President Trump surprised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a birthday call, a gesture that hints at mending a relationship strained for months by tariff disagreements and disputes over credit for a cease-fire between India and Pakistan.
On Truth Social, Mr. Trump shared his positive sentiment: “Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job.” Notably, Mr. Trump used Modi’s given name, Narendra, a rare occurrence.
This phone call happened concurrently with a visit by U.S. trade officials to New Delhi, where they met with India’s Commerce Ministry to explore a potential trade deal. It marked the first direct communication between the two leaders since June 17, when Modi contradicted Trump’s claim that he brokered a cease-fire between India and Pakistan following a brief conflict in May, asserting India negotiated it directly.
Prime Minister Modi, celebrating his birthday on Wednesday, reciprocated the warmth on social media. He thanked Mr. Trump for his call and well wishes, affirming, “Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-U.S. Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights.”
Although trade and tariff discussions have been ongoing since spring, they became entangled in geopolitical tensions. Mr. Trump and top U.S. officials publicly accused India of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine by continuing to purchase significant volumes of Russian oil. This led to punitive action from Mr. Trump late last month, who imposed a 50 percent tariff on all U.S. imports of Indian goods, effectively doubling existing rates.
However, last week saw a restoration of some friendly relations between the two leaders, sparking optimism that their trade impasse might finally break.
On September 10, Mr. Trump expressed his anticipation for a conversation with his “very good friend” Mr. Modi, stating confidently that trade negotiations would progress and a successful deal would be reached.
Further solidifying this renewed rapport, both leaders used social media this week to confirm India’s support for U.S. initiatives to end Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
India and the United States have consistently faced challenges in reaching a bilateral trade agreement, primarily because the South Asian nation has been hesitant to offer concessions or open specific markets.
The Indian government released a statement on Wednesday, describing the bilateral trade agreement discussions as “positive” and highlighting both sides’ commitment to “intensify efforts” for a rapid conclusion to a deal.