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From Egypt, Trump's message for 'very good friend' Modi | What US president said
US President Donald Trump's praises for PM Modi came despite the Indian leader's absence from the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh.
Having brought the Gaza war to a halt after a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, US President Donald Trump showered his "very good friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi with immense praise.
Speaking during the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh, Trump said, "India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top, and he has done a fantastic job."
The US President's remarks came as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was standing in the background. Trump hoped that Pakistan and India "are going to live very nicely together".
PM Modi was invited to attend the Gaza Peace Summit. But, he skipped the event and deputed MoS for Foreign Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to represent India.
The Trump-Modi bonhomie continues
Trump's mention of Modi despite the Indian PM's absence at the Gaza Peace Summit is another example of the bonhomie between the two global leaders.
From the riff-raff between India and the US over Trump's tariffs, to a series of social media posts shared by the duo, to their phone calls and birthday greetings, the world has been a witness to the Trump-Modi equation graph.
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One of the most recent gestures from the US President was a signed photo, which US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor presented to PM Modi during their meeting on Saturday. Trump had seemingly sent a handwritten message, signed by him, on the photo. "Mr Prime Minister, you are great," read the message.
PM Modi and Trump had even shared phone calls over the Indian leader's birthday and the former's move to congratulate the US President over the Gaza peace plan.
Tones of Trump and his India-Pak claims
However, what has been a striking point in the equation between India and the US, a glimpse of which is seen in Trump's sometimes-changing views, is the claim that the President "stopped" the India-Pakistan conflict, which took place in May after the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.
Trump's praise for PM Modi and his hope for India's ties with Pakistan came against the backdrop of the heightened tensions between the two South Asian neighbours.
The Indian Armed Forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The military operation targeted terror infrastructure within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Following this, the two neighbours were engaged in a four-day-long conflict, as Pakistan's attempts to strike back at India were thwarted by the Indian armed forces. On May 10, the Pakistani director general of military operations (DGMO) reached out to his Indian counterpart to cease hostilities. Subsequently, New Delhi and Islamabad reached a ceasefire understanding.
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Trump has repeatedly claimed that he "stopped a nuclear war" between India and Pakistan, a pitch that he has used as an example at many places, including while lobbying for a Nobel Peace Prize for himself.
Aboard Air Force One earlier in the day, en route to the Egypt Summit, the US President once again repeated his claim and said he used tariffs as a tool to resolve international conflicts, including the India-Pakistan tensions.
"...I settled a few of the wars just based on tariffs. For example, between India and Pakistan, I said, if you guys want to fight a war and you have nuclear weapons. I am going to put big tariffs on you both, like 100 per cent, 150 per cent, and 200 per cent..." Trump said.
Trump claimed that in 24 hours, he "had that thing settled". "If I didn't have tariffs, you could have never settled that war," he added.
However, India has remained firm in its stance, denying any third-party involvement in its decision to reach a ceasefire in the conflict following Operation Sindoor. New Delhi had also responded amid Trump's offer to mediate the Kashmir issue, stating that the matter would only be dealt with "bilaterally", between India and Pakistan.
PM Modi on Gaza peace plan
On October 9, when the US President announced that Israel and Hamas had signed off on phase one of his Gaza peace plan, PM Modi called Trump and congratulated him on the "success".
In a post on X, Modi wrote, "Spoke to my friend, President Trump and congratulated him on the success of the historic Gaza peace plan. Also reviewed the good progress achieved in trade negotiations. Agreed to stay in close touch over the coming weeks."
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Shortly after his call with Trump, PM Modi also dialed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on the peace plan deal. Modi said he reaffirmed that "terrorism in any form or manifestation is unacceptable anywhere in the world".
However, PM Modi skipped the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt and sent MoS for Foreign Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, to represent him and India there.
PM Modi on Monday welcomed the release of Israeli hostages, who were held by Hamas in Gaza for more than two years. "Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu. We support President Trump's sincere efforts to bring peace to the region," his X post read.
