Handshake After Strain: Modi and Trump Make Amends

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to the White House this year, US President Donald Trump gave him a book called "Our Journey Together" that had pictures from past meetings. Maybe Trump was reading the book on Saturday that made him tone down his anti-India talk and say he would always "be friends with Modi." PM Modi quickly responded to the first signs of warmth from the US, saying that he "reciprocates" Trump's feelings.

The diplomatic halls are buzzing with talk about the good conversation between the two leaders. Is a warming of relations between India and the US on the way? Or is it just a small bump in the road of Trump's unpredictable foreign policy?

Positive Outlook

If the most recent interaction is any indication, the signs are good and can be seen as the first steps toward a reconciliation. This was PM Modi's first direct address to the US president since Trump levied the highest tariffs ever on any country, crippling 50% on India for buying Russian oil. The chill was increased when trade talks were halted due to India's red lines regarding the opening of its dairy and agriculture sectors.

Adding fuel to the fire were a series of scathing and increasingly antagonistic remarks made by Trump's officials, including Peter Navarro and Howard Lutnick, who referred to the conflict in Ukraine as "Modi's war" and called India the "Kremlin's laundromat." India took a wait-and-watch stance during this time.

Trump's Words

Trump seemed to start a conversation on Saturday by claiming that the US-India relationship was "special" and focusing on his close personal relationship with Prime Minister Modi.

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"I will always be friends with (PM) Modi. He is a great Prime Minister. I will always be friends, but I just don't like what he is doing at this particular moment. But India and the United States have a very special relationship. There is nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion," Trump said with a smile.

It was the same man who, a day ago, posted a picture of Modi, Putin, and Xi Jinping together on Truth Social and claimed that the US had "lost India and Russia" to "deepest, darkest, China." The flashy, widely shared photos of Modi, Xi, and Putin laughing and showing their newfound friendship in Tianjin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit clearly touched a raw nerve in the United States.

Trump, however, changed his mind on Saturday and stated unequivocally that he did not believe China had won India from the US.

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"I get along with Modi, as you know. He was here a couple of months ago, we went to the Rose Garden and did a press conference," Trump said, referring to their February meeting.

Given that both Trump and Modi have made it clear that they harbor no ill will toward one another, a reconciliation could be forthcoming and may lead to deeper ties between them. It is unclear whether Trump's remarks will silence his main closed group, which has been vocally criticizing India. Given what Trump and Modi have said, they may now speak with each other more directly, possibly over the phone, before sending their trusted staff to resolve disagreements and strengthen their relationship.

After speaking with President Trump over the phone on June 17, PM Modi publicly stated on X,

“ Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties. India and the US have a very positive and forward looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.”

The events demonstrate that the relationship between the world's largest and oldest democracies is far from strained. Whether Trump and Modi's personal chemistry will help restore India-US relations will be determined in the upcoming months.

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