The Daily Populous Sunday August 31st, 2025 morning edition
Authored by financialexpress.com and submitted by DependentAthlete9060

New revelations about a June 11 phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump shed light on why India–U.S. ties have plunged to a new low.

According to a report in The New York Times, the turning point came during a June 17 phone call when Trump reportedly once again told Modi that he had ‘solved’ the military conflict between India and Pakistan. He reportedly suggested that Pakistan would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize and implied India should do the same.

The report claims Modi rejected this assertion, making clear that the ceasefire had been arranged directly between India and Pakistan, without U.S. involvement. The exchange reportedly left Modi visibly frustrated. Despite his pushback, Trump repeated his claims publicly, further aggravating New Delhi. The two leaders have not spoken since that call.

Also Read: PM Modi in China to meet Xi Jinping and Putin

The New York Times report comes days after Bloomberg reported similar information from the 35-minute phone call between the two leaders. According to anonymous New Delhi officials quoted in the report, Modi had bluntly called out Trump’s farce over his claims of ensuring a truce between Pakistan and India amid operation Sindoor. “India does not and will never accept mediation,” Modi was quoted as saying in the report.

This phone call was made soon after Trump had invited Modi to the White House in an attempt to ambush him into a photo op with Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, an invitation the Indian Prime Minister turned down. And later went public with his decision – citing prior commitments to visit Croatia instead.

Officials cited in the report claimed, India saw Trump’s hosting of Munir as giving legitimacy to the terror activities he had been accused of.

India-US escalating tensions and tariff war

Weeks after the call, Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, later raising it to 50 per cent in retaliation for India’s purchase of Russian oil. The steep tariffs have hit India harder than most other countries.

Also Read: Tariffs and opportunity in disguise – How Modi is battling tariff pain

Strained ties have extended beyond trade and ceasefire claims. Trump’s administration has taken steps that affected India directly, including deportations of undocumented Indian immigrants, restrictions on student visas, and heightened scrutiny of H-1B visa holders. These moves added further pressure on New Delhi.

Amid the tensions, Modi has landed in China to meet President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, signalling a possible shift in India’s diplomatic shift towards the east.

Remarkable_Bul on August 30th, 2025 at 16:08 UTC »

Trump invited modi over to white house when Modi visited Canada during G7. Asim Munir was in white house during same time.

Idea was to force a handshake and get him a nobel prize as a peacemaker. Modi knew the invite was a trap and excused himself after G7.

Trump really thinks a few sneaky tricks and jokes could bring peace.

Ok_Dragonfruit_370 on August 30th, 2025 at 16:05 UTC »

First candidate in history to beg for noble prize

ApesAPoppin237 on August 30th, 2025 at 16:00 UTC »

Ah yes, the sign of a true winner: obsessively begging others for validation then throwing a hissy fit when you don't get your way.