Just hours after declaring that the United States had “lost” India to China, President Donald Trump appeared to soften his stance, clarifying that America’s relationship with New Delhi remained “special” and that he continued to enjoy a close personal bond with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Soon after Trump’s comments, PM Modi responded on X (formerly Twitter), saying he “appreciates and fully reciprocates” the U.S. President’s sentiments and positive assessment of bilateral ties.
When pressed on who he believed was responsible for Washington “losing India” to Beijing, Trump replied, “I don’t think we actually have. What has disappointed me is that India has been buying so much oil, as you know, from Russia. I made my displeasure clear to them. We imposed a very significant tariff on India — a 50% tariff, extremely high.”
Even as he voiced frustration, Trump repeatedly emphasised his personal camaraderie with Prime Minister Modi. “I get along extremely well with Modi, as you know. He’s terrific. He visited just a couple of months ago,” Trump noted.
‘Great Prime Minister’
Reiterating the importance of the bilateral partnership, Trump again described the India-U.S. relationship as “very special,” stressing that despite occasional policy disagreements, his friendship with Prime Minister Modi would endure.
Asked by reporters whether he was prepared to recalibrate relations with India, Trump replied, “Absolutely. I’ll always be friends with Modi. He’s a great Prime Minister. That will never change. I simply don’t agree with what he is doing right now. But the bond between India and the United States is unique. There’s no cause for concern. From time to time, we simply have moments like this.”
The President also sounded upbeat about ongoing trade talks with India as well as other nations, remarking, “They are progressing very well. Other countries are doing well. We are making excellent progress with all of them.”
Trump Posts Modi’s Image With Putin, Xi
Trump’s conciliatory words followed soon after he shared a photograph of Prime Minister Modi alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Tianjin gathering.
The U.S. President hinted that relations with New Delhi had sunk to their lowest ebb, remarking that America had “lost” India and Russia to what he called “the darkest China.” His comments came only days after Modi, Putin, and Xi were seen together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.
The summit, hosted by President Xi, was attended by several world leaders, including PM Modi and President Putin. The public display of camaraderie among the three leaders was described in international circles as “a turning point” and “the emergence of a new world order,” particularly against the backdrop of the trade conflict instigated by Washington.
India, however, refrained from responding directly to Trump’s claim that New Delhi was drifting closer to Moscow and Beijing.
Questioned about the remarks, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal simply stated, “I have no comments to offer on this post at this moment.”
Meanwhile, India-U.S. ties have been under severe strain, with relations reaching their lowest point in years following Trump’s decision last month to slap punitive tariffs on New Delhi. Washington imposed a total of 50% duties — 25% as a base tariff and another 25% surcharge — in retaliation against India’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil.
(With inputs from IBNS)
