'Will always be friends with Modi, India-US share special bond': Trump

Trump admitted he 'just doesn't like' some of Narendra Modi's decisions, noting that India and the US "have moments on occasion" amidst ongoing trade and tariff tensions

US President Donald Trump described relations with India as “special” even as he voiced disappointment over New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil. The remarks come at a time when bilateral ties are under strain, with the US imposing steep tariffs on Indian goods and pushing for a rethink of India’s energy policy.

‘Always friends with Modi’

Speaking at the Oval Office on Friday, Trump stressed that despite the ongoing tensions, he continues to have a good rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

“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, adding that “there’s nothing to worry about” as the two countries “just have moments on occasion.”

 

#WATCH | Washington DC | Responding to ANI's question on resetting relations with India, US President Donald Trump says, "I always will, I will always be friends with Modi, he is a great Prime Minister, he is great... I just don't like what he is doing at this particular moment,… pic.twitter.com/gzMQZfzSor

— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2025

Frustration over India’s import of Russian oil

The US President repeated his displeasure at India’s decision to buy oil from Moscow amid the Ukraine war.

 

“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,” Trump said.

 

His comments followed a post on his Truth Social account, where he suggested the US had “lost” both India and Russia to China after their leaders were seen together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. He posted a photograph of PM Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

White House trade team voices concern

Senior members of Trump’s trade and economic team echoed the president’s disappointment.

 

Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, told reporters that the administration hoped diplomacy would resolve the matter. “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 said.

 

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick warned that India risked being squeezed between Russia and China if it refused to change course. He suggested New Delhi could face prolonged tariffs unless it realigned with Washington. “Support the dollar, support the US, support your biggest client – the American consumer – or pay 50 per cent tariff,” Lutnick told Bloomberg, predicting India would return to the negotiating table within two months. 

 

Peter Navarro, Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing, wrote on X that India’s oil imports were helping fund Russia’s war in Ukraine. “India buys Russian oil purely to profit … revenues feed Russia’s war machine,” Navarro said.

India defends its stance

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended India’s purchases of Russian oil, saying they were driven by economic considerations. “India will continue to buy Russian oil because it remains economical,” she said on Friday, indicating that New Delhi would resist US pressure to halt supplies.