In a significant shift from his earlier remarks, US President Donald Trump said he continues to share a “special relationship” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite ongoing tariff tensions between India and the United States.
Trump had earlier posted a picture of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Modi from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, suggesting that the US had “lost India and Russia to China.” Hours later, however, he appeared to dial down his rhetoric, affirming that he “gets along very well” with Modi and would “always be friends” with him.
“I don’t think we have lost India,” Trump told reporters when asked about his post. “I’ve been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil from Russia. I let them know that. We put a very big tariff on India — 50 per cent, very high tariff. But I get along very well with Modi, as you know. He was here a couple of months ago…”
Despite reaffirming his personal rapport with Modi, Trump stood by the 50% tariffs on Indian imports, half of which were imposed as a penalty for India’s oil trade with Russia. The tariffs took effect on August 27 and have been widely seen as a flashpoint in India-US relations.
“I will always be friends with Modi — he is a great Prime Minister. I just don’t like what he is doing at this particular moment, but India and the United States have a special relationship. There is nothing to worry about,” Trump added.
Bilateral trade negotiations remain ongoing. Union Minister Piyush Goyal recently reassured that such talks take time and “never have a fixed timeline,” signaling that both sides are keeping the door open for a reset despite recent tensions.
