NEW YORK– U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a very terrific man” but doubled down on his claims of mediating in South Asia and stood firm on tariff threats linked to the Ukraine-Russia war.
The fresh 25 per cent punitive tariffs on Indian goods, imposed for New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil, came into effect Wednesday. Yet Trump, speaking after a cabinet meeting, said he could use tariffs “as a very strong system” against Russia, Ukraine, or “whoever we have,” while admitting he does not want to deploy them right now.
“This will not be a world war, but it could be an economic war, and it’s going to be bad for Russia,” Trump told reporters, adding that he had “very serious” measures in mind if talks failed. He has repeatedly set deadlines for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate, but the timeline has been extended again to September 5. Trump said the main obstacle is getting both leaders to agree at the same time, while adding, “Zelensky is not innocent either.”
Veering off to India-Pakistan tensions, Trump revived his claim that he intervened to stop a nuclear war during the 2024 Operation Sindoor crisis triggered by a terrorist attack in Pahalgam. He alleged that after several jets were shot down, he stepped in to defuse a standoff between India and Pakistan.
“I’m talking to a very terrific man, Modi of India,” Trump recounted, before saying he also warned Pakistan. According to him, he told both sides, “You’re gonna have a nuclear war… or we’re going to put tariffs on you that are so high your head’s going to spin.” Turning to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, he added: “You were there. Within about five hours, it was done.”
India has consistently rejected Trump’s claim of mediation. New Delhi maintains that a ceasefire followed direct talks between Pakistan’s DGMO Major General Kashif Abdullah and India’s DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai. Modi himself reportedly reiterated this to Trump in a June phone call.
Despite his praise for Modi, Trump’s latest comments have fueled uncertainty over U.S. policy toward India as punitive tariffs bite and his narrative of personal diplomacy diverges from India’s official position. (Source: IANS)
