ET WLF: Great nations don't give ultimatums all the time, says ex-US Secretary of State John Kerry

Giving people ultimatums without making any genuine diplomatic efforts does not exhibit greatness, said former US Secretary of State John Kerry, who called "the current struggle" between President Donald Trump and PM Narendra Modi over trade and tariffs "unfortunate".

"Great nations don't necessarily exhibit greatness by giving people ultimatums all the time without sort of a genuine diplomatic effort to try to find common ground and do things through the normal course of business," Kerry said at the World Leaders Forum Friday.

Speaking on 'America, India, and the Shifting Global Order' in the backdrop of Trump's tariffs, Kerry, the US secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 under President Barack Obama, said negotiations are done through cooperation and respect.

Describing PM Modi as a friend, Kerry said he admired what India has been trying to do on trade negotiations with the US. "(Commerce and industry minister) Piyush Goyal has been a good friend of mine...my hope is that we will resolve this dispute; I think India has made a pretty powerful offering, frankly," he said.

"You know, almost 60% of the goods would be at zero tariff, and the rest would be worked through. That's a big shift, and we need to get to a better place faster."