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This week, President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came face-to-face astatine nan G7 acme successful France, their first specified brushwood since February 2025. Rather than his trademark carnivore hug, Modi greeted Trump pinch a grin and handshake.
Then connected Wednesday, nan 2 held a bilateral meeting. It was a friends chat, but 1 that came against a backdrop of compounding tensions.
As India useful astatine restoring its narration pinch Washington, its arch-foe Pakistan has expanded its ain negotiated profile, complicating India's run against its nuclear-armed rival.
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President Donald Trump looks astatine Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaking pursuing nan charismatic signing of nan first shape of nan Gaza ceasefire statement betwixt Israel and Hamas. Shariff announced his volition to nominate Trump for nan Noble Peace Prize for a 2nd time. (Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters)
For years, India built an world lawsuit against Pakistan, projecting it arsenic an isolated aliases destabilizing state. This hardline stance appeared to beryllium working, pinch Modi declaring to Pakistan, "India has been successful successful isolating you, and we will intensify those efforts."
But a decade later, Pakistan is quickly emerging arsenic a cardinal world subordinate successful nan region and beyond.
While Modi initially tried to prosecute Pakistan, his government’s attack yet hardened astir nan mantra that "terror and talks cannot coexist."
In Washington, India has typically been favored, pinch Presidents Trump, Biden, Obama and George W. Bush each making visits during their clip successful office.
President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands pinch Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a bilateral gathering astatine nan G7 Summit connected June 17, 2026 successful Evian-les-Bains, France. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Modi built a rapport pinch Trump during his first word successful agency and was 1 of nan first world leaders invited to nan White House aft Trump’s inauguration. But complete nan past year, that narration has travel nether strain arsenic Islamabad softly clawed its measurement backmost to credibility.
"India misjudged Trump successful word two, banking connected erstwhile friends relations," Sid Dubey, a visiting professor astatine Bennett University successful India, told Fox News Digital. "They person yet to commencement recovering from that."
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U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi activity to nan crowd astatine Sardar Patel Stadium successful Ahmedabad, India, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. India poured connected nan pageantry pinch a joyful, colorful invited for President Donald Trump connected Monday that kicked disconnected a whirlwind 36-hour sojourn meant to reaffirm U.S.-India ties while providing enviable overseas imagery for a president successful a re-election year. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
The displacement first became evident successful May 2025, erstwhile President Trump announced he had secured a ceasefire betwixt nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. The fighting had travel complete India-administered Kashmir and was nan worst successful decades.
Islamabad promptly praised Trump for ending nan deadly conflict and moreover nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. New Delhi, however, rejected nan claim, insisting nan ceasefire was nan consequence of nonstop bilateral talks pinch Pakistan.
The consequence reflected India’s long-standing sensitivity to third-party engagement successful what it fiercely maintains is simply a bilateral dispute.
In nan months that followed, frictions only deepened.
FILE -- In this Jan. 11, 2013 record photo, a Pakistani Ranger successful achromatic azygous and his Indian counterpart march during a flag-off ceremony, astatine nan associated Pakistan-India separator cheque station of Wagah adjacent Lahore, Pakistan. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary, File)
President Trump deed India pinch immoderate of nan steepest tariffs imposed connected immoderate awesome economy. Meanwhile, U.S. sanctions unit connected Russian lipid rattled power import-dependent India, while disputes complete H-1B visas added further strain. Analysts opportunity Trump’s America First schedule progressively overshadowed nan relationship Modi had cultivated during Trump’s first term.
"When Trump unluckily said nan May 2025 conflict ended because of him personally, that upset India a lot, and they made that known," Dubey said. "Then nan tariffs were different slap successful India’s face. Meanwhile, Pakistan took advantage, leaving India astatine a spot of a loss. From there, relations fell further pinch nan Iran conflict."
India is among nan countries astir indirectly affected by nan strategical fallout from nan Iran war, facing economical unit and mounting power concerns.
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meets pinch main of Defence Forces of Pakistan, Field Marshal Asim Munir, successful Tehran, Iran, May 23, 2026. (Iranian Parliament Speaker Office/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)
Last week, a U.S. onslaught further exacerbated tensions aft 3 Indian seafarers became collateral harm successful nan conflict. They were nan first and only seafarers confirmed killed arsenic portion of nan U.S. blockade, sparking outrage crossed India.
New Delhi instantly summoned Washington’s Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks, expressing heavy interest complete nan renewed attacks and arguing that its nationals were becoming casualties successful a warfare not their own.
India besides warned of nan broader humanitarian, economic, and power consequences of nan conflict, which are expected to linger moreover arsenic an statement has now been reached.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, center, walks pinch Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir, left, and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar aft arriving for talks pinch Iranian officials successful Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via AP Photo)
All nan while, Pakistan was gaining negotiated visibility, uncovering itself successful nan different position of currying favour successful Washington while maintaining heavy ties pinch China, Iran and nan Gulf states.
Pakistan’s salient domiciled successful caller months highlighted really Islamabad has been much nimble successful its diplomacy than India," Council connected Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Sadanand Dhume told Fox News Digital. "Additionally, Pakistan decisively outmaneuvered India’s quixotic bid to isolate Pakistan connected nan world stage."
Regional dynamics person besides been reshaped by nan 2 rivals' competing strategies. India has deepened its strategical business pinch nan U.S. done alliances specified arsenic nan Quad business pinch nan U.S., Australia, and Japan and has expanded practice crossed South Asian states, including a burgeoning narration pinch Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s increasing location relevance has been reflected successful its strengthened ties pinch China, improved relations pinch location partners for illustration Bangladesh and expanded information practice pinch Gulf states.
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Additionally, Trump, who accused Pakistan of "deceit and lies" during his first term, has since many times praised its leadership. In June 2025, nan president invited Pakistan’s service main Asim Munir to nan White House for a high-profile luncheon meeting.
Munir was nan first Pakistani subject chief who was not besides president to beryllium hosted by a U.S. president. He besides led nan warfare effort against India earlier that year.
In this photograph released by nan Inter Services Public Relations, Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir, center, Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf, left, and Pakistan Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar be a defender of grant ceremonial astatine nan associated subject bid office successful Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Inter Services Public Relations via AP)
Trump described Munir arsenic his "favorite Field Marshal" and an "exceptional quality being."
Their narration has been further reflected successful waste and acquisition deals and, astir recently, Pakistan’s domiciled arsenic a main mediator successful restoring diplomacy betwixt nan U.S. and Iran.
"India tried to make Pakistan an world pariah. Instead, Pakistan has wormed its measurement into Trump’s bully books done a operation of actual co-operation pinch nan U.S. and outrageous flattery of nan president, starring to Trump elevating Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arsenic heroes," Dhume said.
India, meanwhile, has maintained adjacent ties with Israel while mostly sticking to much measured messaging.
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On June 15, upon nan statement of a woody pinch Iran, Modi released a statement, saying, "India hopes that nan implementation of this knowing will thief reconstruct bid and stableness successful nan region and guarantee nan state of navigation and commerce."
"Hats disconnected to Pakistan. They worked really difficult to bring this awfully disruptive warfare pinch Iran to an end," Dubey told Fox. "India unluckily mislaid retired by not seeking to beryllium a problem solver for illustration Pakistan. It could person played its cards amended arsenic a peacemaker, fixed its traditionally beardown relations pinch Tehran."
Still, analysts be aware these are quickly evolving dynamics. There is nary guarantee that Pakistan’s existent infinitesimal will last, and nan tide for India could still turn.
"Pakistan’s mediation domiciled has allowed it to substantially reset its world image. It has positioned itself arsenic a responsible world character alternatively than a rogue authorities responsible for some atomic proliferation and exporting Islamic terrorism. How agelong this lasts depends successful ample measurement connected 2 things: will Pakistan find a measurement to stay successful Trump’s bully books, and will it beryllium capable to alteration its behaviour sufficiently to person nan world that it has so turned complete a caller leaf," Dhume told Fox News Digital.
Meanwhile, India is moving to regain its position and show nan U.S. it is still a reliable partner.
Marco Rubio visited India past month, his first since becoming Trump’s apical diplomat past year, which was wide seen arsenic an effort to reset ties.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks arsenic President Donald Trump looks connected during a furniture gathering successful nan Cabinet Room of nan White House successful Washington, DC, connected April 30, 2025. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump and Modi's G7 meeting marked different important step.
Trump praised Modi arsenic "calm, cool and wholly killer" and said he would beryllium walking to India "sometime successful nan future." India has been pressing Trump for a visit, perchance arsenic portion of a broader gathering involving Japan and Australia.
Trump besides said nan United States would take sides India.
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"If anybody attacks that man, we're going to beryllium there," Trump said, referring to Modi. "Now, if there’s a caller leader, I’m not judge astir it."
The Pakistani and Indian governments did not respond to Fox News Digital requests for comment.
Kyra Colah useful arsenic a Writer and Associate Producer for Fox News.
