'I love PM Modi, he is great': Trump calls Rubio during Delhi live event, adds India can count on US 100%
The US President dialled in live to an event at Bharat Mandapam celebrating the 250th anniversary of America's Declaration of Independence, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio was addressing hundreds of guests.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsDonald Trump gatecrashed a diplomatic evening in New Delhi on Sunday, by phone, and used the moment to shower praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, declare that US-India ties had "never been closer," and promise India it could count on Washington without reservation.
The US President dialled in live to an event at Bharat Mandapam celebrating the 250th anniversary of America's Declaration of Independence, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio was addressing hundreds of guests. Speaking over speakerphone with Rubio standing before a giant screen, Trump dispensed with formality and got straight to the point.
"I love the Prime Minister. Modi is great. He's my friend," Trump said. "We've never been closer to India, and India can count on me 100 per cent and our country. If they ever need help, they know who they call. They call right here."
He also turned the spotlight on Rubio, calling him "the greatest secretary of state in the history of the US" and praising US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in the same breath. "When you have Marco, Sergio, you are getting the big stuff," Trump said, before signing off, "Let him know I'm a big fan."
The call came a day after Gor extended a formal White House invitation to PM Modi on Trump's behalf.
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Trade deal 'close', says Rubio
Beyond the warm words, Rubio brought substance to the visit. Speaking after bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, he said the two countries were close to finalising a long-awaited trade agreement that would be "beneficial, sustainable, and aligned with the national interests of both countries."
Rubio was careful to frame Washington's trade concerns in broader terms, pushing back against any suggestion that India was being singled out. "This is not about India," he said, noting that similar rebalancing conversations had taken place with traditional allies in Europe. "India is a massive economy and one of our leading trade partners. Rebalancing trade with a country of this size and magnitude is naturally different," he added.
The US State Department also confirmed that Rubio told Modi that Washington "will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage," and stressed that American energy exports could help India diversify away from its current dependence on Russian and Gulf oil.
Rubio described the India-US relationship as a "strategic alliance" between two nations with "global influence and the ability to influence global events", a characterisation that set the tone for the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting scheduled for Tuesday in New Delhi, bringing together India, the United States, Japan and Australia.
PM Modi, writing on X after his meeting with Rubio on Saturday, said the two countries would "continue to work closely for the global good", a sentiment that Trump, calling in from thousands of miles away, seemed very happy to echo.