New York, August 27: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a very terrific man” even as he repeated his controversial claim of mediating between India and Pakistan and stood firm on threats of imposing strong tariffs linked to the Ukraine-Russia war.
Despite his warm words for Modi, Trump confirmed that the US Department of Homeland Security would impose a fresh 25 per cent tariff on India starting Wednesday, citing threats arising from India’s purchase of Russian oil. This levy comes on top of a similar 25 per cent duty announced earlier, although exemptions have been granted for some items such as electronics and pharmaceuticals.
Speaking after an open cabinet meeting, Trump warned that he could deploy “a very strong tariff system that’s very costly to Russia or Ukraine, or whoever we have.” He described his campaign to end the Ukraine conflict as potentially an “economic war,” stating: “It will not be a world war, but it could be an economic war… and it’s going to be bad for Russia. But I don’t want that now.”
Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold negotiations. While a deadline set after his August summit with Putin was due to expire Thursday, he extended it last week to September 5. Asked about the timeline, he admitted difficulty in getting both leaders to agree, saying, “If one agreed, the other didn’t… I got to get them both at the same time.” He also remarked that “Zelensky is not innocent either,” while maintaining he had “good relations with Putin.”
Veering from Ukraine to South Asia, Trump revived his claim that he personally prevented a nuclear war between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack by The Resistance Front, an affiliate of Lashkar-e-Taiba. According to Trump, he was compelled to intervene after “seven or more jets were shot down,” insisting, “Within about five hours, it was done.” He described the “tremendous hatred” between the two neighbours as going back “hundreds of years,” despite the two countries being only 78 years old.
Recounting his conversations, Trump said, “I’m talking to a very terrific man, Modi of India. They’re saying, ‘What’s going on with you in Pakistan?’ And I’m talking to Pakistan on trade, they said, ‘What’s going on with you in India?’” He claimed to have 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.”
India, however, has strongly rejected Trump’s narrative. New Delhi maintains that there was no third-party mediation and that the ceasefire following the Pahalgam attack was offered directly by Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Kashif Abdullah to his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai. Prime Minister Modi himself conveyed this position to Trump during a phone call in June.
Although Trump continues to credit himself with brokering peace, India has firmly denied the claim, underlining that dialogue with Pakistan — when it happens — is conducted strictly on a bilateral basis without outside involvement.
