Modi and Trump once called each other good friends. Now the US-India relationship is getting bumpy.
Advertisement
It has left policy experts wondering whether the camaraderie the two leaders shared may be a thing of the past, even though Trump has stopped short of referring to Modi directly on social media. The dip in rapport, some say, puts a strategic bilateral relationship built over decades at risk.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
'This is a testing time for the relationship,' said Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India's Foreign Ministry.
The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Simmering tensions over trade and tariffs
The latest hiccup between India and the U.S. emerged last week when Trump announced that he was slapping 25% tariffs on India as well as an unspecified penalty because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. For New Delhi, such a move from its largest trading partner is expected to be felt across sectors, but it also led to a sense of unease in India — even more so when Trump, on social media, called India's economy 'dead.'
Advertisement
Trump's recent statements reflect his frustration with the pace of trade talks with India, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal administration thinking. The Republican president has not been pursuing any strategic realignment with Pakistan, according to the official, but is instead trying to play hardball in negotiations.
Trump doubled down on the pressure Monday with a fresh post on Truth Social, in which he accused India of buying 'massive amounts' of oil from Russia and then 'selling it on the Open Market for big profits.'
'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,' he said.
The messaging appears to have stung Modi's administration, which has been hard-selling negotiations with Trump's team over a trade deal by balancing between India's protectionist system while also opening up the country's market to more American goods.
Many expected India to react strongly considering Modi's carefully crafted reputation of strength. Instead, the announcement prompted a rather careful response from India's commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, who said the two countries are working towards a 'fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement.' India's Foreign Ministry also played down suggestions of any strain.
However, experts in New Delhi wonder.
'Strenuous, uninterrupted and bipartisan efforts in both capitals over the past 25 years are being put at risk by not just the tariffs but by fast and loose statements and social media posts,' said Malik, who now heads the India chapter of The Asia Group, a U.S. advisory firm .
Advertisement
Malik also said the trade deal the Indian side has offered to the U.S. is the 'most expansive in this country's history,' referring to reports that India was willing to open up to some American agricultural products. That is a politically sensitive issue for Modi, who faced a yearlong farmers' protest a few years ago.
Trump appears to be tilting towards Pakistan
The unraveling may have gained momentum over tariffs, but the tensions have been palpable for a while. Much of it has to do with Trump growing closer to Pakistan, India's nuclear rival in the neighborhood.
In May, India and Pakistan traded a series of military strikes over a gun massacre in disputed Kashmir that New Delhi blamed Islamabad for. Pakistan denied the accusations. The four-day conflict made the possibility of a nuclear conflagration between the two sides seem real and the fighting only stopped when global powers intervened.
But it was Trump's claims of mediation and an offer to work to provide a 'solution' regarding the dispute over Kashmir that made Modi's administration uneasy. Since then, Trump has repeated nearly two dozen times that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan.
For Modi, that is a risky — even nervy — territory. Domestically, he has positioned himself as a leader who is tough on Pakistan. Internationally, he has made huge diplomatic efforts to isolate the country. So Trump's claims cut a deep wound, prompting a sense in India that the U.S. may no longer be its strategic partner.
India insists that Kashmir is India's internal issue and had opposed any third-party intervention. Last week Modi appeared to dismiss Trump's claims after India's Opposition began demanding answers from him. Modi said that 'no country in the world stopped' the fighting between India and Pakistan, but he did not name Trump.
Advertisement
Trump has also appeared to be warming up to Pakistan, even praising its counterterrorism efforts. Hours after levying tariffs on India, Trump announced a 'massive' oil exploration deal with Pakistan, saying that some day, India might have to buy oil from Islamabad. Earlier, he also hosted one of Pakistan's top military officials at a private lunch.
Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an expert at New Delhi's Jindal School of International Affairs, said Trump's sudden admiration for Pakistan as a great partner in counterterrorism has 'definitely soured' the mood in India.
Chaulia said 'the best-case scenario is that this is just a passing Trump whim,' but he also warned that 'if financial and energy deals are indeed being struck between the U.S. and Pakistan, it will dent the U.S.-India strategic partnership and lead to loss of confidence in the U.S. in Indian eyes.'
India's oil purchases from Russia are an irritant
The strain in relations has also to do with oil.
India had faced strong pressure from the Biden administration to cut back its oil purchases from Moscow during the early months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Instead, India bought more, making it the second-biggest buyer of Russian oil after China. That pressure sputtered over time and the U.S. focused more on building strategic ties with India, which is seen as a bulwark against a rising China.
Trump's threat to penalize India over oil, however, brought back those issues.
On Sunday, the Trump administration made its frustrations over ties between India and Russia ever more public. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, accused India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, saying it was 'not acceptable.'
Advertisement
Some experts, though, suspect Trump's remarks are mere pressure tactics. 'Given the wild fluctuations in Trump's policies,' Chaulia said, 'it may return to high fives and hugs again.'
Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed reporting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Coca-Cola makes sweetener change. Is corn syrup or cane sugar healthier?
Coca-Cola will be adding cane sugar to its ingredients list after all. 'We're going to be bringing a Coke sweetened with US cane sugar into the market this fall, and I think that will be an enduring option for consumers,' Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said on a second-quarter call with investors and analysts on July 22. The company initially declined to comment on its intentions to use cane sugar after President Donald Trump claimed it would do so in July. 'I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,' Trump wrote in a July 16 Truth Social post. 'I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You'll see. It's just better!' Coke didn't confirm the claim at the time, saying in a statement shared with USA TODAY that it would share details on new offerings soon and appreciated Trump's enthusiasm for its product. Rather than replace high-fructose corn syrup as the sweetener in its flagship line, however, the sugar will be used in a drink that 'complements' and 'expands' its product range, Quincey said in the earnings call and subsequent report. USA TODAY has reached out to Coca-Cola for comment. High-fructose corn syrup is one of the ingredients the Trump administration has pushed companies to remove from food and beverages as part of its 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative. But is cane sugar actually 'healthier' for you? Here's what to know. What is high-fructose corn syrup? High-fructose corn syrup is a viscous, sweet substance made from cornstarch. When broken down into individual molecules, it becomes corn syrup, virtually a 100% glucose product, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Enzymes are then added to make some of the glucose into fructose, another simple sugar that naturally occurs in fruits. The resulting product is higher in fructose compared to the pure glucose in plain corn syrup, hence the 'high' in the name. High-fructose corn syrup is used in a large number of processed and packaged foods. Because it is cheaper to produce and more shelf-stable than regular sugar, it is widely used in the food manufacturing industry, according to the Cleveland Clinic. What is cane sugar? Cane sugar is derived from the natural byproduct of sugarcane − a tall, perennial, tropical grass from which liquid is extracted to create sugar. Corn is in the same plant family as sugarcane, which allows for the extraction of sweetener from both. The way raw sugarcane is processed and refined determines the product it ultimately yields. It can be made into a syrup, juice or crystallized and refined further into products like white sugar, brown sugar, molasses or jaggery, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and WebMD. Cane sugar consists of sucrose, which is one-half glucose and one-half fructose. Is cane sugar better for you than high-fructose corn syrup? Like all types of added sugar, both cane and high-fructose corn syrup can have negative health effects, like weight gain, diabetes and heart disease, if consumed in excess. The FDA says it is 'not aware of any evidence' of a difference in safety between foods containing high-fructose corn syrup and 'foods containing similar amounts of other nutritive sweeteners with approximately equal glucose and fructose content, such as sucrose, honey, or other traditional sweeteners.' Dr. Wesley McWhorter, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told USA TODAY that high intakes of any added sugar can cause health issues, but that our bodies break down some types differently. 'High fructose corn syrup and cane sugar are both forms of added sugar, and both contain glucose and fructose; cane sugar is sucrose, which is 50% fructose, while high fructose corn syrup typically contains about 55%,' he said. 'Your body processes them similarly, but fructose is primarily metabolized in the liver. When consumed in excess, especially from sugary drinks and other concentrated sources, fructose can promote fat accumulation in the liver, a key contributor to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.' He hopes the conversation around Coke's change sparks a larger conversation about reducing the amount of added sugar Americans consume in general, regardless of the type. 'Long-term health isn't about swapping one sweetener for another; it's about making meaningful changes to cut added sugar and improve the overall quality of the foods we eat,' he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cane sugar vs. high-fructose corn syrup: Which one is healthier? Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
8 minutes ago
- The Hill
GOP senators place holds over tax credit guidance
Grassley, who recently engaged in a heated back-and-forth with Trump over the handling of judicial picks, announced his move to place the holds in the congressional record Friday. 'Today, I placed a hold on three Department of the Treasury nominees,' he said in the record, specifically naming Trump's picks for the department's general counsel, assistant secretary and undersecretary. The Iowa Republican added that while the 'big, beautiful, bill' recently passed by Congress allowed for wind and solar companies to continue to get tax credits if they begin construction of their projects in the next year, the Treasury Department 'is expected to issue rules and regulations implementing the agreed upon phase-out of the wind and solar credits by August 18, 2025.' 'Until I can be certain that such rules and regulations adhere to the law and congressional intent, I intend to continue to object to the consideration of these Treasury nominees,' Grassley said. Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) is also placing a hold on the same nominees — Brian Morrissey Jr., Francis Brooke and Jonathan McKernan — for the same reason, a source familiar told The Hill. After legislation to terminate the tax credits was passed, Trump signed an executive order that directed the Treasury to take a strict approach to limit which projects are eligible while they're still active.
Los Angeles Times
8 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Trump plans White House task force on security for the 2028 L.A. Olympics
WASHINGTON — President Trump will order the establishment of a White House task force on Tuesday focused on security for the Olympics Games in Los Angeles in 2028. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the president plans on creating the task force by executive order on Tuesday, telling The Times that Trump 'considers it a great honor to oversee this global sporting spectacle.' 'During his first term, President Trump was instrumental in securing America's bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles,' Leavitt said. 'Sports is one of President Trump's greatest passions, and his athletic expertise, combined with his unmatched hospitality experience will make these Olympic events the most exciting and memorable in history.' The executive order follows on Trump's signature legislation, referred to by the president as the 'big beautiful bill,' securing $1 billion for security, planning and other costs for the L.A. Games. Planning for the games is being led by the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, or LA28, a privately funded non-profit organization. Casey Wasserman, chairperson and president of LA28, thanked the Trump administration in a statement 'for their leadership and unwavering support as we prepare to deliver the largest and most ambitious Olympic and Paralympic Games ever hosted in the United States.' 'Since we secured this historic opportunity in 2017, President Trump has consistently recognized the magnitude of our responsibility in welcoming the world to Los Angeles,' Wasserman said. 'The creation of this task force marks an important step forward in our planning efforts and reflects our shared commitment to delivering not just the biggest, but the greatest Games the world has ever seen in the summer of 2028.'
