“India and the US have a great relationship. We cannot be closer. Both he and I, and our nations, but it really starts with the two of us. We cannot be any closer,” he added.
Trump also offered condolences over the deaths of three Indian sailors in recent US military strikes.
Responding to a question about the Indian seafarers killed in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, “I heard about that. It is a rough profession. We’re working at it.”
The remarks came days after three Indian crew members were killed in strikes involving commercial vessels near the Gulf region, an issue that has figured prominently in recent exchanges between New Delhi and Washington.
During the meeting, Trump also praised the Indian prime minister, saying, “He’s as tough as they come, but he looks so good.” Referring to Modi’s demeanour, the US president added, “Unlike PM Modi who’s calm, cool and a total killer… I am not. Look at him.”
Trump further described Modi as “an angel” and said India would continue to perform well under his leadership. “As long as he is the leader, India is going to do very well,” he said.
On international issues, Trump said he wanted to see an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and reiterated his claim that he had helped end eight wars. He also criticised Iran, saying, “Iran took advantage of the world for 48 years.”
Prime Minister Modi, in his remarks, welcomed Trump’s efforts in West Asia and expressed hope for lasting peace in the region.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you here in Evian. We had an extremely productive meeting in Washington last year, and since then, we have given new speed and new energy to our relations, and we are working together on a number of areas,” Modi said.
The prime minister said both countries had continued to deepen cooperation since their previous meeting.
“And it is a matter of great joy for us that both of our teams are also working hand-in-hand and making every effort to achieve the targets we have set, and we are moving forward very rapidly,” he added.
Ahead of the meeting, which comes against the backdrop of lingering tensions in bilateral relations, the two leaders exchanged greetings and briefly interacted on the sidelines of the G7 leaders’ gathering. The interaction marked their first face-to-face meeting in nearly 16 months.
Both leaders are attending the G7 summit in the French commune of Evian-les-Bains.
The meeting was seen as a precursor to their closely watched talks. Modi and Trump last met in person at the White House in February 2025, shortly after Trump’s second-term inauguration.
Following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India last month, New Delhi and Washington have been exploring ways to reset and strengthen their partnership.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated after the United States imposed punitive tariffs on Indian goods and Trump repeatedly asserted that he had played a role in ending the India-Pakistan military confrontation in May last year.
In the months that followed, Trump publicly maintained on several occasions that he had helped prevent the conflict from escalating into a full-scale war and had saved millions of lives.
India, however, consistently rejected those claims, maintaining that the cessation of hostilities resulted from direct engagement between New Delhi and Islamabad, with no role played by Washington.
The implementation of stricter US immigration measures and an increase in H-1B visa fees also added to the strain in bilateral ties.
Despite these differences, both countries have made efforts in recent months to improve relations and have continued discussions on a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
Fresh tensions emerged last week after three Indian sailors were killed in US military strikes involving three merchant vessels off the coast of Oman.
Addressing a G7 outreach session on Tuesday, Modi stressed the need to keep maritime routes secure and ensure that seafarers can carry out their duties safely and without fear.
After three Indian crew members aboard one of the vessels were killed, India summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks and conveyed that the American military’s “lethal and deadly” strikes on commercial ships carrying Indian crew were “unacceptable”.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also took up the matter with Rubio. The US Central Command said it targeted the vessels Marivex on June 8, Settebello on June 9 and MT Jalveer on June 11, alleging that they were attempting to breach the US blockade of Iranian ports.
