TOI Correspondent from Washington: The irresistible force that is America and the immovable object that is India are re-engaging in trade talks again after leaders of both nations exchanged amicable messages following weeks of invective from the MAGA supremo and his minions in an effort to browbeat New Delhi over tariff issues and its ties with Russia.
After nearly calling off talks over India not ceding ground on throwing open its markets to American satisfaction and on ending purchase of Russian oil which Washington says is fueling Moscow’s war on Ukraine, US President Donald Trump reached out for a second time in three days through social media, saying the two sides are "continuing negotiations" and he feels certain they will come to a successful conclusion on the issue of trade barriers. He did not refer to the Russian oil purchase issue.
PM Modi responded to Trump’s outreach soon after, saying he is confident the trade negotiations "will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership.” The US President reposted Modi's response.
Trump’s friendly 63-word social media post came after weeks of strife between the two sides triggered by the President himself dissing New Delhi with an angry jibe about its “dead economy” after slapping a 25 percent penalty on top of 25 percent tariff on imports from India because of its purchase of Russian oil. Trump minions aggravated the situation with unhinged tirades even as New Delhi doubled down on its right to buy Russian oil as talks between the two sides stalled, although communication channels remained open.
Analysts parsed Trump’s post (and Modi’s response) to read the tea leaves, with the consensus being the outreach is spurred by the realization that Washington’s heavy-handed approach is driving India into the Russia-China orbit and solidifying BRICS. Trump himself ruefully noted in a post last week that he may have “lost” India (and Russia) to “deepest darkest China.”
Outside of the toxic MAGA echo chamber, well-meaning interlocutors repeatedly warned the White House that alienating India, a natural partner, is not a good idea.
“It takes a lot of effort to drive Narendra Modi to the point he is holding hands with Xi and Putin. That's one thing we must be really careful about…trust is at the core of alliances and partnerships and if we erode that it can be very difficult to rebuild,” William Burns former CIA Director said in think-tank engagement.
Indeed, the crisis is far from over though. In a clear indication that there are still plenty of misgivings between the two sides despite his outreach, Trump on Tuesday pressured the European Union to hit China and India with tariffs of up to 100% to force Russian president Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. The US President’s call to EU leaders came even as India is trying to quickly conclude a trade deal with EU to offset potential loss of the US markets due to high tariffs and sanctions. A trade delegation from EU will be in New Delhi on Friday for talks.
It is not clear when the two sides will resume formal talks, but Trump was effusive in saying he looks forward to speaking with "my very good friend," Prime Minister Modi, in the "upcoming weeks,” indicating there is still plenty of ground to cover and there’s no immediate resolution at hand.
On his part, PM Modi conspicuously abjured any reference to personal friendship while asserting “India and the US are close friends and natural partners.” He also said he is looking forward to speaking with Trump after reports surfaced last month that he has avoided calls from the US President.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent among others had accused India of “stringing us along” with protracted talks, expressing frustration at not being able to move New Delhi on what it considers non-negotiable red lines, notably agriculture and dairy sectors. There are no indications that India has resiled from that position although Trump claimed in a post last week that New Delhi had agreed to “cut their tariffs to nothing,” presumably in other sectors.
Rajghatta is author of Kamala Harris: Phenomenal Woman