After US President Donald Trump negotiated a peace deal that ended the war in Gaza and freed the last living prisoners, he praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “very good friend” who has done a “fantastic job” for India. At the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the comments were made with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif standing nearby. The exchange is the latest sign of the ongoing friendship between Trump and Modi, although the US President once again repeated his disputed claim that he “stopped” the current India-Pakistan war by threatening “big tariffs.”
Praise at the Gaza Peace Conference
President Trump praised Prime Minister Modi at the Gaza Peace Summit, even though Modi was not there (he was represented by Kirti Vardhan Singh, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs).
Trump said, “India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top, and he has done a great job.”
The US President’s kind words came while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was in the background. Trump then said he hoped that Pakistan and India “are going to live very nicely together.”
The Ongoing Friendship Between Trump and Modi
There have been several reports of the two presidents showing mutual respect for each other, even when it goes against diplomatic norms:
Congratulations on the Peace Plan: Last week, PM Modi called President Trump to congratulate him on the “success of the historic Gaza peace plan.”
Personalized Gift: Recently, US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor gave PM Modi a signed photo of Trump with a handwritten note that said, “Mr. Prime Minister, you are great.”
Communication: The leaders have been in touch by phone, even on PM Modi’s birthday.
Trump said again that he will end the India-Pakistan war
President Trump is saying that he helped end the May 2025 confrontation between India and Pakistan, which started after the April 22 terrorist incident in Pahalgam.
The Indian Armed Forces started “Operation Sindoor” on May 7 in reaction to the Pahalgam attack. The goal was to destroy terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This started a four-day war that ended when the Pakistani DGMO got in touch with his Indian counterpart and they agreed to a ceasefire.
The “Tariff Threat”: Trump repeated his long-held assertion that he ended the conflict by using economic leverage when on Air Force One on his way to the Egypt Summit:
“…I ended a few wars just because of tariffs.” For instance, I told them that if they wanted to fight a war and had nuclear weapons, they could do it. “I’m going to charge you both a lot, like 100%, 150%, and 200%…”
Trump said he “had that thing settled” in 24 hours and said the conflict couldn’t have been addressed without the threat of tariffs.
India’s Position: India has always said that no outside parties were involved in its decision to agree to the ceasefire. It continues to say that all matters, including the Kashmir issue, must be resolved with “bilaterally” between India and Pakistan.
PM Modi is happy at the release of the hostages.
PM Modi thanked Trump on the success of the Gaza peace deal on October 9. Two days later, he also celebrated the release of the Israeli hostages. Modi said on X: “Their liberation is a testimony to the bravery of their families, President Trump’s unwavering efforts for peace, and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s strong will. We back President Trump’s honest attempts to bring peace to the area.