Donald Trump called Narendra Modi the “most beautiful man” and assured him of his support for as long as he remained in office in a sign of thaw in US-India relations days after the killing of Indian seafarers in American military strikes in the Gulf of Oman.
The US president and Indian prime minister met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France.
The meeting, the first in-person talks between the two leaders in more than 16 months, took place as New Delhi and Washington sought to advance negotiations on a trade agreement while addressing wider geopolitical and energy security concerns.
The comments from the US president came a week after India urged the US to halt strikes on shipping following three attacks on Indian-crewed tankers, including one that killed three sailors.
Speaking alongside Mr Modi in Évian-les-Bains, the US president offered a series of personal compliments about the Indian leader and highlighted what he said was the strength of their relationship.
“He is the most beautiful man, like an angel. He is a killer, he is a tough man. He loves Indian people and also loves US people,” Mr Trump said.
The US president went further, linking the future of bilateral ties to Mr Modi’s leadership.
“If anybody attacks this man, I am going to be there for him,” Trump said.
No questions were put to Mr Modi, who limited his public comments to prepared statements. Mr Trump, meanwhile, fielded a wide range of questions from reporters, addressing topics including Ukraine, Iran, artificial intelligence and domestic US politics. Mr Modi has not fielded a question at a solo press conference in India since becoming prime minister in 2014.
A Norwegian journalist recently went viral for asking tough questions to Mr Modi and his officials during the Indian prime minister’s visit to the Scandinavian nation. Helle Lyng, who works with the newspaper Dagsavisen in Oslo, sparred with Indian diplomats and asked the visiting leader why he did not address the press.
In 2025 Mr Modi ducked a question about billionaire Gautam Adani’s fraud indictment in the US during a joint press conference with Mr Trump in a rare example of him facing scrutiny from the media. The US Department of Justice has since moved to drop criminal charges against Mr Adani.
The deaths of sailors were the first reported since a US blockade on Iran-linked shipping began on 13 April in which American forces disabled eight ships and turned back more than 100 others.
“These attacks must cease and end,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters. “We also call for dialogue and diplomacy so that we can have an early return to peace and stability in the region.”
Speaking about Indian seafarers operating on key shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, Mr Modi said their safety remained of “utmost importance”. He added that he expected the welfare of sailors in the region to receive the “highest priority” once the agreement between Washington and Tehran comes into force.
India earlier this month summoned the acting chief of the US mission on two occasions following American military strikes on commercial vessels in the Gulf that killed three Indian sailors. External affairs minister S Jaishankar subsequently raised the matter with secretary of state Marco Rubio, conveying New Delhi’s “strong protest”.
In an attempt to even out the relationship between the two countries, Mr Trump during the meeting with Modi, also underlined India’s growing international influence, particularly in West Asia.
“I think India plays a big role in everything, including West Asia as long as Modi is PM,” he said.
Referring to security cooperation between the two countries, Mr Trump said: “I think it is a great relationship. If they were attacked, we would be there to help them.”
“We don’t have a contract, but if they are attacked and he (PM Modi) is the leader, we are going to be there to help.
“If there is another leader, I don’t know about that, but if they are attacked and he is the leader, we are going to help.
“As long as I am president, they (India) have a great friend in the White House,” he said.
The remarks followed earlier comments in which Mr Trump referred to Mr Modi as “calm”, “cool” and a “total killer”, language he has used to characterise the prime minister’s negotiating skills and political resilience.
At the summit, Mr Trump again emphasised the esteem in which he believes Mr Modi is held internationally.
“Everyone here has tremendous respect for this man,” he said.
The leaders’ discussions covered trade, defence cooperation, energy security, critical minerals, visa policies and developments in West Asia.
Officials from both countries have indicated that talks on an interim trade agreement are continuing, with both sides expressing optimism about progress. Mr Trump suggested a deal could be close.
The US president has frequently highlighted his personal rapport with Mr Modi.
Earlier this month, he congratulated the Indian leader on becoming India’s longest-serving prime minister and described him as a strong and effective leader.
Before meeting Mr Trump, Mr Modi held talks with Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. He also met German chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss cooperation in trade, investment, defence, information technology and the circular economy.
Following the meeting, Mr Modi said: “The talks with Chancellor Merz were very fruitful. We discussed ways to further cement bilateral cooperation by working together in trade, investments, circular economy, defence, IT and more. We also talked about boosting cultural linkages between our nations.”
