Amid ongoing tensions between Delhi and Washington, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly snubbed US President Donald Trump on several occasions following the announcement of 50% tariffs on Indian goods entering America. German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has reported that Trump made at least four attempts to speak with PM Modi by telephone, but the Prime Minister refused to take his calls.
According to the prominent Mainz newspaper, this behaviour reflects both the "intensity of Modi's frustration and his prudent approach".
Trump's administration imposed 50% tariffs on India, the steepest levied on any nation except Brazil, while simultaneously attempting to engage PM Modi in dialogue.
Thorsten Benner, Co-Founder and Director of Berlin's Global Public Policy Institute, shared on X that "FAZ reports Trump made four unsuccessful attempts to reach Modi in recent weeks, with the Indian PM declining each call," alongside the German newspaper article.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ, with 'Zeitung' being the German term for newspaper) observed indicators that "Modi felt slighted".
The publication highlighted that while Trump's usual tactics exploited other nations' reliance on American markets, Modi "withstood this pressure", having maintained cordial relations with Trump previously without sacrificing India's economic priorities.
FAZ remarked that what was particularly striking was Trump's persistent efforts to convince Modi to concede.
"Modi's continued refusal to engage reveals both his deep resentment and his careful strategy," the German publication reported.
The newspaper then elaborated on this cautious stance.
Trump had previously overturned a meticulously negotiated US-Vietnam trade agreement during a single telephone conversation with General Secretary To Lam.
Despite no actual accord being reached, Trump declared on social media that a trade agreement had been finalised. "Modi seeks to avoid a similar predicament," FAZ observed.
Mark Frazier argues that "America's approach is failing." He contends that "Washington's vision of an 'Indo-Pacific' partnership, positioning India as a key player in America's China containment strategy, is crumbling." Frazier, who co-leads the India-China Institute at New York's New School, believes India never planned to align itself with the US against China.
