Trump Boosts US-India Ties, Offers F-35 Jets to Modi

AFP | Washington
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US President Donald Trump on Thursday offered to sell advanced fighter jets to India, as he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to strengthen trade relations, renewing a partnership that persists despite the current US administration's often confrontational stance towards global allies.

Modi, only the fourth world leader to visit the White House since Trump's return, praised Trump as a friend and noted that he was adopting a version of Trump’s "Make America Great Again" slogan. Trump, in turn, expressed a “special bond” with Modi, acknowledging the Indian leader's prowess as a “much tougher negotiator” than himself.

Recognizing India's strategic importance, especially in the face of a rising China, Trump announced that the United States was ready to sell its top military asset, the F-35 fighter jet, to India. "Starting this year, we’ll be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars," Trump declared. “We’re also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters.” India will join an exclusive group of countries, including NATO members, Israel, and Japan, eligible to purchase the F-35, a fighter jet capable of supersonic speeds and stealth operations.

The two leaders also emphasized plans to invest in infrastructure projects such as ports, railways, and undersea cables to create one of the most significant trade routes in history, stretching from India to Israel to Europe and beyond.

However, tensions over tariffs surfaced during the meeting. Trump criticized India's “unfair, very strong tariffs” and promised negotiations to address the trade deficit, which currently favors India. Modi responded by offering quick tariff reductions, including slashing duties on high-end motorcycles, benefiting US manufacturer Harley-Davidson.

In addition to economic discussions, the two leaders touched on immigration issues, with Modi affirming India's commitment to assist in addressing the issue of undocumented Indian migrants in the US. The leaders also discussed security, with Trump announcing the United States' intention to extradite to India a suspect involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, also attended the meeting, raising questions about the nature of his involvement. Musk, an outspoken supporter of Trump, met with Modi privately, and later shared photos from the meeting. Modi, who is a frequent user of Musk-owned platform X (formerly Twitter), mentioned that he had known Musk before becoming prime minister.

Trump indicated he may visit India later this year for a summit with the Quad, a four-nation coalition comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia.