Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned down a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in June over concerns that it could lead to a potential encounter with Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to a report in Bloomberg.
The detailed report, which highlights how U.S.-India relations have strained in recent months, noted that Modi was wary of meeting with the Pakistani Army Chief.
The American outlet, quoting officials in New Delhi, reported that Modi was concerned Trump might facilitate a meeting between him and the Pakistani Army Chief, if both happened to be at the White House at the same time.
As the U.S. president continued to claim credit for averting a nuclear war, Indian diplomats began publicly challenging his account. Tensions culminated during a June 17 phone call between Trump and Narendra Modi, held after Trump left the G7 summit in Canada early and was unable to meet Modi in person.
The events of May and June shed light on the sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries, culminating this week with Trump’s announcement of a 50 percent tariff on Indian exports to the U.S.
Earlier this month, Trump lashed out at India, calling it a “dead” economy with “obnoxious” trade barriers and accusing it of showing little concern for Ukrainians killed in the war with Russia. Modi and Trump have not spoken since their phone call in June.
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