Trump called PM Modi 4 times, but Modi refused to take the calls, claims German daily

New Delhi: German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has reported that US President Donald Trump tried four times in recent weeks to reach Prime Minister Narendra Modi by phone, but PM Modi refused to take the calls.

According to the article, titled 'Trump Calls, but Modi Doesn't Answer', PM Modi is said to be "offended" after the US President termed India's economy as "dead" and imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports over New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil.

"There are signs indicating that Modi felt insulted," Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes, adding that PM Modi’s unwillingness to hold a phone conversation with Trump demonstrates the extent to which the Indian premier was irritated by what the US President had done.

The newspaper also notes that the way Trump is perceived in India has considerably changed, particularly due to his statements about plans to boost relations with Pakistan.

The new US tariff measures, which take effect on August 27, bring the total US tariffs on Indian imports to 50%.

New Delhi has termed Washington's actions "unfair and unjustified".

A US delegation was expected to travel to India this week to negotiate a trade deal, but the visit is no longer planned, the paper writes.

India and the United States launched talks on an ambitious trade agreement in February, following PM Modi’s visit to Washington. The two countries seek to increase annual trade to $500 billion by 2030. The trade deal was expected to be signed in the fall.

India’s delegation made several trips to Washington to hold talks on the document; a US delegation’s visit to India for the sixth round of talks, set for August 25, was canceled.

On August 6, the US raised tariffs on Indian goods by 25% to 50%, citing New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil and petroleum products.