Washington: US President Donald Trump has once again heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a speech before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, Trump described PM Modi as a “nice-looking man,” who “makes you feel like he’s your father,” but also called him a “killer,” meaning a tough and strong leader.
Referring to the India-Pakistan tensions in his speech, Trump said, “If you talk about India and Pakistan, I was negotiating a trade deal with India. I have great respect and love for Prime Minister Modi. They were both preparing to attack each other. I told the leadership of both countries that if they continued fighting, the US would not do any business with them.” Trump claimed that his mediation had led to a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, although the Indian government has consistently denied these claims.
Referring to Modi’s image, Trump said, “He’s the nicest looking man, you’d feel like he’s your father. But he’s a killer.” Modi once said, “No, we’ll fight.” I said, “Whoa, is this the same guy I know?” Trump described Modi as his good friend and said their friendship is very strong. This statement was part of Trump’s address, in which he emphasized trade and energy cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Trump arrived in Seoul on Wednesday, where he is scheduled to meet several world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump‘s comments come as trade talks between India and the United States are ongoing. The Trump administration has announced tariffs of up to 50 percent on Indian imports, 25 percent of which will be effective from August. These additional tariffs are imposed on India’s oil imports from Russia. India has defended its energy policy, saying its oil purchases are based solely on market conditions and national security needs, not on any geopolitical pressures.
Trump’s new statement is a significant departure from his recent statements. During a media interaction at the White House, he described PM Modi as a “great person” and a “great friend.” He had said, “I want to extend my best wishes to the people of India. I spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. We had a wonderful conversation.”
