US President Donald Trump on Tuesday softened his stance towards India, striking an upbeat note on trade negotiations just days after warning that New Delhi and Moscow appeared to have been “lost” to China.
In a post on Truth Social on 9 September, Trump wrote: “I am pleased to announce that India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations to address the trade barriers between our two nations. I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded on X, calling India and the US “close friends and natural partners.” He said the two countries were working to conclude discussions at the earliest. “We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people,” he added.
This is the second time in recent days that Trump has spoken positively about India. At a White House press conference last week, he said, “I’ll always be friends with Prime Minister Modi. He’s a great Prime Minister. India and the United States have a special relationship. There’s nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion.”
Modi, in turn, said he “deeply appreciates and fully reciprocates” Trump’s positive assessment of bilateral ties, calling the partnership “very positive and forward-looking.”
But the praise has been tempered with sharp criticism. Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration at India’s decision to purchase discounted Russian crude oil 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,” he said.
In recent months, tariffs on Indian goods have been doubled to 50%, including a 25% additional duty linked to oil imports. India described the move as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
Trump has also accused India of “war profiteering” by refining and exporting Russian oil, even going so far as to call the Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war.”
After the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held between 31 August and 1 September in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, where PM Modi was photographed alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump posted: “Looks like we have lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”
At the height of tensions earlier this year, Trump dismissed India as a “dead economy,” with his trade adviser Peter Navarro accusing New Delhi of taking advantage of discounted Russian crude. Trump had also described India’s tariffs as “among the highest in the world” and “most strenuous and obnoxious.”
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