Another Modi-Trump meeting on the cards? Preparations on for PM's US visit for UNGA, says report

The central government is preparing for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US for a meeting with US President Donald Trump as tensions between the two countries simmer over tariffs.

According to a report by The Indian Express, PM Modi is likely to travel to the US for the UN General Assembly in the last week of September and will meet with Trump on the sidelines to discuss issues such as trade and tariffs. The two leaders are also likely to announce a trade deal during this visit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday via X that he discussed plans for a personal meeting with the Indian Prime Minister at the UN General Assembly in September. While New Delhi has not officially responded to the announcement yet, PM Modi is listed as one of the speakers at the upcoming General Assembly session.

To initiate the visit, the Indian side has contacted the UN headquarters to secure a speaking slot for the Prime Minister at the UN General Assembly. As of now, PM Modi is scheduled to speak on the morning of September 26. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the Assembly on September 23.

Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, are set to meet in Alaska later this week in a major breakthrough meeting in the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks. PM Modi’s recent phone call with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy suggests that his possible visit to the US hinges on how the Trump-Putin meeting goes.

Meanwhile, Indian and American negotiators were close to finalising a deal, but Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with the terms of the deal. As a result, further discussions are needed, and new terms will have to be proposed, as both sides have now outlined clear red lines. Despite this, the focus remains on a shared objective, ‘Mission 500’, which aims to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.