‘Trump Called Four Times, Modi Didn’t Answer’

Darwin, August 27 — U.S. President Donald Trump has attempted to speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone four times in recent weeks, but Modi did not take the calls, according to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The newspaper noted that Trump had previously shocked India by imposing a 25% tariff on Indian goods and calling the country a “dead economy.”

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote:

“There are signs that Modi feels insulted. His reluctance to speak to Trump on the phone suggests how irritated the Indian Prime Minister is by the U.S. President’s actions.”

The article further states that public perception of Trump in India has changed significantly, particularly due to his comments about strengthening ties with Pakistan.

Following Modi’s visit to Washington in February, India and the U.S. began negotiations on a large-scale trade deal, aiming to increase bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. The agreement was expected to be signed this fall.

Indian delegations visited Washington multiple times for discussions. However, the sixth round of talks, scheduled for August 25 in India with a U.S. delegation, was canceled.

On August 6, the United States raised tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 50%.

The reason cited was India’s continued purchase of oil and petroleum products from Russia. Trump criticized India, stating that the South Asian country has always sourced most of its defense equipment from Russia and is now one of the biggest energy buyers from both China and Russia.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the criticism from the United States and the European Union, calling it unjustified. The increased tariffs are set to take effect from August 27.