Modi Bristled at Trump’s Nobel Prize Remarks, Says New York Times

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly “bristled” during a June 17 phone call when former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire, according to a report in The New York Times. The American daily further suggested that Modi’s refusal to engage on Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize ambitions contributed to the cooling of relations between New Delhi and Washington.

The conversation took place while Modi was in Canada for the G7 Summit. According to individuals familiar with the call, Trump told the Indian Prime Minister that Pakistan intended to nominate him for the Nobel Prize—an honour Trump had been openly pursuing. He hinted that Modi should also lend his support.

Modi, however, is said to have pushed back sharply, insisting that the ceasefire was the result of direct understanding between India and Pakistan, without any role for Washington. While Trump brushed off the remark, the divergence reportedly played “an outsized role” in souring personal ties between the two leaders, The New York Times said.

The report also noted that bilateral tensions deepened after Modi, in a July address to Parliament, asserted that “no world leader asked India to stop Operation Sindoor,” effectively refuting Trump’s claim of mediation. The following day, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Indian goods, later escalating levies in response to India’s purchase of Russian oil.

The sharp turn contrasts with the earlier warmth between the two leaders. During Trump’s presidency, Modi and Trump shared an unusually close rapport, attending each other’s mega-rallies—“Howdy Modi” in Texas and “Namaste Trump” in Ahmedabad. Modi once described Trump as a “true friend,” while Trump called the Indian leader “a very good friend.”

However, since the June 17 call, the two have reportedly not spoken. Days later, Trump publicly lamented his lack of recognition, declaring: “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the war between India and Pakistan. No, I won’t get a Nobel no matter what I do.”

The White House subsequently issued an official demand for Trump to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming he had brought an end to six wars within six months of assuming office earlier this year.