Donald Trump speaks to PM Modi, says 'US to ship 100 donated ventilators by next week'

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday night, the White House said that America will be ready to ship the first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week. The White House in a statement on Wednesday said that President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Modi during a conference call that the 100 ventilators will be ready and the two leaders also spoke about the Indo-China border dispute and the G-7 summit. 

The White House said that Trump spoke with PM Modi on Tuesday and "the two leaders discussed the G-7 (summit), the COVID-19 response, and regional security issues. The president was happy to announce that the United States would be ready to ship the first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week,” the White House said in a readout of the call.

READ | PM Modi dials US President Donald Trump; COVID-19 pandemic, G-7 & other issues discussed

The conversation between the leaders comes at a strategic time when the US president has already expressed his desire to expand the membership of G-7 and to include India in the group. Moreover, amid India's ongoing tension with China at the border along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Trump had earlier claimed that he had spoken to the PM and that he is 'not in a good mood,' ewhile also offering to mediate between the two neighbours. "We have a big conflict going on between India and China, two countries with 1.4 billion people and very powerful militaries. India is not happy and probably China is not happy. I did speak to Prime Minister Modi. He is not in a good mood about what's going on with China," Trump had at the Oval Office.

However, government sources in India soon clarified that there is no possibility of involvement of a third party between India and China and that the matters are purely bilateral. Moreover, they also said that last call between both the leaders was on April 4, 2020, on the subject of Hydroxychloroquine.

READ | US Pres Donald Trump offers to 'mediate' India-China border dispute amid stand-off

PM Modi's statement after the call

Soon after the phone call, Prime Minister Modi in a series of tweets said that he had a warm and productive conversation with his 'friend' Trump. "We discussed his plans for the US Presidency of G-7, the COVID-19 pandemic, and many other issues. The richness and depth of India-US consultations will remain an important pillar of the post-COVID global architecture,” PM Modi tweeted. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a statement also said that the US president extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi to attend the next G-7 Summit to be held in USA.

Expressing concern regarding the ongoing civil disturbances in the US, PM Modi conveyed his best wishes for an early resolution of the situation. “The two leaders also exchanged views on other topical issues, such as the COVID-19 situation in the two countries, the situation on the India-China border, and the need for reforms in the World Health Organisation,” the PMO said.

READ | Coronavirus Live Updates

READ | 'Last call between PM Modi, US Prez was about HCQ': Sources on Trump's mediation offer