies were recovered from the crash site, with the toll rising later. Among the injured were students, teachers, and bystanders. Hospital authorities reported multiple cases of severe burns and trauma, including the death of a third-grade student and injuries to other minors.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as flames and thick smoke engulfed the school grounds. “When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke,” said local teacher Masud Tarik, who was picking up his children when the crash occurred.

The Chief Adviser’s Office declared a one-day state mourning on Tuesday. National flags were flown at half-mast across government and private buildings and diplomatic missions abroad.

Interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and vowed a full investigation into the crash. “The loss suffered by the Air Force and the students, parents, and staff of Milestone School is irreparable,” he stated.

President of the opposition BNP, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, visited the injured at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery and urged the nation to unite in compassion and support for those affected.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed condolences, writing on X (formerly Twitter), “Deeply shocked and saddened at the loss of lives, many of them young students, in a tragic air crash in Dhaka… India stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is ready to extend all possible support and assistance.”

The incident has sparked grief and outrage across Bangladesh, with authorities promising to provide all necessary aid to victims and their families. A formal investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.

Ukraine has suffered the loss of its first French-supplied Mirage 2000 fighter jet during a flight mission on Tuesday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed. The pilot ejected safely and there were no casualties on the ground.

The incident follows the loss of four American-supplied F-16 Fighting Falcons since April, further highlighting the strain on Ukraine’s increasingly challenged air force.

“Unfortunately, we lost our combat aircraft. A French aircraft, very effective, one of our Mirage jets,” President Zelensky said in his Wednesday morning address. He clarified that the aircraft was not downed by Russian forces, but experienced an in-flight equipment failure.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the pilot acted decisively during the emergency, reporting the equipment malfunction before safely ejecting. “There were no civilian casualties,” the statement added.

The Mirage 2000-5 is a fourth-generation supersonic jet, part of France’s assistance package to strengthen Kyiv’s air defences against sustained Russian aerial attacks. Ukrainian pilots and technicians had been undergoing extensive training in France prior to the jets’ deployment.

The Mirage loss follows a series of setbacks involving Ukraine’s newly inducted F-16 fleet. The most recent F-16 crash occurred on May 16, reportedly due to a Russian S-400 air defence missile. Earlier crashes were linked to technical faults, hostile fire, and in one case, possible friendly fire from a Ukrainian Patriot system, according to Western and Ukrainian reports.

One F-16 pilot reportedly downed seven aerial targets before his aircraft was critically damaged while intercepting a final drone. Another crash resulted from aerial engagement, as claimed by Russian officials.

France’s Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu had earlier confirmed that the first Mirage 2000s had arrived in Ukraine in mid-2025. He hailed the aircraft’s role in enhancing Ukraine’s ability to defend its skies amid Russia’s intensifying missile and drone assaults.

The latest Mirage loss underscores Ukraine’s continued vulnerability in the air domain, despite significant Western military aid. With rising aircraft attrition and limited air defence inventory, Kyiv faces increasing pressure to reinforce its aerial capabilities and reduce combat losses.

Pakistan once again raised the Kashmir issue and the Indus Waters Treaty dispute with India during a high-level open debate at the United Nations Security Council. Speaking as Pakistan holds the presidency of the UNSC for July, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar emphasized Kashmir’s “right to self-determination” and criticised New Delhi’s decision to suspend the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty.

“Jammu and Kashmir remains one of the oldest disputes on the agenda of the UN Security Council… No cosmetic measures can substitute the fundamental and inalienable right of self-determination of the Kashmiris,” Dar said, referring to UN resolutions on the matter.

Turning to the Indus Waters Treaty, Dar accused India of “illegally and unilaterally” placing the 1960 agreement into abeyance following the April Pahalgam terror attacks. He alleged that India’s move was intended to restrict water flow to Pakistan, jeopardising the livelihoods of nearly 240 million people.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, is often cited as a successful example of sustained diplomacy between hostile neighbours, surviving even during times of war and conflict.

India is expected to deliver a strong rebuttal in its right to reply, especially as Islamabad looks to increase the visibility of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the UN. Pakistan has planned two key events during its UNSC presidency, including a briefing on the OIC-UN partnership. The OIC, which has 57 member states, has routinely criticised India’s handling of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

India is likely to voice concerns over the growing influence of the OIC within the UN framework, especially as the grouping has taken adversarial positions against New Delhi on several global platforms.

The diplomatic tug-of-war at the UN underscores persistent tensions between India and Pakistan on core issues, with both sides poised to assert their narratives in coming days.