Trump turns ‘friend’ day after China jab, Modi ‘appreciates’ it

Less than 24 hours after suggesting that India and Russia “may have been lost to the deepest and darkest China”, US President Donald Trump shifted tone on Saturday, emphasising his personal rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the strength of the New Delhi-Washington relationship.

“I will always be friends with Modi, he is a great Prime Minister… but I just don’t like what he’s doing at this particular moment. India and the US have a special relationship. There is nothing to worry about,” the US President said, responding to a question at the White House on the possibility of the US resetting relations with India.

PM Modi was quick to acknowledge the change in stance. In a post on X, he said, “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 won’t deliver address at UNGA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not deliver address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) later this month. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to represent the country instead. The minister will speak at the general debate on September 27.

It was the first exchange of views between the two leaders after they held a phone conversation on June 17. The relations between New Delhi and Washington are on a major downturn after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, including 25 per cent additional duties for India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. India described the US action as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”. Trump’s recalibration followed his Truth Social post on Friday, in which he shared a photograph of Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in China. He captioned it as: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China.” The comment was interpreted as frustration over New Delhi’s energy trade with Moscow.

Explaining his position, Trump said, “I have 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. But I get along very well with Modi, and that’s not going to change.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also weighed in, noting that PM Modi attached “enormous importance” to the partnership with the US. “Where President Trump is concerned, he (PM Modi) has always had a very good personal equation. But the point is that we remain engaged with the US, and at this time, I can’t say more than that,” he told reporters. Meanwhile, former diplomat Veena Sikri described Trump’s earlier statement gainst India as “very disappointing”, arguing it overlooked India’s foreign policy of strategic autonomy.