For India, Canada looks friendlier than the US at this point

India Today

5 hours ago

It is rare for a global leader to decline an invitation to the United States, more so when it comes directly from the President himself. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to subtly decline Donald Trump's invite was not only strategically significant but also emblematic of the widening trust deficit between the nations. It came as India and Canada quietly signalled a thaw in their two-year-long diplomatic freeze, burying the ghost of the Trudeau era.advertisementThe fast-paced developments came as the Prime Minister attended the G7 Summit in Canada, which described hosting PM Modi as a "great honour". The course correction in the rocky relationship after the Justin Trudeau era seems to make Canada look a lot friendlier than the US to India presently. INDIA-CANADA RESET TIESThat Canada wanted a reset in its ties with India was evident when Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Prime Minister Modi to the G7 Summit despite objections from pro-Khalistan leaders. In fact, ever since he assumed office earlier this year, Carney has distanced himself from the influential pro-Khalistan lobby.
On Wednesday, as Carney and PM Modi held their first bilateral meeting, the duo agreed to send their high commissioners back to each other's capitals, and resume trade negotiations. Neither country has had a high commissioner since 2024.advertisementIn contrast to previous hostility, PM Modi was accorded a warm welcome by Carney, who did not rake up the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023 - an incident that Trudeau held the Indian government liable for, leading to a deterioration in ties.When prodded by a reporter if the Nijjar case came up during the meeting, Carney was circumspect. "There is a judicial process that's underway, and I need to be careful about further commentary," the Canadian Prime Minister said.At the same time, Canada's top intelligence agency officially disclosed publicly for the first time that Khalistani extremists were using Canadian soil to promote and plan acts of violence primarily targeting India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as he arrives for the G7 Summit at Kananaskis (PTI)
The thaw in ties comes as a relief for India, which is Canada's top source of foreign workers and international students, as well as an important market.Relations between the two countries hit rock bottom since former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being involved in the murder of Nijjar in Vancouver in 2023 - a charge rejected by the Modi government. It prompted tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions, and temporary suspension of visa services.advertisementWith Trudeau out, Carney has now signalled a change in approach towards India. However, it has coincided with US President Donald Trump's unpredictability casting a shadow on America's relations with India.TRUMP'S INDIA-PAK STRATEGYWhile it was widely believed that a second Trump presidency would work to India's benefit, following the bonhomie shared by the Republican and PM Modi during his first term, the ties have been rocky so far.The tensions started with Trump's repeated assertions of India being a "big abuser" of tariffs. In fact, his announcement of reciprocal tariffs came just hours ahead of his bilateral with PM Modi, which was not good for the optics.India's duty cuts, such as on bourbon whisky and motorbikes, did little to appease Trump, who went on to announce a 26% import duty on Indian products. It has been paused now. However, the pressure to conclude a trade agreement with the US remains high.However, what seems to have stung India the most is the US's attempt to hyphenate India and Pakistan, especially after the hostilities in May following the Pahalgam terror attack.Despite Trump proclaiming on several occasions that PM Modi was his "great friend", India has found itself isolated on the global stage.advertisementAt the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), India failed to get either Pakistan or the terror group (The Resistance Front) that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack mentioned in the formal statement.More than that, what caught India off-guard was Trump's claim that he helped broker the ceasefire between India and Pakistan despite the US initially refusing to get involved in the conflict. That he repeated the claim 14 times in the past month, while mentioning that he used trade as leverage, has only irked India further.India has on multiple occasions rejected his claims, saying the ceasefire was directly negotiated upon Pakistan's insistence. The latest being PM Modi directly communicating to Trump during a phone call that at no point during Operation Sindoor was trade or mediation on the India-Pakistan issue discussed with the US.INVITE TO PAKISTAN ARMY CHIEFBut, Trump, being Trump, doubled down on his claim hours after the phone call ahead of his lunch meeting with Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir at the White House. The meeting added another layer of friction to the India-US ties, striking at the heart of what the government has sought to achieve - marginalise Islamabad globally.advertisementThus, when PM Modi declined Trump's invite, it wasn't just a simple "no", but to avoid a scenario where the President would have met the Prime Minister and later the Pakistan army chief on the same day. It was a strategic move to avoid placing India and Pakistan on the same diplomatic pedestal and preventing another Trump PR campaign.However, officially, India stated that the Prime Minister had prior commitments and was scheduled to visit Croatia.The invite to Asim Munir, which came amid speculations on the possibility of Pakistan aiding Iran during its conflict with Israel, has found opposition within the US itself.Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official, stressed that the Trump-Munir meeting was a "dangerous and misguided strategy rooted in historical amnesia" and warned of Pakistan's "two-faced" behaviour.Moreover, the remark by General Michael Kurilla, the head of US Central Command, hailing Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world", has only added to India's itch.With diplomatic frictions widening the trust deficit with the US, a thaw in ties with Canada comes as a booster shot for India.Must Watch