For months, the diplomatic rapport between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former US President Donald Trump had been frosty, with India showing deliberate distance. Modi declined Trump’s dinner invitation after the G7 Summit in Canada and subsequently cancelled a scheduled New York visit to address the UN General Assembly. Multiple attempts by Trump to reach Modi over the phone reportedly went unanswered following a tense call in June, leaving the exchanges between the two leaders largely restricted to lukewarm social media interactions. This chill coincided with heightened tensions over hefty US tariffs on Indian goods and Trump’s public criticism of India’s Russian oil purchases, which had contributed to the perception of a strained India-US relationship.
The ice was broken when Trump personally called PM Modi on his 75th birthday, initiating a warm and cordial exchange. Sharing the conversation on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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.” He further acknowledged Modi’s role in supporting a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine war, marking a surprising shift from his earlier criticism of India’s global alignments. PM Modi responded on X, expressing gratitude for the call and affirming his commitment to enhancing the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership while supporting efforts toward peace in Ukraine.
The birthday call represented the first direct interaction between the two leaders since the ‘testy’ June phone call, which followed India’s brief four-day Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. During that earlier conversation, Trump had repeatedly claimed credit for brokering the ceasefire—a claim firmly rejected by India, which maintained that the pause in hostilities resulted solely from direct India-Pakistan talks at Islamabad’s request. Modi made it clear that India would not accept outside mediation in its dealings with Pakistan, firmly drawing a line against Trump’s interventions and subtle hints toward a Nobel Peace Prize.
Since June, bilateral tensions had intensified, largely due to Trump’s imposition of punitive tariffs and his administration’s public criticism over India’s Russian oil imports. The former US president had labelled India’s economy as “dead,” imposed 50 percent tariffs, and accused New Delhi of fuelling the Russian war effort, even threatening further duties over the alleged resale of Russian oil. Other US officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and adviser Peter Navarro, also targeted India, branding it a “bad actor” and the Kremlin’s “laundromat.” These disputes stalled crucial trade talks and pushed India closer to adversarial powers like China and Russia.
Trump’s change in tone came after observing Modi’s close diplomatic engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in Tianjin. Following the summit, Trump publicly described India and the US as having a “special relationship” and assured that his friendship with Modi remained strong, downplaying previous rifts as “just moments on occasion.” This conciliatory shift was reinforced by his birthday call, as well as by social media posts indicating ongoing negotiations to resolve trade barriers between the two nations.
Subsequently, a US trade delegation visited New Delhi for in-person talks—the first since the imposition of 25 percent additional tariffs—culminating in positive discussions that have renewed hopes for progress on stalled bilateral trade agreements. While the visit signaled a willingness on Washington’s part to compromise on trade, it remains to be seen whether Trump’s outreach also implies a softening of the US stance on India’s Russian oil imports. The coming weeks will clarify the extent of this thaw in India-US relations.
