Trump’s invite to PM Modi after G7 was an acknowledgement of error on Kashmir issue, says expert

US President Donald Trump’s invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop by Washington after the G7 summit was a tacit admission that the US had erred in its earlier Kashmir mediation remarks, according to Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Practice Head of South Asia at Eurasia Group.“US Vice President JD Vance meeting the Indian parliamentary delegation post Operation Sindoor, that was a sort of olive branch from the United States, saying, ‘We accept that the President had misspoken or had been poorly briefed,’” said Chaudhuri in an interview to CNBC-TV18. “Even after this explanation, Trump invited Modi to drop by Washington on his return from Canada—a clear indication that Trump accepted this explanation.”
However, Prime Minister Modi has declined the invitation, citing pre-existing commitments.
Former Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar noted, “This is a bee in Trump’s bonnet—he wants to claim success as a peacemaker, negotiator, and dealmaker.” She added that Modi’s refusal to visit Washington signalled India’s unease with any renewed push for mediation on Kashmir.Later today, Trump will be hosting Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir for a one-on-one meeting—an unusual breach of protocol.

Both experts pointed out that General Munir’s meeting—reflected the Trump administration’s transactional approach to foreign policy, prioritising realpolitik over protocol. “Trump is not particularly protocol-driven. He does his own foreign policy. He knows very well that General Munir is, and has always been, the most powerful person in Pakistan,” said Chaudhuri.

Even so, Pakistan’s leverage in Washington appears to be weakening. “The good thing for India is that Pakistan has very little to offer these days. Its economy is in shambles. There is virtually no American corporate interest in Pakistan,” said Chaudhuri, while Shankar emphasised that Pakistan’s strategic value now rests mostly on geography, given its proximity to Iran, Afghanistan, China and Central Asia.

Watch accompanying video for entire discussion.