Tense Trump-Modi Call Helped Unravel Decades of US Policy

Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Anto Antony, Peter Martin, and Dan Strumpf

SOURCE LINK

• Indian officials pushed back against Donald Trump's claims that he brokered an end to a four-day armed conflict between India and Pakistan.
• Narendra Modi told Trump in a phone call that India "does not and will never accept mediation", according to an Indian readout, and that the two nations directly discussed a ceasefire upon Pakistan's request.
• The US-India relationship has deteriorated, with Trump imposing tariffs on Indian exports and Modi reassessing India's tilt toward the US, potentially leading to warmer relations with China, according to officials and experts, including Eric Garcetti, Lindsey Ford, and Navdeep Suri.

In the weeks after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire in May, officials in New Delhi seethed over Donald Trump’s claims that he brokered an end to a four-day armed conflict.

As the US president repeatedly spoke about how he prevented a nuclear war, Indian diplomats started to push back publicly against his version of events. The tensions came to a head in a June 17 phone call with Narendra Modi, which was held after Trump left the Group of Seven summit in Canada early and couldn’t meet the Indian leader in person.

In the 35-minute conversation, Modi told Trump that the two nations directly discussed a ceasefire upon Pakistan’s request following a bombardment by India. Modi said India “does not and will never accept mediation,” according to an Indian readout, adding that Trump “listened carefully.”

Modi felt like he needed to set the record straight in the call after his aides discovered that Trump planned to host a lunch the following day at the White House for Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, according to officials in New Delhi familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to speak about confidential discussions.

While India had no problem if Trump met Pakistan’s civilian leaders, hosting Munir was seen as giving legitimacy to a military that Modi’s government accuses of supporting militant groups, they said. Wary that Trump would look to orchestrate a meeting between Munir and Modi, the Indian leader turned down an invitation to stop by the White House on the way back from Canada, they said, adding that he was also committed to visiting Croatia.

Read more