Chicago – October 30, 2025
ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed away from a regional leaders summit in Malaysia this week to avoid meeting US President Donald Trump and having a possible discussion about Pakistan, people familiar with the matter said.
Officials in the government were apprehensive that Trump would repeat his claim that he mediated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day armed conflict in May, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. India has consistently denied Trump’s involvement.
Relations between India and the US have soured since the Pakistan conflict five months ago, with Trump slapping 50% tariffs on Indian exports in August, half of which is a penalty for the South Asian nation’s purchases of Russian oil. Trade negotiations have dragged on since then, without any clear sign of a deal yet.
The prime minister’s team didn’t see any clear outcomes from a possible bilateral meeting with Trump in Malaysia, the people said. A call between the two leaders last week hadn’t met New Delhi’s expectations, one of the people said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Modi is campaigning for his party in a crucial state election that kicks off next week, and he didn’t want to risk a meeting with Trump that could end up being embarrassing for the prime minister, the people said. Modi is the main face of his party’s campaign in Bihar state and any comments by Trump, especially regarding Pakistan, could be used by the prime minister’s rivals against him and damage his party’s chances at the polls, they said.
Trump has insisted several times he played a pivotal role in ending hostilities between Pakistan and India, saying he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his effort in resolving that conflict and others. A key part of his trip to Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur this week was to oversee the signing of a peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia.
