NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump has called Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a very tough cookie” and one of the world leaders he most admires, while praising Chinese President Xi Jinping as “all business” during a wide-ranging interview with Axios.According to Axios, Trump named PM Modi and Xi when asked which global leaders he admired the most.The remarks came during a 45-minute interview conducted shortly after the G7 Summit in France, where Trump said he had held a “very dominant” series of meetings.“Trump named China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi as the world leaders he most admires, praising Xi as ‘all business’ and Modi as ‘a very tough cookie’,” Axios reported.
Praise for PM Modi comes after G7 meeting
Trump’s latest comments add to a series of complimentary remarks he has made about the Indian Prime Minister in recent weeks.The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France on Wednesday, their first in-person interaction in more than 16 months.Trump used the meeting to underscore the close relationship between the two countries despite recent tensions over trade, sanctions and the deaths of three Indian sailors in a US military strike off the coast of Oman.“We have the best relationship. We cannot be closer than we are,” Trump said during the meeting. “Both him and I, and our nations. But it really starts with the two of us.”Trump has repeatedly praised PM Modi’s negotiating skills. At the G7 summit, he described the prime minister as a tough trade negotiator and said a new trade agreement between the two countries was “very close”.“So you look at this man. I’ll give you a lesson. He’s the most BEAUTIFUL-looking man. He looks so nice. He’s like an angel. But actually, he’s tough, he’s a killer. He’s as tough as they come. But he looks so good. So he gets you by surprise,” Trump said.
Trump’s remarks on world leaders
The Axios interview focused heavily on Trump’s view of power and global leadership.According to the report, Trump spoke about his influence on world affairs following the US-Iran peace framework and reflected on his relationships with several world leaders.He declined to identify whom he considered the weakest leaders but lamented Russian President Vladimir Putin’s absence from the G7, which became the G7 after Russia’s expulsion in 2014.Axios reported that Trump also highlighted French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to host him for a state dinner at the Palace of Versailles during the summit.The interview coincided with the release of details from the upcoming book Regime Change by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.According to Axios, the book describes Trump discussing a document that compared his power as US president with historical figures including Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong and Adolf Hitler.
India-US ties remain under focus
The praise for PM Modi comes at a time when India and the United States are attempting to strengthen bilateral ties after several points of friction.Relations have faced challenges over tariffs imposed on Indian exports, New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil and immigration-related issues. However, both sides have continued negotiations on a broader trade agreement.During their G7 meeting, PM Modi raised concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers working across global maritime routes, particularly in and around the Strait of Hormuz.He also thanked Trump for efforts aimed at restoring peace in West Asia following the recent US-Iran understanding.Despite ongoing policy differences, Trump’s latest comments suggest that his personal rapport with PM Modi remains strong.His description of the Prime Minister as “a very tough cookie” adds to earlier characterisations in which he called PM Modi a “very tough negotiator” and one of the global leaders he respects the most.