NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON – Relations between India and the United States have taken another tense turn after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly declined an invitation to meet US President Donald Trump, following news that the White House planned to host Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal General Asim Munir.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the incident unfolded in mid-June after the G7 summit in Canada. President Trump, who has often boasted about brokering peace between India and Pakistan and “preventing nuclear war,” allegedly angered the Modi administration by portraying himself as the key mediator.
On June 17, after abruptly leaving the G7, Trump held a tense 35-minute phone call with Modi. During the exchange, Modi firmly rejected the US leader’s claim of mediation, insisting the ceasefire was a direct agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad at Pakistan’s request. He emphasized that India would “never accept” third-party involvement in its disputes with Pakistan.
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Matters escalated when Modi was informed that the White House planned to roll out the red carpet for General Asim Munir. Viewing the move as legitimizing what he called a “rogue force,” Modi feared Trump might arrange a face-to-face meeting between them. While returning from the G7, Modi declined the White House visit, citing a scheduled trip to Croatia.
In the aftermath, diplomatic ties between the two countries soured further. Trump retaliated by imposing 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, criticizing India’s economy as “dead” and slamming its “obnoxious” trade barriers. The two leaders have reportedly not spoken since the heated exchange.
This development marks yet another flashpoint in the already complex dynamics between Washington, New Delhi, and Islamabad, potentially impacting regional security and trade relations in the months ahead.
