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Trump, Zelenskyy at White House greet European leaders: Live updates

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Trump to take photo with European leaders ahead of multilateral

Trump is poised to soon take a photo with the European leaders, according to the White House schedule, which this morning said it would take place around 2:30pm ET.

At roughly 3pm ET, Trump is set to participate in a multilateral meeting with the European leaders in the East Room of the White House.

Some of the European leaders have indicated that they will make a statement after their meeting with Trump.

— Erin Doherty

What Zelenskyy wants for security guarantees: ‘Everything’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacts during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Oval Office of the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

“Everything,” Zelenskyy says when asked by a reporter in the Oval Office what security guarantees he’s looking for from Trump to reach a deal.

“It includes two parts,” he continues.

“It’s a lot about weapon and people and training missions and intelligence,” he says alongside Trump.

“And second, we will discuss with our partners. It depends on the big countries, on the United States, on a lot of our friends.”

— Erin Doherty

Vance stays out of it

U.S. Vice President JD Vance sits next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio as they attend a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the Oval Office of the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Vice President JD Vance stayed silent while Trump and Zelenskyy took questions from the press — a noticeable retreat from his aggressive posture the last time the three men were in the Oval Office.

Kevin Breuninger

Trump says he’ll call Putin right after today’s meetings

Trump says he will call Putin directly following his meetings with Zelenskyy and other European leaders.

“I just spoke to President Putin indirectly, and we’re going to have a phone call right after these meetings today,” Trump says in the Oval Office.

If that leads to a trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine and the U.S., then “there’s a good chance of maybe ending” the war, Trump says.

If not, “then the fighting continues.”

“But he’s he’s expecting my call when we’re finished with this meeting,” Trump says.

Kevin Breuninger

Trump says peace deal negotiations can take place “while they’re fighting”

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

Trump reiterates that he doesn’t think there should be a ceasefire in the ongoing war.

“We can work a deal where we’re working on a peace deal while they’re fighting,” Trump says from the Oval Office.

“They have to fight, I wish they could stop, I’d like them to stop, but strategically that would be a disadvantage for one side or the other,” he continues.

Trump for weeks in the lead-up to his summit with Putin expressed the need for an urgent ceasefire.

But following his meeting with the Russian leader, he has increasingly signaled the need to “go directly to a Peace Agreement,” according to a social media post.

— Erin Doherty

Garb barb: Zelenskyy teases reporter who criticized his clothing

U.S. President Donald Trump laughs while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gestures as they meet at the Oval Office of the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Zelenskyy jabbed a reporter who had previously questioned his sartorial choices.

When the Ukraine leader eschewed a jacket and tie during his first visit to the White House in February, reporter Brian Glenn for the conservative network Real America’s Voice asked, “Why don’t you wear a suit?”

This time around, Zelenskyy appeared in the Oval wearing an all-black suit, and Glenn, in a callback, said he looked “fabulous.”

Zelenskyy shot back that Glenn was wearing the same suit again — prompting a big laugh from the room.

Kevin Breuninger

Trump bemoans how media portrays him during Zelenskyy meeting

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office at the White House on August 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images

Trump bemoaned how the media treats him during his meeting with Zelenskky after conservative journalist Brian Glenn asked if the press wanted him to fail.

“I used to get great publicity. Now I get the worst publicity,” Trump said.

– Dan Mangan

Trump: ‘If everything works out well today, we’ll have a trilat’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump participate in a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

Trump says that if “everything works out well” during his meeting with Zelenskyy, he would likely move towards a trilateral meeting with the Ukrainian leader and Putin.

“I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” Trump says from the Oval Office.

Zelenskyy also says that he is “ready for [a] trilateral.”

— Erin Doherty

Trump: Hope lasting peace can come ‘immediately’

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Trump says in the Oval Office that he hopes a “lasting peace” between Ukraine and Russia can be reached “immediately.”

“I hope it doesn’t have to go on. And I think people of the whole world is going to be very happy when that’s announced,” Trump says.

Kevin Breuninger

Putin’s negotiator echoes Russia’s anti-ceasefire position

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and one of Putin’s top negotiators, made clear that Moscow remains opposed to any short-term ceasefire deal with Ukraine.

Dmitriev on X posted an emoji of a dove with an olive branch in its beak after the words “Lasting Peace,” contrasting that goal with a “Temporary Ceasefire.”

Trump echoed the same sentiment after his summit with Putin in Alaska.

Kevin Breuninger

Italy prime minister arrives at White House

Meloni of Italy arrived at the White House a few minutes before 12:30pm ET.

The last time Meloni was at the White House was in April to discuss tariffs with the president.

— Erin Doherty

Zelenskyy: ‘Our main goal is a reliable and lasting peace’

Just before arriving at the White House, Zelenskyy says European leaders are united in pursuit of a lasting peace.

“Together with the leaders of Finland, the United Kingdom, Italy, the European Commission, and the NATO Secretary General, we coordinated our positions ahead of the meeting with President Trump,” he wrote on X.

“Our main goal is a reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and for the whole of Europe,” he said.

“We understand that we shouldn’t expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at conquest. That is why pressure must work, and it must be joint pressure – from the United States and Europe, and from everyone in the world who respects the right to life and the international order.”

Kevin Breuninger

NATO secretary general arrives at White House

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte arrives at the White House South Portico in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.

Mandel Ngan | ADP | Getty Images

Rutte arrived at the White House a few minutes after noon ahead of Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump.

He is the first of the European leaders to arrive at the White House.

— Erin Doherty

Vance, who called Zelenskyy ungrateful, will attend White House meetings

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as U.S. Vice President JD Vance reacts at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 28, 2025. 

Brian Snyder | Reuters

Vice President JD Vance, who previously chastised Zelenskyy in the Oval Office over his alleged ingratitude toward Trump, will attend the Ukraine leader’s meeting with the U.S. president, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.

Zelenskyy’s first visit to the White House in late February devolved into a stunning on-camera argument, with Vance accusing him of disrespect and Trump claiming that he was “gambling with World War III.”

Vance then asked Zelenskyy, “Have you said thank you once?”

Zelenskyy left the White House soon after.

Kevin Breuninger

European leaders expected to participate in lunch at White House ahead of meeting

Media representatives wait outside the White House ahead of a top-level meeting between US President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyi with European heads of state and government.

Luzia Geier | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

The European leaders accompanying Zelenskyy to the White House are expected to participate in a lunch upon their arrival.

Zelenskyy, who is poised to meet with Trump at 1:15pm ET, is meeting at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, D.C., ahead of the meeting.

Von der Leyen and Stubb attended the meeting at the embassy, and other European leaders are likely to also join.

After the European leaders’ meeting with Trump, which is set to begin at 3pm ET, some are expected to make public remarks.

— Erin Doherty

Macron lands in D.C., heading straight to White House

The French president landed at Dulles Airport outside Washington, DC, at 11:26 a.m. ET.

He will head directly to the White House.

Kevin Breuninger

Zelenskky meeting comes days after Trump and Putin sitdown ended without ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump after a joint news conference following their meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025.

Gavriil Grigorov | Via Reuters

Today’s meetings come three days after Trump and Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska, for several hours, but ended that session without a ceasefire that the U.S. president had said he wanted.

“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said after that meeting on Friday.

On Saturday, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that a ceasefire was “not off the table.”

– Dan Mangan

Starmer arrives in Washington

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a statement inside No. 10 Downing Street on the day the cabinet was recalled to discuss the situation in Gaza, in London, Britain, July 29, 2025.

Toby Melville | Reuters

Starmer has landed at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington, D.C., for the planned meetings.

– Dan Mangan

European Council members set for debriefing after meeting in DC

Antonio Costa, President of the European Council talks near French President Emmanuel Macron after an online meeting with other European leaders where they discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine, at Fort de Bregancon in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France, 13 August 2025.

Philippe Magoni | Via Reuters

European Council President Antonio Costa said he will convene a video conference of members of the council for Tuesday “for a debriefing of today’s meetings in Washington DC about Ukraine.”

“Together with the US, the EU will continue working towards a lasting peace that safeguards Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests,” Costa wrote in a tweet.

The European Council is comprised of the heads of state of European Union member nations.

– Dan Mangan

Brookings’ O’Hanlon: Can Trump ‘cajole’ Zelensky into a ‘de facto swap’?

Here's what to expect at today's White House meeting with Ukraine President Zelenskyy and EU leaders

Michael O’Hanlon, foreign policy research director at the Brookings Institution, says that one question ahead of the talks is whether the U.S. can “cajole President Zelenskyy into at least a de facto swap,” giving up some land in exchange for a peace deal.

“It may not have to be something that could be legally blessed and Ukraine could still retain its claims to all the land … but acknowledge that for now and forever it’s not going to fight to get that land back,” he tells CNBC.

He says that he believes European leaders are “pragmatic enough to know that Ukraine’s not going to win back all of its land.”

— Erin Doherty

Oil prices flat as traders seek signals from Trump’s meetings

FILE PHOTO: Crude oil tanker Nevskiy Prospect, owned by Russia’s leading tanker group Sovcomflot, transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey September 6, 2020. 

Yoruk Isik | Reuters

Oil prices are barely budging ahead of Trump’s talks with Zelenskyy and other European leaders, as investors look for developments on Russia’s war in Ukraine that could affect global energy flows.

That lack of movement coincides with Trump appearing to back off his threats to impose additional sanctions on Russia, even though his Alaskan summit with Putin produced no ceasefire or peace agreements.

Russia has faced U.S. sanctions on parts of its oil industry over the war. But Trump recently hit a third country, India, with higher tariffs because, he said, it continues to buy Russian oil.

Peter Navarro, one of Trump’s top trade advisors, slammed India earlier today for continuing to buy Russian crude oil, calling the Asian nation “opportunistic” in an op-ed for the Financial Times.

Kevin Breuninger

‘Everybody wants it to end, not least the Ukrainians’: Why Starmer is going to D.C.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 28, 2025.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

UK Prime Minister Starmer posted a video on X from his plane explaining his reasons for flying to Washington to meet with Trump and Zelensky.

“This war in Ukraine’s been going on a really long time now, I mean, three-plus years. Hugely impacted the Ukrainians, who have suffered hugely, ” Starmer said.

“But it’s also impacted Europe. It’s impacted every single family and community in the United Kingdom, and so everybody wants it to end, not the least the Ukrainians,” he said.

“But we’ve got to get this right,” Starmer added. “We’ve got to make sure there is peace, that it is lasting peace, and that is fair and that it is just, and that’s why I’m traveling to Washington with other European leaders to discuss this face-to-face with President Trump and President Zelenskyy.”

“Because it’s in everyone’s interests, it’s in the UK’s interests, that we get this right,” he said.

– Dan Mangan

Zelenskyy Kellogg meeting ends

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with US President Donald Trump’s Special Representative for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, in Washington D.C. on August 18, 2025.

Ukrainian Presidency | Anadolu | Getty Images

Zelenskyy has finished his meeting with Trump’s Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, which took place in the last hour at the Hay-Adams Hotel across from the White House.

“​When peace is discussed for one country in Europe, it means peace for all of Europe. We are ready to continue working with maximum effort to end the war and to ensure reliable security. These are the key issues,” Zelenskyy said afterwards.

— Christina Wilkie

What time is the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend a meeting on the sidelines of NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025.

Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | Via Reuters

European leaders plan to begin arriving at the White House around 12 p.m. ET

Trump is expected to greet Zelenskyy at the White House at 1 p.m. ET.

The two leaders are scheduled to begin bilateral talks there at 1:15 p.m.

– Dan Mangan

Which European leaders have already visited Trump’s White House

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the day of announcing a deal to get weapons to NATO, in the Oval Office at the White House on July 14, 2025.

Nathan Howard | Reuters

While it’s unusual for so many European leaders to travel to the White House at once, each making the trip has already met with Trump during his second term.

Zelenskyy notoriously met with Trump in February, during a meeting that quickly devolved into a shouting match.

While this will be von der Leyen’s first time at the White House this term, she has met with the president before, including last month in Turnberry, Scotland.

Rutte has traveled to the White House at least twice since Trump’s return to office, once in March and the other time in July.

Starmer, Merz, Meloni and Macron have all previously met with Trump at the White House at least once, while Stubb is making his first trip this term.

Stubb played golf with Trump earlier this year, however.

— Erin Doherty

Trump gripes about criticism of his summit with Putin in Alaska

U.S. President Donald Trump looks on next to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Trump continued to complain about the ongoing criticism of his summit with Putin in Alaska last Friday, which ended with no ceasefire or peace deal and was followed by an abridged “press conference” that allowed no questions from the press.

“I am totally convinced that if Russia raised their hands and said, ‘We give up, we concede, we surrender, we will GIVE Ukraine and the great United States of America, the most revered, respected, and powerful of all countries, EVER, Moscow and St. Petersburg, and everything surrounding them for a thousand miles, the Fake News Media and their Democrat Partners would say that this was a bad and humiliating day for Donald J. Trump, one of the worst days in the history of our Country,'” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“But that’s why they are the FAKE NEWS, and the badly failing Radical Left Democrats. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”

Kevin Breuninger

‘Russia should not be rewarded,’ Zelenskyy says after ‘cynical’ strikes on Ukraine civilian targets

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press briefing following phone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 19, 2025.

Thomas Peter | Reuters

Hours before his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately attacking civilian targets in Ukraine in order to undermine the upcoming peace talks at the White House and raise pressure on Kyiv and Europe.

“This was a demonstrative and cynical Russian strike,” Zelenskyy wrote in an X post that included video footage of an apartment building on fire with massive holes in its roof.

He said at least 10 people have been killed and dozens more injured in Russian attacks in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and the Sumy region. He also said that Russia struck an Azerbaijani-owned energy facility in Odesa, calling it “an attack not only on us but also on our relations and energy security.”

“Putin will commit demonstrative killings to maintain pressure on Ukraine and Europe, as well as to humiliate diplomatic efforts. That is precisely why we are seeking assistance to put an end to the killings,” Zelenskyy said. “That is why reliable security guarantees are required. That is why Russia should not be rewarded for its participation in this war. The war must be ended. And it is Moscow that must hear the word: ‘Stop.'”

Kevin Breuninger

Trump teases uncertainty ahead of Zelenskyy talks: “Lets see what the results will be???”

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looks on on the day they meet at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 28, 2025. 

Nathan Howard | Reuters

Trump said it is “a big day at the White House” in a Truth Social post ahead of his meeting with Zelenskyy.

“We have never had so many European Leaders here at one time,” he wrote, calling the convening of leaders across the European Union a “great honor for America.”

“Lets see what the results will be???” he continued.

The European leaders, which include French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, are set to arrive at the White House at noon.

— Erin Doherty



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Craig Jones puts Chael Sonnen to sleep twice in CJI 2 superfight

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Chael Sonnen stepped in as a late replacement for Gable Steveson at Sunday night’s Craig Jones Invitational 2 in Las Vegas and did his best to survive against Craig Jones.

In a match scheduled for three five-minute rounds, Sonnen managed to get tapped twice with the same move.

A former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger, Sonnen immediately took Jones to the ground to find himself locked in a buggy choke. The choke was tight, and Sonnen apparently went to sleep.

Sonnen regained his senses, and both athletes agreed to go at it again. Sonnen took Jones down again, going for a leg lock with no real danger to a grappler of Jones’ caliber. The CJI founder against attacked with the buggy choke, again having Sonnen go lights out.

McCarthy couldn’t help but laugh as Sonnen tried to make it best three out of five — and the crowd chanted to get the two go at it again —, but the referee called the end of the contest.

The official result was read as Jones being victorious via double buggy choke.

Watch the second finish below.



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Liverpool agrees to British-record deal for Alexander Isak, sources say

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Liverpool have agreed to a British-record deal to sign striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, sources told ESPN.

The Premier League champions have had a £125M bid accepted to sign the Sweden international, who is expected to undergo a medical ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

It brings an end to one of the summer’s most-protracted transfer sagas, with Isak having spent more than a month agitating for a move away from Newcastle. The 25-year-old did not join the club on their preseason tour of the Far East and has not featured for Eddie Howe’s side this season.

He also released a sensational statement earlier this month in which he claimed promises had been “broken” by the Newcastle hierarchy and insisted a move this summer would be in the best interests of all parties.

Isak is now set to become the most expensive signing in Premier League history, surpassing Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo who joined the London club for £115M from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2023. It marks the second time this summer that Liverpool have broken their transfer record, with Arne Slot’s side having committed spending an initial £100M (plus a potential £16M in add-ons) to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in June.



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Donald Trump as the wildcard and other takeaways for India-China relationship

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Vikas PandeyIndia editor and

Stephen McdonellChina correspondent

Reuters Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping smile for the cameras on stage against a shimmering blue and orange backdrop. Modi is wearing a blue vest over a white kurta with a golden pocket handkerchief, Xi is wearing a navy blue suit and a maroon tie.Reuters

Modi and Xi posed for pictures in Tianjin on Monday

The view from India

Just a few months ago, the armed forces of India and Pakistan were locked in a brief but deadly conflict.

The conflict indirectly involved a third nation – China. Pakistan’s armed forces heavily used China-made equipment, including fighter jets and radar systems.

A senior army officer in Delhi said Beijing also provided “live inputs” to Pakistan on Indian positions.

India didn’t take a public stand against China, but this left many asking if Delhi should continue on the path of normalising relations with Beijing.

Less than six months later, peace talks between the two Asian giants have been turbocharged by decisions taken thousands of miles away in Washington DC.

The Trump administration has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian imports, saying Delhi was being punished for its refusal to stop buying oil from Russia.

Delhi had two clear choices after this stunning onslaught from a trusted ally.

The first was to cave in and stop buying Russian oil. But it has refused to do so, largely because Russia is an “all-weather” ally and giving into pressure doesn’t suit Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strongman image.

The second was to stand firm and seek other opportunities and India appears to have to chosen this option for now.

It’s also pragmatic to look no further when your neighbour is the world’s second-largest economy and a global manufacturing powerhouse.

It was in this context, that Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin over the weekend.

Statements from the two sides were not heavy on details, though they promised to work through their differences to benefit their collective population of 2.8 billion people.

The immediate takeaway from the meeting was the resumption of direct flights between the two countries and making the process of issuing visas simpler.

But beyond the promise of “the elephant and the dragon” coming together, the two countries still have major roadblocks to clear before they are able to engage meaningfully.

Their first challenge comes from their immediate history.

Modi has invested personally in the India-China relationship since coming to power in 2014, visiting the neighbouring country five times until 2018.

But the 2020 border clash put brakes on this momentum and it has taken seven long years for Modi to visit China again.

The key to making further progress will depend on how the two countries deal with their border issues.

Tens of thousands of troops from both countries are still deployed at their contested borders – though there are ongoing talks between their civilian and military leaders to ease the situation.

AFP via Getty Images A man wearing an orange turban and white top holds up two pictures of Donald Trump and shouts angrily at the camera. Behind him are a crowd of men holding up signs stating "roll back the tariffs imposed on India".AFP via Getty Images

The US-imposed 50% tariffs on India has caused some anger

Both Chinese and Indian readouts after the meeting this weekend talked about maintaining peace at the border and “not turning their differences into disputes”.

For India, there is the issue of a burgeoning trade deficit with China, amounting to more than $99bn (£73bn).

Both countries still have high tariffs and duties against each other in many sectors.

Beijing would want India to open its market of 1.4 billion people to Chinese products, but Delhi would be wary of doing that without addressing the deficit.

The outreach to China, which started with Modi meeting Xi in Kazan last year, may have been supercharged by Trump tariffs, but ground realities for India remain unchanged.

The Modi-Xi meeting is being seen as part of India’s policy of “strategic autonomy” but it will also cause more geopolitical challenges for Delhi.

India is due to host the Quad (which includes Japan, Australia and the US) summit later this year. The forum was largely seen as a challenge to China’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.

It’s not clear if Trump will attend, but if he does and says something against China, it will immediately test the renewed synergy between Delhi and Beijing.

Delhi is also part of several other multilateral forums that are perceived as anti-China and anti-Russia.

How Delhi plays its strategic autonomy in the next few months will very much influence the direction India-China ties take.

For now, it’s clear that India-US ties are at an all-time low. A Trump aide recently called the Russia-Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war”.

Delhi has also consistently denied that Trump played any role in the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May – this has become a constant irritant for the US president.

Despite this, India has refrained from imposing retaliatory tariffs against the US and has left the door ajar for further negotiations. After all, the US is India’s biggest trading partner.

Will going closer to China help India’s negotiations with the US or will it have the opposite impact?

This is the question that will likely dominate geopolitical discussions in Delhi and beyond in the coming months.

Hindustan Times via Getty Images File picture from 2020 showing men in New Delhi wearing white kurtas, jeans and shirts burning print-outs of Xi Jinping's portrait and the Chinese flagHindustan Times via Getty Images

Tensions ran high following the Galwan Valley incident in 2020 – but they have since cooled down somewhat

The view from China

When Xi Jinping met Narendra Modi he used what has become his favourite catchphrase for China-India relations: “The dragon and the elephant should come together”.

During “this period of transformation,” he added that it was vital for the world’s most populous nations to be friends and good neighbours.

In a case of spectacular timing, Prime Minister Modi’s visit has coincided with Donald Trump’s tariffs of up to 50% on India exports to the US.

This represents quite a hit on the country’s economy so New Delhi would be looking around for other business partners.

Look no further than right here, Xi may well say, as his administration attempts to rebuild from the wreckage of China-India relations following years of tension between the two.

And, if their official readouts are anything to go by, Modi’s attendance at the Tianjin Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation seems to have paid off.

His published comments to Xi were much more specific than the those coming the other way.

There is now a very good window for Beijing and New Delhi to repair their strained relationship.

China’s leader knows that Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught is pushing India away from the United States and that this great economic rival needs other partnerships.

Considerable obstacles remain.

They include China’s backing of India’s key rival Pakistan; interaction of all types has been in the doldrums; angry rhetoric from both governments (over many years) has created a climate of suspicion between the Asian heavyweights and their high-mountain border dispute has stirred nationalist sentiment on both sides of the frontier.

However, with the latter of these, this meeting would appear to confirm that pressure has already eased.

Last Thursday China’s Defence Ministry spokesman was talking up the success of discussions between the representatives of China and India aimed at stopping the clashes along their disputed border.

He spoke of “win-win cooperation” and celebrating the 75th anniversary of ties between the two nations.

Xi also knows that the symbolism of having Modi in China right now is considerable, that images of them shaking hands and standing side-by-by side – as the Trump tariffs on India kick in – can be a powerful propaganda tool which is made even more significant by the fact that this is a multilateral gathering.

The two will not only be joined by Vladimir Putin but by the other SCO governments like Turkey (a member of Nato), Saudi Arabia (a key US ally), Iran (a key enemy of the US) as well as Qatar, Egypt and Pakistan.

And all of this in the days before Beijing holds a massive display of military might with a parade through the heart of the capital.



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