Modi hails Trump's comments, says India-US ties are positive, strategic

PM Narendra Modi says he 'fully reciprocates' Donald Trump's positive view of India-US ties, while Trump calls ties 'special' but criticises India's Russian oil purchases

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed his appreciation for US President Donald Trump’s comments on the state of bilateral ties between India and the US. He said he shared the American leader’s positive view of the partnership.

 

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties."

 

He added, "India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership." 

  His comments came after President Trump described ties with India as “special", though he also voiced displeasure over New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil.

 

Speaking at the Oval Office on Friday, Trump underlined his personal rapport with the Indian Prime Minister. “I’ll always be friends with Modi. He’s a great prime minister, but I just don’t like what he’s doing at this particular moment,” Trump said. He added that “there’s nothing to worry about” since both countries “just have moments on occasion".

 

  At the same time, he repeated his criticism of India’s decision to buy crude from Moscow. “I’ve been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil from Russia, and I let them know that. We put a very big tariff on India, 50 per cent tariff, very high tariff,” he said.

 

Trump had earlier posted on his social media platform Truth Social, suggesting the US had “lost” both India and Russia to China after leaders of the three nations were pictured together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

 

US trade team raises concerns

 

Top members of Trump’s economic team echoed his concerns about India’s energy policy. Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said Washington hoped the issue could be settled through talks. “I think the trade team and the president are disappointed that India continues to fund Russia’s Ukraine war, and hopefully it’s a diplomatic issue that will have positive development soon,” he told reporters.   

 

  Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick went a step further, claiming on Friday that India would have to return to the negotiating table in a month or two, and would "say sorry". He also warned that India risked being caught between Russia and China, called it just a 'vowel' between the two countries, in a reference to the Brics acronym. He suggested tariffs could remain in place unless India aligned more closely with Washington. “Support the dollar, support the US, support your biggest client – the American consumer – or pay 50 per cent tariff,” Lutnick said, predicting that India would return to the negotiating table within two months.

 

India stands firm on oil imports

 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday made clear that India would continue buying Russian oil. She said the decision was based on cost and national interest.

 

“India will continue to buy Russian oil because it remains economical,” Sitharaman said in an interview to TV channel News18 on Friday, signalling New Delhi’s intent to maintain its current energy policy based on domestic requirements. 

 

(With agency inputs)