German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reports that U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi four times in recent weeks as trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi escalated. According to the newspaper, Modi did not take any of the calls. India’s government has publicly denied that such contact was sought, while the White House has not commented on the specific allegation. The purportedly unanswered calls come amid an acrimonious tariff dispute in which Trump has pressed India for greater market access and threatened additional duties on Indian goods. The FAZ account, if accurate, underscores a chill in bilateral ties that had otherwise been buoyed by expanding defense cooperation and a joint goal of lifting annual trade to US$500 billion by 2030. Diplomatic observers say the episode could complicate negotiations aimed at preventing the dispute from spilling over into other areas of cooperation.