Rama Krishna Sangem
There can be some good news for India in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur later this month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump may hold a meeting on the sidelines of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26-27. The meeting is not yet confirmed officially, but efforts are on from both the sides to see that the two leaders meet exclusively to sort out all the recent tensions, between them.
PM Modi is scheduled to travel to Malaysia for the 47th ASEAN Summit on October 26–27. Malaysia has also extended an invitation to President Trump to attend the summit. If Trump confirms his participation, it will mark the first multilateral forum where the two leaders will come face-to-face after Washington’s 50 per cent tariffs against India came into effect. Sources are hopeful of some good news for India, if the meeting happens in Kuala Lumpur.
Relations between India and the United States have come under strain after Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods while at the same time drawing closer to Pakistan. The rift has widened further with Trump targeting New Delhi over its energy ties with Moscow, particularly its imports of Russian crude.
Trump is harsh on India
Of late, Trump is harsh on India. He has repeatedly criticised India for continuing to buy oil from Russia, warning that such purchases weaken international efforts to pressure Moscow into ending the war in Ukraine.
Over the last couple of months, Trump’s aides, including Peter Navarro, have sharpened the rhetoric against New Delhi. Navarro went as far as to call the Russia-Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war” and accused India of profiteering through its refineries, dubbing the country a “laundromat” for Russian oil.
Despite the sharp exchanges, there have been signs of a thaw. Both governments have acknowledged that trade talks are underway, and Trump himself has sought to soften the tone. Just days after extending birthday wishes to PM Modi, the US President told reporters he is “very close” to India and enjoys a strong personal rapport with the Indian Prime Minister.
When asked earlier last month if he wanted to reset ties with India, Trump described the relationship as “very special” and hailed PM Modi as a “great Prime Minister.” PM Modi, in turn, stressed that the India-US partnership remains “positive and forward-looking”. The outreach has also played out on the international stage. Trump recently reshared PM Modi’s message backing his new plan to end the Gaza conflict.
While the US President did not add his own words, PM Modi’s post welcomed Trump’s 20-point blueprint for a ceasefire, hostage-prisoner exchange, phased Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament, and a transitional government under international supervision. PM Modi called it “a viable pathway to long-term and sustainable peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the larger West Asian region”.