Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly declined four telephone calls from US President Donald Trump in recent weeks amid escalating trade tensions between the two nations, according to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
The report, echoed by Japan's Nikkei Asia, suggests rapidly deteriorating relations between Washington and New Delhi despite both governments previously describing their partnership as the most consequential of the 21st century.
The refusal allegedly stems from concerns that Trump might misrepresent conversation outcomes, particularly regarding sensitive India-Pakistan relations. This follows Trump's repeated but unsubstantiated claims that he averted nuclear war between the South Asian nations through trade negotiations—assertions widely disputed by analysts who view them as attempts to bolster his Nobel Peace Prize credentials.
Further straining relations, Modi declined an impromptu White House invitation extended after June's G-20 meeting in Canada, where the leaders did not meet personally due to Trump's early departure. The proposed visit was particularly contentious as Trump had simultaneously invited Pakistan's military leader Asim Munir, creating what Indian officials perceived as false equivalence between a terrorism victim and perpetrator.
Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton noted India feels "deeply aggrieved" by Trump's exclusive targeting of New Delhi with tariff threats while largely sparing Russia and China. Analysts warn that personal pique rather than policy considerations may drive the relationship deterioration, potentially pushing India closer to Chinese and Russian spheres of influence.
