August 31, 2025

Hold your breath, India! The sizzling spark between US President Donald Trump and our beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have fizzled out, at least for now. The New York Times dropped a bombshell on Saturday, revealing that Trump "no longer has plans" to visit India later this year for the much-anticipated Quad Summit in New Delhi. Just months ago, Trump had told Modi he would attend the summit, but now sources familiar with Trump's schedule say the fall visit is off. Neither the US nor India officially commented on this dramatic change. India is all set to host leaders from Australia, Japan, and the US for the Quad Summit, a major event aimed at strategic cooperation. Earlier this year, the Trump administration hosted the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting right after Trump swore in for his second presidential term. But what caused the cold winds between Trump and Modi? The NYT lays it out vividly. Trump's repeated claims that he "solved" the fierce four-day India-Pakistan border conflict in May did not sit well with Modi. India firmly denied Trump's role in ending the conflict, which made the Indian PM "lose patience" with the American leader. On June 17, as Trump returned from the G7 Summit in Canada where Modi also attended, the two had a 35-minute phone call. They were supposed to meet in person during the summit but plans fell apart when Trump flew back early. In that call, Modi clearly told Trump that "at no point" was there any talk about a US-India trade deal or US mediation after Operation Sindoor, as per Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Modi strongly declared, "India does not and will never accept mediation" from anyone in its conflict with Pakistan. Trump, in response, boasted again about ending the military escalation and proudly said Pakistan planned to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize! This honour, previously given to Barack Obama, is something Trump has been "openly campaigning" for. The NYT says the "not-so-subtle implication" was that Modi should return the favor by nominating Trump too. But Modi "bristled" at this, telling Trump that the ceasefire between India and Pakistan was settled directly by the two nations, not by US involvement. Trump mostly ignored Modi's sharp stance. This disagreement over the Nobel Prize became a big reason why their once warm relationship started freezing over. Adding fuel to the fire, Trump slapped harsh 25% tariffs on Indian imports, especially targeting Indian oil bought from Russia. Experts say these "colossal penalties" seem more like punishment for India not bending to US demands rather than a strategic move against Russia. Richard Rossow from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies told the NYT, "If this was a real change in policy in trying to squeeze Russia, Trump could have imposed secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian oil. The fact that they have uniquely targeted India says this is about more than just Russia." Despite several attempts by Trump to reach out to Modi amid trade talks frustrations, the Indian PM stayed silent. Was it pride? Strategy? Or just disappointment? Whatever the reason, the dynamic duo, once the closest of allies, now share a strained journey marked by cold calls, tariff wars, and missed summits. Will the New Delhi Quad Summit this November sparkle or sputter without Trump? Only time will tell!

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Tags: Trump, Modi, India-us relations, Quad summit, Nobel prize, Trade tensions,