Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday responded to US President Donald Trump’s recent comments on India-US ties, stating that he “fully reciprocates his sentiments.” Modi described the bilateral relationship as “very positive and forward-looking.”
“Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties. India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties.
India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.@realDonaldTrump @POTUS https://t.co/4hLo9wBpeF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 6, 2025
Trump, on Friday, called India-US ties a “very special relationship” and affirmed that he and Modi would “always be friends.” However, he expressed concern over India’s Russian oil imports.
“I’ll always be friends with PM 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,” Trump said. He also noted that trade talks between the two countries are “going well.”
Tariff Disputes and Strategic Alignments
Tensions between India and the US have risen in recent weeks after the Trump administration imposed secondary tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil. With the fresh hike, tariffs on Indian exports now stand at over 50 per cent, the highest Trump has imposed apart from Brazil. India criticised the decision, calling it “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.”
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At the same time, Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, where he was seen with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The three leaders were photographed shaking hands, hugging, and smiling, signaling unity as New Delhi faces pressure over trade disputes with Washington.
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Days after the summit, Trump remarked that the US had “lost India to China,” but later clarified his statement. “I don’t think we have (lost India). 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, a very high tariff. I get along very well with PM Modi, as you know. He was here a couple of months ago, in fact, we went to the Rose Garden and had a press conference,” he said.