PM Modi likely to meet Trump on sidelines of G7 Summit in France

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France next week, marking their first face-to-face engagement in more than a year.

According to reports, Modi will visit France and Slovakia from June 13 to 18. During the France leg of the visit, he is expected to attend the G7 Summit at Évian-les-Bains as a guest leader and hold a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders. A meeting with Trump is among the engagements currently being worked out.

If the meeting takes place, it will be the first bilateral interaction between the two leaders since Modi's visit to Washington in February 2025.

Since then, India-US relations have navigated several challenges, including trade disputes, differences over India's purchases of Russian oil and disagreements over claims made by Trump regarding his role in easing tensions between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

The two leaders were expected to meet at the G7 Summit in Canada last year, but the interaction did not materialise after Trump cut short his participation in the summit. Although Modi and Trump have spoken over the phone since then, they have not held an in-person meeting.

The possible bilateral comes at a time when both countries are seeking to stabilise ties after months of friction over tariffs and trade.

Negotiations on a broader trade arrangement have continued, while officials on both sides have indicated interest in maintaining momentum in the strategic partnership.

Apart from Trump, Modi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with several other leaders attending the summit, including French President Emmanuel Macron. Reports also suggest that a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is being considered.

France is hosting the G7 Summit from June 15 to 17, with discussions expected to focus on the global economy, trade, artificial intelligence, security challenges and developments in key geopolitical hotspots. US President Donald Trump has already confirmed his participation in the summit.

While neither New Delhi nor Washington has officially announced a bilateral meeting, diplomatic sources indicate that preparations are underway for a possible Modi-Trump engagement on the summit's margins.