After phone call with 'fantastic man' PM Modi, Trump says trade deal coming

New York, June 18 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said after a phone call with "fantastic man" Prime Minister Narendra Modi that a trade deal with India was coming. 

"I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We're going to make a trade deal with Modi of India," he said on Wednesday.

PM Modi was to have met Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Kananaskis in Canada. However, Trump cut short his participation in the summit and returned to Washington on Monday night.

Both leaders spoke over phone on Tuesday during which India denied that there was any mediation or a quid pro quo for a trade deal between New Delhi and Washington over stopping the recent conflict with Pakistan.

"Prime Minister Modi clearly conveyed to President Trump that at no point during this entire sequence of events was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US Trade Deal, or any proposal for a mediation by the US between India and Pakistan," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

"The discussion to cease military action took place directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces, and it was initiated at Pakistan's request," it said.

It added, "Prime Minister Modi firmly stated that India does not and will never accept mediation. There is complete political consensus in India on this matter".

In an interaction with reporters as he watched the erection of a 30-metre-tall flagpole on White House grounds, Trump was also asked what he expected diplomatically from his meeting with Pakistan's military chief Asim Munir, to which he did not give a direct reply.

He said of Munir, "This man was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side, Modi from the India side, and others".

According to the MEA, Trump invited PM Modi to stop over in Washington on his way back from Canada and meet him but PM Modi could not have accepted the invitation because of his prior commitment to visit Croatia.

During their conversation, the ministry said, PM Modi explained to Trump the reason for Operation Sindoor.

"India had only targetted the terrorist camps and hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. India's actions were very measured, precise, and non-escalatory", Prime Minister Modi told Trump.

PM Modi also outlined to Trump the timeline of the developments leading up to the stop in fighting to rebut his claim of US mediation.

"On the night of May 9, Vice President [JD] Vance had made a phone call to Prime Minister Modi. Vice President Vance had conveyed that Pakistan may launch a major attack on India. Prime Minister Modi had conveyed to him in clear terms that if such an action were to occur, India would respond with an even stronger response," the readout detailed.

"On the night of May 9-10, India gave a strong and decisive response to Pakistan's attack, inflicting significant damage on the Pakistani military. Their military airbases were rendered inoperable", PM Modi told Trump.

"Due to India's firm action, Pakistan was compelled to request a cessation of military operations," PM Modi said directly to Trump, according to the readout.

Picture Courtesy: IANS