1. “The ties between our two countries go very far back. We are continuing to see a strengthening of that partnership and recognizing the mutual interest of both the countries, centred around peace, prosperity, freedom and security. We have two leaders of two great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and shared interests.”
2. “Trump remains very committed to combating and defeating the threat of Islamist terrorism. He redesignated the Houthis in Yemen as a terrorist organisation after Biden took them off the terrorist list.”
3. “Trump is also taking action where the previous administration failed. Houthis have been destroying maritime trade and passage for a very long time and no serious effort has been taken to stop that destruction.”
4. “Our country and another country should not be in a position to make a decision to re-route commerce going through that area just because of the Houthi threat. So, President Trump has taken a decisive action for our own safety, security, and prosperity.”
5. “President Trump is seeing this ongoing conflict with very clear eyes. He has made his position and priority very clear, which is to bring about an end to this war. He is focused on peace.”
6. “The negotiations have just begun and he’s looking forward to success, not for himself but for the cause of peace and to stop the taking of innocent lives. We have the best negotiators working with both Ukrainians and with Russia.”
7. “Under the previous administration, there was no effort at all towards peace or direct dialogue with Putin to bring an end to this war. So, in a very short period of time, Trump has made much more progress towards peace than any other previous effort. President Trump will have a very productive conversation with Putin at the appropriate time, rooted in his unwavering commitment to peace.”
8. “The long-time unfortunate persecution and killing and abuse of religious minorities (in Bangladesh) has been a major area of concern for the US government. The talks are just beginning between Trump’s incoming cabinet and the Bangladesh government, but this continues to remain a central focus area of concern.”
9. “Once again with the threat of Islamist terrorists and their global effort rooted in the same ideology and has the same objective, which is to rule and govern with an Islamist caliphate. This affects people of other religion and they choose to carry this out through violent means.
10. “Trump remains committed once again to identifying this ideology that drives Islamist terrorism, helping to defeat that ideology and their ability to exact that terror on people.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump are “very good friends (and are) focused on shared objectives”, which include a firm commitment to defeat Islamic terror worldwide, Tulsi Gabbard, the United States’ Director of National Intelligence told NDTV Monday in an exclusive interview.

“The ties between the US and India go very far back and (in Trump’s second term) we are continuing to see the strengthening of that partnership and recognising the mutual interest of both countries – centred around peace, prosperity, freedom, and security,” she said in Delhi.

“… with President Trump’s leadership in the US and of course, Prime Minister Modi’s longstanding leadership in India – we have two leaders of two great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and interests.”

Ms Gabbard also referred to her meeting with Mr Modi in the US last month, when they spoke about enhancing cooperation to tackle terrorism, cybersecurity, and other emerging threats. That meeting with Mr Modi, she told NDTV this afternoon, “set the tone and vision for a stronger India-US partnership”.

READ | Modi Meets US Intel Boss Tulsi Gabbard. What Did They Discuss?

“My visit here is predicated on the work that has already been done.” she said.

Tulsi Gabbard On Russia’s War

On Russia’s war on Ukraine, she declared Donald Trump “is seeing this conflict with very clear eyes”.

The President, she said, will have a productive conversation with Russia’s Vladimir Putin – they are expected to speak Tuesday, following talks between American and Russian officials – and “… is focused on peace. His priority is to end this war. Negotiations have just begun.”

READ | PM’s “Not Time For War” Message For Putin “Brother” Zelensky

Ms Gabbard also slammed Donald Trump’s predecessor – Joe Biden – for making no effort to try to end the war. “There was no effort at peace or (to have a) direct dialogue with Putin,” she said.

On Houthi Threat

Ms Gabbard also spoke about the Houthi threat in the Red Sea region, acknowledging the Iran-backed military group had been attacking the key shipping route for “a very long time” and criticising the Biden administration for, again, having made “no serious effort to stop it”. She also pointed to Mr Trump re-recognising the Houthis as a ‘foreign terrorist organisation’ after Joe Biden removed them from that list.

She also underlined India and the US’ common goal in this aspect, stating, “Our country and another (referring to India) should not be in a position to re-route commerce just because of the Houthi threat.”

These comments come days after the Houthis claimed a second attack on American ships in 24 hours, calling both “retaliation for deadly US strikes”. The Houthis had initially said they had launched 18 missiles and a drone at American aircraft carrier Harry Truman and its accompanying warships.

READ | Yemen’s Houthi Claims 2nd Attack On US Military Ships In 24 Hours

Washington, D.C. has vowed to keep striking Yemen until the rebels stop attacking Red Sea shipping, with President Donald Trump warning he will use “overwhelming lethal force”.

On Sunday the US launched large-scale strikes on Yemen, with Trump warning the Iran-aligned Houthis “their time is up”. Trump also warned Iran that it needed to “immediately” halt support for the group.

The strikes killed 31 people and injured 101, mostly women and children, the Houthis claimed.

On Bangladesh

The United States is deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh, Ms Gabbard said.

READ | US Intel Chief’s ‘Islamic Caliphate’ Remark On Crisis In Bangladesh

“The longtime unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities like Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others has been a major area of concern for the US and President Trump,” she said.

Why Is Tulsi Gabbard In India?

Tulsi Gabbard is in India as part of a multi-nation visit to the Indo-Pacific; the trip will include stops at Japan and Thailand, and focus on “building strong relationships, understanding, and open lines of communication” to achieve Trump’s ‘peace, freedom, and prosperity’ objectives.

The visit to India comes a month after Mr Modi’s visit to the US.

The Prime Minister was among the first global leaders to call on Donald Trump after he took oath – on January 20 – for a second term that has, so far, been headlined as much by efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war as it has by the deportation of illegal immigrants and trade tariffs.

READ | “No Commitments” To Tariff Cuts After Trump’s Claim, Says India

A day before the two sat down to talk, Mr Trump had announced a new reciprocal tariff policy for US trade partners, among whom he had named India, China, and Brazil as countries that levy “tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them” and called this “very unfair”.

Ms Gabbard – a soldier who served with a medical unit in Iraq and a former Democrat Congresswoman from Hawaii – joined the Republicans in October last year.

She was appointed as the US’ DNI – a role that oversees 18 American intelligence agencies, including the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA, on a budget of nearly $100 billion – last month.

READ | Tulsi Gabbard Is Trump’s New Director Of National Intelligence

The appointment was not without controversy. Critics pointed out her lack of direct military or intelligence experience. Many also pointed to remarks about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and her 2017 visit to Syria, when she met with then-President Bashar al-Assad while he was under US sanctions.

With input from agencies

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Rajnath Singh raised concerns about Khalistani extremists operating on American soil in a meeting with US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard. They discussed enhancing defence and security ties. The talks also highlighted the activities of the banned Sikh For Justice organization. This meeting follows another between national security advisor Ajit Doval and Gabbard focusing on intelligence sharing.