US President Donald Trump has once again surprised the world by overturning some of his previous policies. His recent decisions have caught both America’s allies and rivals off guard. In a surprising move, Trump has made two contrasting offers in Asia—he extended an offer to sell the powerful F-35 fighter jets to India, while also approving funds to help Pakistan maintain its F-16 fleet. However, the allocated budget will not be handed directly to Pakistan.
Trump has approved a budget of USD 397 million to maintain Pakistan’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets. Reports suggest that the maintenance funds will be used for anti-terrorism operations and surveillance of rebel groups. Pakistan, however, is prohibited from using these fighter jets against India, as specified in the agreement with the US.
After assuming office in January 2025, Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on all forms of foreign assistance, including humanitarian aid, as part of his “America First” agenda. However, by the end of the month, he made exceptions for key US allies in the Middle East, namely Egypt and Israel, allowing them to receive military aid. Despite this, certain clauses in Trump’s directive raised concerns among defense experts.
What makes Trump’s decision to release funds for Pakistan’s F-16 jets surprising is his previous stance. Back in January 2018, Trump had halted all defense and security aid to Pakistan, accusing the country of failing to act against terrorist groups. He argued that Islamabad was not a genuine partner in America’s fight against terrorism.
At the time, Trump openly criticized Pakistan, saying, “Over the past 15 years, the US has foolishly given Pakistan over USD 33 billion in aid, and they have given us nothing but lies and deceit.”
He accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists that the US was hunting in Afghanistan, declaring, “No more!”
Later, the Biden administration approved a $450 million deal to sell maintenance and support equipment for Pakistan’s F-16 jets. Now, with Trump once again backing funds for Pakistan’s F-16 program, it marks a surprising shift in his foreign policy approach.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) explained that the maintenance program for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet would assist the country in its fight against terrorism, while also ensuring that the stability in the region would not be disrupted. At that time, India had raised serious objections to the US plan for foreign military sales (FMS) to Pakistan. However, US officials tried to ease India’s concerns by arguing that this was a sale, not a direct aid package from the US government.
Previously, after India’s airstrikes on terrorist bases in Balakot, Pakistan reportedly used F-16 fighter jets in 2019 against India. This move sparked significant controversy, as an Indian MiG-21 was shot down during the encounter. India claimed to have shot down a Pakistani F-16, but Pakistan denied the allegation. Despite Pakistan’s denials, it later faced strong criticism from the US for misusing the F-16 aircraft in an operation against India.
An intriguing development came when US President Donald Trump offered India the advanced F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation fighter jet. This offer became noteworthy, especially since India operates the Russian-made S-400 Triumf air defense system. The US had previously taken a hard stance against NATO member Turkey when it procured the S-400 system, even removing Turkey from the F-35 program.
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