Despite the raging tariff war between India and the United States, President Donald Trump on Friday asserted that the two countries have a “very special” relationship.
Trump said he would always be friends with Narendra Modi, whom he called a “great prime minister”.
His remarks came in response to a question by a journalist as to whether he was ready to reset relations with India, as ties between the two countries continue to reel under possibly the worst phase in over two decades.
"I always will. 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.
The India-US relations nosedived last month after Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s continued purchase of cheap Russian oil.
Earlier, in a social media post, Trump had mocked the bonhomie between Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit, saying “the US has lost Russia and India to deepest, darkest China".
Asked about his post, Trump said he was disappointed over India’s oil purchase from Russia, an act which he claimed would fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“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, a very high tariff. I get along very well with (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi; he's great. He was here a couple of months ago,” the President said.