Washington. US President Donald Trump has again praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a speech before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, Trump described PM Modi as a ‘nice looking man’, who looks like ‘your father’, but at the same time called him a ‘killer’, i.e. a tough and strong leader.
Referring to India-Pakistan tension in his speech, Trump said, ‘If you talk about India and Pakistan, then I was making a trade deal with India. I have great respect and love for Prime Minister Modi. Both of them were preparing to attack each other. I told the leadership of both countries that if they keep fighting, then America will not do any business with them. Trump claimed that his mediation had led to a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, although the Indian government has consistently rejected Trump’s claims.
Thus, referring to Modi’s image, Trump said, he is the best looking man, you will feel as if he is your father. But they are killers. Modi had once said that no, we will fight. I said, ‘Whoa, is this the same person I know?’ Trump described Modi as his good friend and said that their friendship is very strong. This statement was part of Trump’s address in which he emphasized trade and energy cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Trump reached Seoul on Wednesday, where he is scheduled to meet several world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
This comment of Trump has come when trade talks are going on between India and America. The Trump administration has announced to impose tariffs of up to 50 percent on Indian imports, of which 25 percent tariffs are in effect from August. These additional tariffs have been imposed on India’s oil imports from Russia. India has defended its energy policy, saying that its oil purchases are based solely on market conditions and national security needs, and not on any geopolitical pressure.
This new statement of Trump is quite different from his recent statements. While talking to the media at the White House, he had described PM Modi as a ‘great person’ and ‘great friend’. He had said, ‘I want to convey my best wishes to the people of India. I spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi today itself. We had a great conversation.