Will always be friends: Trump assures Modi who 'deeply appreciates' positive assessment of US-India ties

New York: Amid current tensions between Washington and Delhi over tariffs and purchase of Russian oil, US President Donald Trump said India and the United States have a “special relationship” and there's nothing to worry about as the two countries "just have moments on occasion”.

“I'll always be friends with (Narendra) Modi… He’s a great prime minister. He's great. But I just don't like what he's doing at this particular moment. But India and the United States have a special relationship. There's nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday.

The president was responding to a question on whether he is ready to reset relations with India, as ties between the two countries continue to reel under possibly the worst phase in over two decades.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took to X (formerly Twitter) and responded to Trump's comments. He said he 'deeply appreciates US President's 'positive assessment of our ties'.

He wrote, "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. "

However, Trump also said he is “very disappointed" that India would be buying “so much oil” from Russia.

“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. I get along very well with (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, he's great. He was here a couple of months ago,” Trump said in response to a question on his social media post that the US has lost India and Russia to China.

In the Truth Social post, Trump said that “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” Trump had also posted an old photo of Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Trump's post on social media came days after the bonhomie among Modi, Xi and Putin at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chinese city of Tianjin drew global attention.

To a question on how trade talks are going with India and other countries, Trump said, “They are going great. Other countries are doing great. We're doing great with all of them. We're upset with the European Union because of what's happening with not just Google, but with all of our big companies.” Meanwhile, Trump administration’s Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, Peter Navarro, said in a post on X that India’s highest tariffs cost US jobs.

“India buys Russian oil purely to profit/revenues feed Russia war machine. Ukrainians/Russians die. US taxpayers shell out more. India can't handle truth/spins,” Navarro said.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said that Trump and his trade team are disappointed that India continues to “fund” Russia's Ukraine war.

“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,” Hassett told reporters at the White House on Friday.

(with PTI inputs)