Hours after declaring that the United States had “lost” India and Russia to China, President Donald Trump clarified his remarks, saying his disappointment stemmed from India’s continued import of Russian oil rather than any permanent break in ties. He revealed that Washington had imposed a steep 50 per cent tariff on India as a direct response to New Delhi’s purchases of discounted crude from Moscow. “I’ve been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil, as you know, from Russia. And I let them know that. We put a very big tariff on India. Fifty percent tariff, very high tariff,” Trump told reporters.
Despite his criticism, Trump struck a conciliatory note toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underscoring his personal rapport with the Indian leader. “I get along very well with Modi, as you know. He’s great. He was here a couple of months ago,” the president said, before calling Modi a “great Prime Minister.” He added that disagreements over policy did not undermine the “very special relationship” between India and the United States, insisting that he and Modi would “always be friends.”
Pressed on whether he was open to resetting relations with New Delhi, Trump assured that the friendship remained intact, though he reiterated his disapproval of India’s stance on Russian oil. “I’ll always be friends with Modi. He’s a great Prime Minister. I’ll always be friends, but I just don’t like what he is doing at this particular moment. But India and the United States have a very special relationship. There is nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion,” he explained.
Trump also expressed confidence about trade talks, not only with India but with other nations still negotiating agreements with Washington. “They are going great. Other countries are doing great. We are doing great with all of them,” he said, projecting optimism despite recent frictions.
The remarks came shortly after Trump shared an image on Truth Social showing Modi alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. In his post, Trump suggested that the U.S. had “lost” India and Russia to “the darkest China,” framing the camaraderie between the three leaders as a potential sign of shifting global alignments.
Prime Minister Modi’s participation in the SCO Summit, hosted by Xi, was widely noted for the optics of India appearing alongside Russia and China amid escalating tariff tensions with Washington. While Trump’s comments drew attention globally, India refrained from direct engagement. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, when asked, simply said: “I have no comments to offer on this post at this moment.”
The latest developments underscore the volatility in India-U.S. ties, which have hit one of their lowest points in recent years following Trump’s imposition of combined 50 percent tariffs on Indian exports. The move, aimed at penalizing India’s energy trade with Moscow, has left the relationship under visible strain, even as both sides publicly reaffirm the importance of their long-standing strategic partnership.
