U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi share warm words during a birthday phone call, easing recent trade tensions. Image: The News International.
(The Post News) – U.S. President Donald Trump called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday to offer him a personal “Happy 75th birthday,” a move that marked a possible easing of tension following weeks of tension over U.S. tariffs.
This comes after a series of friendly exchanges on social media platforms in the last weeks. The two leaders hadn’t spoken since last month, when Trump doubled tariffs on Indian exports to 50% in retaliation for New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil and weapons. India rejected the move, calling the tariffs “unfair” and insisting its energy needs justified the imports.
Trump shifted the tone with Wednesday’s call. Publicly on Truth Social, he praised Modi: “Just had a good phone conversation with my friend, Prime Minister Modi. I wished him a very happy birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra: Thank you for your appreciation of ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.”
Modi returned the affection on X, calling Trump a “friend” and reaffirming their friendship. “Thanks for your phone call and warm birthday wishes, my friend, President Trump, on my 75th birthday. As you are, I too am equally committed to further strengthening the India-U.S. Comprehensive and Global Partnership. We welcome your efforts towards ending the Ukraine war peacefully.”
Trade Talks Back in Play
The call coincided with the visit to New Delhi of U.S. trade negotiator Brendan Lynch. Lynch sat down with India’s Commerce Ministry officials to discuss a potential trade pact. Though both sides labelled the talks as not an official round of negotiations, they described the discussion as “positive” and vowed to double their efforts to seal an agreement.
India’s exports to the U.S. have already suffered. According to trade ministry data cited by Reuters, shipments dropped to $6.86 billion in August from $8.01 billion in July. The steep fall increased pressure on Modi’s government to repair ties. Trump, however, is still to be won over on his tough tariff line. Last week, he demanded putting tariffs of up to 100% on China and India to force Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Birthday Diplomacy
The two leaders previously had a standoff in June when Modi stole the limelight by crediting India for staving off a ceasefire with Pakistan, discounting Trump’s claim that Washington brokered the deal. Their relations went icy cold thereafter. Trump’s outreach on Modi’s birthday, however, suggests both sides want to reset relations. Earlier this month, Trump called India a “special partner” and dismissed tensions as “moments on occasion.”
For Modi, the phone call reinforced India’s value as a U.S. ally while allowing him to defend India’s independent energy strategy. For Trump, the move revived his image as a dealmaker while setting the stage for progress on trade negotiations.
Whether birthday diplomacy succeeds in overcoming disagreements on tariffs and Russian oil is unclear, but both leaders have decidedly opted to dial down the temperature and present themselves as united to the world.
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