NEW YORK(National times)- US President Donald Trump no longer plans to travel to India for the Quad summit later this year, according to a report by The New York Times. The move is viewed as a setback for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose government had anticipated the visit as a chance to reinforce strategic and economic ties. The cancellation follows months of frictions between the two leaders. According to the report, their relationship began to sour after Trump claimed credit for halting a military escalation between India and Pakistan in June. He suggested during a phone call that Pakistan intended to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize and hinted that India should do the same. Modi rejected the idea, insisting that the ceasefire had been negotiated directly between New Delhi and Islamabad. The Indian leader’s refusal, coupled with escalating trade disputes, is said to have played a central role in the cooling ties between the once-close partners.
Tariffs and tensions
Shortly after the June exchange, Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, followed by another 25 per cent levy for purchasing Russian oil, raising the total to 50 percent. The penalties were described by Indian officials as “straight-up bullying,” as reported by The New York Times. The tensions were further fuelled by Trump’s crackdown on visas, with restrictions affecting thousands of Indian students and H-1B workers in the United States. Deportations of undocumented Indian migrants also created diplomatic headaches for New Delhi.
Modi turns elsewhere
Once celebrated at joint rallies such as “Howdy Modi” in Texas and “Namaste Trump” in Gujarat, the leaders’ bond now appears fractured. With Trump stepping back from the visit, Modi is preparing to strengthen ties with Beijing and Moscow. He is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip to China this weekend. The two leaders have not spoken since the June 17 phone call, underscoring the widening split in what was once portrayed as a robust partnership.
