Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep appreciation for US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s remarks calling India-US ties a &ldquo;very special relationship.&rdquo; PM Modi said he &ldquo;fully reciprocates&rdquo; Trump&rsquo;s sentiments, stressing that India and the US enjoy a forward-looking Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership spanning defense, trade, technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
Trump, however, struck a mixed note. While reiterating that he and PM Modi would &ldquo;always be friends,&rdquo; he voiced discontent with India&rsquo;s current policies. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great Prime Minister but I just don&rsquo;t like what he is doing at this particular moment,&rdquo; Trump told reporters, without elaborating.
The US President also flagged concerns over India&rsquo;s oil purchases from Russia, confirming he had conveyed his disappointment to New Delhi. &ldquo;I&rsquo;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%,&rdquo; Trump said.
Despite these sharp remarks, he maintained optimism about bilateral ties. &ldquo;India and the United States have a very special relationship. There is nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion,&rdquo; he remarked.
Meanwhile, India&rsquo;s Ministry of External Affairs reaffirmed that the partnership remains &ldquo;anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties.&rdquo; MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that the relationship has &ldquo;weathered several transitions and challenges&rdquo; and will continue to move forward &ldquo;based on mutual respect and shared interests.&rdquo;
External affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that PM Modi has always had a very good personal equation with US President Donald Trump. He further conveyed how PM attaches enormous importance to our partnership with the US saying,"Where President Trump is concerned, he has always had a very good personal equation with President Trump. But the point is that we remain engaged with the US, and at this time, I can't say more than that. But that's really what I would say."
As both leaders balance friendship with policy friction, the spotlight remains on whether Washington and New Delhi can bridge tariff and energy differences while keeping their strategic bond intact.

Modi-Trump: Friendship Amid Tariff Tensions

Both leaders reaffirm India-US bond while trade tariffs and oil imports stir friction

Modi-Trump: Friendship Amid Tariff Tensions

Both leaders reaffirm India-US bond while trade tariffs and oil imports stir friction

September 6, 2025 | 18:18 IST