• Source:JND
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Trump-Modi friendship: US President Donald Trump on Friday reaffirmed his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling India-US ties a “very special relationship,” even as he expressed dissatisfaction with New Delhi’s recent policy decisions. Speaking to ANI in Washington, Trump stressed that personal ties with PM Modi remain intact. “I’ll always be friends with Prime Minister Modi. He’s a great Prime Minister. There is nothing to worry about. India and the United States have a very special relationship. We just have moments on occasion,” Trump said. “I just don’t like what he is doing at this particular moment,” he added.

When asked about ongoing trade negotiations with India and other countries, Trump replied that discussions were progressing positively. “They are going great. Other countries are doing great. We are doing great with all of them,” he said. But the US President shifted his ire toward Europe, sharply criticising the European Union’s recent USD 3.5 billion fine on Google for alleged anti-competitive practices. “We’re upset with the European Union over what’s happening, not just with Google but with all of our big companies,” he remarked.

Tensions between New Delhi and Washington have risen after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent. The move came amid US displeasure over India’s continued purchase of discounted Russian crude. “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 percent, a very high tariff,” Trump acknowledged further. Still, he underlined that relations at the leadership level remain cordial. “I get along very well with Modi, as you know. He was here a couple of months ago. We even had a press conference at the Rose Garden,” he recalled.

Trump’s Cryptic Post On “Losing India And Russia To China”

The positive remarks came just after Trump stirred controversy with a blunt post on his social media platform, Truth Social. “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” he wrote, reacting to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin where Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were seen sharing a visibly warm camaraderie. The remark drew global attention, with netizens describing it as a sharp jibe at the evolving India-Russia-China axis.

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India’s Response: No Comment On Trump’s Post

When asked about Trump’s social media comments, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) chose not to be drawn into a controversy. “I have no comments to offer on this post at this time,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at a regular briefing in New Delhi. But, he underlined the importance of bilateral ties. “This relationship between the United States and India is very important for us. Both our countries share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values and robust people-to-people ties,” Jaiswal added.

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The SCO summit, where Modi, Putin and Xi appeared united, has been perceived in Washington as a setback to decades of US diplomacy aimed at drawing India closer. The optics of bonhomie between the three leaders came at a time when Trump’s tariff measures were already straining relations. For now, Trump continues to insist that India and the United States remain bound by a “very special relationship.” But with trade frictions, oil imports from Russia, and India’s growing engagements with China and Russia under the SCO umbrella, the road ahead for India-US ties may require deft diplomacy and mutual restraint.

With inputs from agency.