Modi-Trump to Meet on June 17 at G7, Trade Deal and Sailor Deaths on the Table

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump will sit down for bilateral talks on June 17 in France. The meeting will happen on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. The White House confirmed this on Saturday. It will be the first face-to-face between the two leaders since February 2025, when Modi had visited Trump after his election victory. A lot has changed since then and not all of it in a good direction.

Trade deal is the big agenda?

The India-US trade deal is expected to dominate the conversation. Negotiations have been going on for months. A US official told media at the White House that a joint framework agreement was signed earlier this year and intensive talks have been underway since. The official said India and the US are natural economic partners with real room to grow bilateral trade. Energy, industrial goods and select agricultural products are areas where the US sees opportunity for more exports to India. The official was also clear that Trump will not sign anything unless it is, in his words, a very good deal. No final agreement is expected at the G7 itself. Both sides still need more technical discussions but the leaders will take stock of how close they are and how much flexibility each side is willing to show.

Indian sailors killed by US strikes, shadow over the talks?

The meeting is also happening against a deeply uncomfortable backdrop. The Iran war has hit India hard. US forces have struck oil tankers carrying Indian sailors in recent weeks. On June 8 a Palau-flagged tanker Marivex with 24 Indian seafarers was disabled by US forces but all were rescued. Two days later the US struck another tanker MT Settebello. Three Indian sailors died; deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh. On June 11 a third vessel Jalveer carrying 20 Indians was also attacked. New Delhi lodged a strong protest. The US Chargé d'Affaires was summoned. The Ministry of External Affairs said use of lethal force against civilian shipping is unacceptable and undermines international maritime commerce. Despite India's protest, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the strikes during a call with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday. Rubio said the US will not tolerate any violation of its blockade at the Strait of Hormuz.

Strains in the relationship?

Beyond the sailor deaths, India and the US have had friction on several fronts. Washington put steep tariffs on Indian exports. Trump claimed repeatedly that he brokered the India-Pakistan ceasefire in May 2025. New Delhi has consistently rejected that claim. India's continued oil trade with Russia has also been a sore point with Washington. The two sides have a lot to work through on June 17.

Modi in France and Slovakia?

The G7 visit is part of a bigger two-nation tour. Modi arrives in France on June 14 for bilateral talks with President Emmanuel Macron. The two will review the India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership which has recently been elevated to its highest level. They will also jointly inaugurate Bharat Innovates, an event bringing together startups and venture capital funds from India, France and partner countries as part of the India-France Year of Innovation. After the G7 wraps up Modi heads to Slovakia on a historic state visit. No Indian Prime Minister has ever visited Slovakia since it became independent in 1993. Modi will hold talks with Slovak PM Robert Fico and meet President Peter Pellegrini. Trade, investment and manufacturing in automobiles and railways are expected to be the focus. On June 18 Modi returns to Paris for the VivaTech Summit, Europe's biggest technology and startup event. He will also address members of the Indian diaspora in France.