Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic skills were hailed by a CNN journalist during the leader’s recent meeting with US President Donald Trump terming it a “masterclass for other world leaders”. Despite ongoing tensions over trade tariffs, Modi’s strategic approach ensured that both countries seal agreements in the fields of energy, trade and defense.

Journalist Will Ripley further highlighted PM Modi’s ability to handle the situation, stating, “Indian Prime Minister Modi understood the assignment in his 8th meeting with President Trump. It could have been bad. Modi was in DC on the same day Trump announced dreaded reciprocal tariffs. Despite trade tension, both the sides walked away with deliverables on a potential trade deal, energy, military etc. ‘MIGA”( Make India Great Again) + MAGA=MEGA is a very clever branding that resonates with Trump. Other leaders, take note.’’

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The meeting took place on the same day President Trump declared reciprocal tariffs, indicating his intention to implement equal tariffs on trading partners including India. Many had anticipated a tense meeting, but Modi drove the situation toward partnership.

‘’We have witnessed the first with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba’s highly successful meeting with Trump, and now it seems to be an equally positive discussion with Trump and PM Modi. This serves as a masterclass for global leaders on how to proceed with negotiations with President Trump, ‘’Ripley told this during a live broadcast on CNN.

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Meanwhile, Trump reinstated his statement on trade fairness, ‘’Whatever India charges, we will charge them, ‘’ as quoted by Reuters. Modi in reply, gave reassurance on India’s commitment to lower trade tariffs while reinforcing the need for balance in trade. The two leaders agreed to double the bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.

The talks also included military and energy collaborations. Trump confirmed to increase military sales with India, including a potential deal on F-35 fighter jets, mentioning, ‘’Starting this year, we will increase the military sales with India by many millions of dollars’’.

In the energy sector, India has agreed to raise imports of US oil and gas, given trade imbalances. Trump acknowledged this, stating, ‘’India will be buying a lot of our oil and gas’’, as reported by AP.