Evian,France, 17 June (H.S.):

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday reaffirmed Washington's commitment to India's security, saying the United States would stand by India if it came under attack.

Speaking after his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Évian, Trump underscored the strength of the India-US strategic partnership and said the two countries shared a close relationship built on mutual trust and common interests.

If India is attacked, we will be there to help them, Trump said while responding to a question on the defence relationship between the two countries. Referring to Prime Minister Modi, he added, If anybody attacks that man, we're going to be there.

Trump also praised Modi's leadership, calling him one of the toughest negotiators he has dealt with. He said India has emerged as a major global power and expressed confidence that the country would continue to play an increasingly important international role under Modi's leadership.

The US President's remarks came as India and the United States continue to strengthen cooperation in defence, intelligence sharing, military exercises and strategic technologies. The two countries have significantly expanded their security partnership in recent years through defence agreements and increased military collaboration.

Although Trump did not announce any new defence initiatives during Wednesday's meeting, his assurance underscored Washington's continued commitment to maintaining close strategic ties with New Delhi amid evolving regional and global security challenges.

The statement was one of the strongest public affirmations of US support for India made by Trump during the G7 Summit and highlighted the growing importance of the bilateral defence partnership.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar