Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his French counterpart on the sidelines of the G7 Summit this week. Videos from their brief interaction have since gone viral on social media, with many applauding their easy camaraderie. The Indian leader had also held a pull-aside meeting with President Emmanuel Macron during the event in Canada.

“Nowadays, you are fighting on Twitter?” Modi can be heard asking Macron in English after the two leaders exchanged a hug.

The question prompted uproarious laughter from both leaders as they shook hands on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. Macron can also be heard asking Modi when he had arrived for the Summit before the two leaders walk ahead to shake hands with others assembled in the area.

“It’s always a delight to interact with my friend, President Emmanuel Macron and exchange perspectives on a wide range of issues. India and France will keep working closely for the betterment of our planet,” Modi wrote on X following a bilateral meeting.

The brief exchange has been circulated widely in the ensuing hours, with many convinced that Modi was referring to Macron’s recent digital clash with US President Donald Trump.

Trump vs Macron?

The political chemistry that once defined the Trump–Macron dynamic — immortalised by a famously tense 29-second handshake in 2017 — was nowhere to be seen in midair Tuesday when US President Donald Trump blasted his French counterpart on social media.

As Trump departed the G7 summit early, French President Emmanuel Macron tried to reframe the exit as strategic.

“There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange,” Macron told reporters, suggesting the US might help broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

“Wrong! He is publicity-seeking and always gets it wrong. He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington… Much bigger than that. Stay tuned!,” Trump countered from Air Force One.

The takedown punctured Macron’s narrative and revealed a rupture in a relationship that has featured theater, flattery and touch. The Élysée Palace made no formal comment on Trump’s outburst.

(With inputs from agencies)