From bear hugs to handshakes: How India lost its edge with Trump while Pakistan quietly gained ground

This week, President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came face-to-face at the G7 summit in France, their first such encounter since February 2025. Rather than his trademark bear hug, Modi greeted Trump with a smile and handshake. Then on Wednesday, the two held a bilateral meeting. It was a friendly chat, but one that came against a backdrop of compounding tensions. As India works at restoring its relationship with Washington, its arch-foe Pakistan has expanded its own diplo