Why India-US relations have hit a rough patch

US President Donald Trump's claim that he personally brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during last month's conflict has caused some diplomatic friction.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Trump in a telephone call that the ceasefire was achieved through talks between the Indian and Pakistani militaries — and not US mediation, India's foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, said in a statement following the call.

"PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-US trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan," Misri said.

"Prime Minister Modi emphasised that India has not accepted mediation in the past and never will."

There was no separate readout of the call from the White House.

Modi and Trump were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Canada, but didn't because of the US president's hasty departure due to the situation in the Middle East.

Although Modi and Trump enjoy a personal rapport, there is a belief that Trump's unpredictability and transactional approach to foreign policy matters may be straining the relationship.

India is currently negotiating a trade deal with the US, but talks have encountered hurdles as the July 9 deadline approaches for the end of a 90-day pause on most tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

Ajay Bisaria, a former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan, told DW that India has so far handled Trump with strategic composure.

"But when the US President repeatedly and publicly claims an outsized role in mediating the recent India-Pakistan conflict, expect public corrections from India," said Bisaria.

"Public opinion in India now tends to see the US as an unreliable partner," Bisaria added. 

Navigating the new normal

Bisaria also mentioned that while Delhi understands that the India-US relationship is deeper than White House pronouncements, it cannot ignore public diplomacy challenges.

"Each time Washington indulges Pakistan's military — like President Trump's recent lunch with its army chief General Asim Munir — it sends the wrong signal."

India has accused Pakistan of "supporting terrorism" from across the border after the April 22 attack on civilians in India-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people.

The attack was claimed by a group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance, which India says is also known as The Resistance Front and is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a UN-designated terrorist organization.

New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the attack, an allegation Pakistan denies.

Conflicting views on US mediation

The lunch meeting between Trump and Munir, which took place at the White House last week, was a unique event as it marked the first time a sitting US president officially hosted a Pakistani army chief who was not also serving as the head of state.

Many viewed it as a provocative move given the recent tensions.

"India's diplomatic message to the US will remain clear — sanction, don't embrace, Pakistan's generals," added Bisaria.

However, Meera Shankar, a former Indian envoy to the US, had a different take.

She said it was perhaps somewhat clumsy to rebut Trump's claims of having brokered an end to the recent India Pakistan conflict, since India did not seek a full-scale conflict.

Shankar added that it is possible that the Trump administration helped to persuade Pakistan to pull back.

"The Indian government was facing domestic criticism for allowing foreign intervention and I think the rebuttal was responding to this," she told DW.

"The feting of Asim Munir in the US must be seen in the context of the US military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. It is likely that the US was seeking some facilities from Pakistan in this context."

India-US ties face diplomatic test

Shankar added that there is concern that the India-US Strategic Partnership is coming under stress because of missteps from the US administration.

"There is a need to show sensitivity to each other's concerns and to strengthen communication," she noted.

Despite the tensions, the US cannot afford to isolate India in countering China's rise in the Indo-Pacific region.

India will host the 2025 Quad Summit in September where Trump is expected to attend.

The group — made up of the US, Japan, Australia and India — focuses on promoting stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in response to China's assertiveness.

The last time the Indian and US leaders met was in February after Trump was sworn in for his second presidential term, underscoring the importance both men placed on their relationship.

Amitabh Mattoo, dean of the School of International Studies at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told DW that the recent developments have introduced friction and mistrust into the relationship.

"The US has pursued short-term and deal-based diplomacy and this transactional approach has undermined mutual trust and fostered a sense of unpredictability," said Mattoo.

"This raises concerns about India's relations with the Trump administration … but the partnership can overcome challenges and shape a better, durable future — and also offer an opportunity for renewal," added Mattoo.

Edited by: Keith Walker