Indian PM Narendra Modi escapes infamous Donald Trump handshake with bear hug

 The Indian Prime Minister has escaped the infamously tense and awkward handshakes with Donald Trump and other world leaders by going in for a bear hug more than once.

Narendra Modi met with the US President at the White House for the first time and avoided the "yanking" handshake of Mr Trump, who tends to pull the other person towards him roughly.

French President Emmanuel Macron had a tense moment with Mr Trump when the duo met in Italy for the G7 meeting, gripping his hand tight for several seconds and appearing to grit his teeth in the process.

 Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was one of the first leaders to visit the White House and cameras caught an awkward look on his face just ahead of his Oval Office handshake.

Mr Trump. who reportedly has a fear of germs, refused to shake German Chancellor Angela Merkel's hand on her visit to Washington, appearing to not hear her asking if they should so in front of cameras.

 He has also had awkward encounters with other world leaders, like the time cameras caught him pushing Montenegrin Dusko Markovic out of his way at the NATO summit in May 2017.

 Mr Modi is known for hugging his global counterparts, endearing him to many voters. The move seemed to catch Mr Trump off guard but the pair shared several hugs during the course of the visit.

"Given Mr Modi's huggig record, it would have been a very ill informed US team that would not have known Mr Modi was going to go for it."

Mr Modi swooped in for two big bear hugs with the US President during their joint statements wrapping his arms around Mr Trump's midsection and ending their first embrace with a lingering handshake that stretched the President's arm between their two lecterns.

After wrapping up his own remarks, he hugged his US counterpart a second time, placing his head close to the President's shoulder in video that quickly spread around social media.

Mr Modi offered yet another embrace as he departed the White House. After shaking Mr Trump's hand, Mr Modi went in for a third and final public hug- resting his head near Mr Trump's left shoulder, then near his right. The President welcomed the parting gesture, patting Mr Modi on the back.

Mr Trump is a self admitted germaphobe who preferred tossing his trademark red baseball caps into crowds at campaign rallies over shaking numerous hands along the rope line. But he has been willing to express America's special relationship with a select few.