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

close Video Graham calls out China link to Iran, questions Pakistan's role in negotiations Sen. C., speaks to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine about China and Pakistan's ties to Iran during Senate hearing.  NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! 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 diplomatic profile, complicating India's campaign against its nuclear-armed rival. COMMERCE SECRETARY HOWARD LUTNICK MAKES QUIET TRIP TO INDIA DAYS AFTER TARIFF SETBACK President Donald Trump looks at Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaking following the official signing of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Shariff announced his intention to nominate Trump for the Noble Peace Prize for a second time.  (Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters) For years, India built an international case against Pakistan, projecting it as an isolated or destabilizing state. This hardline stance appeared to be working, with Modi declaring to Pakistan, "India has been successful in isolating you, and we will intensify those efforts."  But a decade later, Pakistan is rapidly emerging as a key global player in the region and beyond. While Modi initially tried to engage Pakistan, his government’s approach eventually hardened around the mantra that "terror and talks cannot coexist." In Washington, India has typically been favored, with Presidents Trump, Biden, Obama and George W. Bush all making visits during their time in office. President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a bilateral meeting at the G7 Summit on June 17, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France.  (Anna Moneymaker/) Modi built a rapport with Trump during his first term in office and was one of the first world leaders invited to the White House after Trump’s inauguration. But over the past year, that relationship has come under strain as Islamabad quietly clawed its way back to credibility. "India misjudged Trump in term two, banking on once friendly relations," Sid Dubey, a visiting professor at Bennett University in India, told Fox News Digital. "They have yet to start recovering from that." PRESIDENT TRUMP, INDIA'S MODI TO TACKLE TRADE, TARIFF TENSIONS AT HIGH-STAKES MEETING U.