Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France.
The interaction marks a shift in the public diplomacy between the two leaders, as Modi greeted Trump with a handshake rather than his trademark bear-hug.
This encounter in June 2024 served as the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders in 16 months [1]. The meeting took place while leaders gathered in France to discuss various global issues.
Observers noted that Trump was left waiting as Modi skipped the signature hug during the encounter. The transition to a more formal handshake suggests a different tone for the diplomatic exchange compared to previous high-profile meetings between the two figures.
While the G7 summit provides a venue for multilateral cooperation, the bilateral optics between the U.S. and India often signal the health of the strategic partnership. The absence of the usual warm physical greeting has drawn attention to potential tensions, or a shift toward more formal protocols in their diplomatic relationship.
“Modi greeted Trump with a handshake rather than his trademark bear-hug.”
The departure from a well-known personal greeting ritual to a formal handshake suggests a cooling of the personal chemistry or a strategic shift in diplomatic protocol. In international relations, such subtle changes in body language often reflect broader shifts in bilateral tensions or a desire to project a more professional, less personal image of cooperation on the world stage.
