US doing a trade deal with India, says Trump

Praises PM Modi, but repeats claim of resolving India-Pakistan conflict

- ARCHIS MOHAN

In his two speeches delivered over the course of Wednesday, first in Japan and then in South Korea, American President Donald Trump repeated his claim that India and Pakistan stopped their conflict only after he warned their respective leaderships that the United States (US) would stop trade with the two South Asian neighbours if they did not do so.

In his speech in Tokyo Trump, who is on a three-country visit to Asia, also claimed that “seven brand new” planes were shot down in the May 7-10 conflict.

In his speeches, the US President described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as someone for whom he has the greatest “respect and love”, the “nicest-looking guy”, a “killer” and “tough as hell” (he said this in Gyeongju, South Korea), and also seemed to imitate the Indian Prime Minister as he recounted their conversation, which, he claimed, eventually led to the cessation of hostilities between the two nuclear powers. He has a “great relationship” with Modi, he said.