'Will Always Be Friends': Trump Backtracks on ‘Lost India to China’ Remark, Says Ties with India Are Special

Washington: After sparking concerns with a controversial social media post suggesting the United States had “lost” India and Russia to China, US President Donald Trump has stepped into damage control mode. Trump stated that the US-India relationship remains strong and that he continues to value his personal rapport with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I will always be friends with Modi… he is a great Prime Minister,” Trump said at a White House press briefing. “India and the United States have a special relationship. There is nothing to worry about.”

Earlier in the day, President Trump had posted a picture on his Truth Social account showing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.

“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!,” the caption read.

India Stands Firm on Russian Oil

India has made it clear that its energy decisions will be guided by national interest. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a recent interview that India will continue buying Russian oil as needed.

“Where we buy our oil from… we will take a call on what suits us best,” she said.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also downplayed tensions, describing the disagreements as temporary and emphasizing the broader strength of India-US ties.

The Trump administration recently imposed a 50% tariff on select Indian imports, citing India's oil purchases from Russia as the reason. Half of the tariff came into effect on August 27, adding to the strain between the two nations.

Trump confirmed the move during his press interaction, “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 per cent, very high tariff.”

Despite his earlier criticism, Trump softened his tone in the briefing, highlighting his personal relationship with Modi and describing him as “great.”

He also recalled a past joint press conference in the Rose Garden, “We had a news conference on the grass. It was my last one there because everyone sunk in. But we got along very well.”

Trade counselor Peter Navarro has accused India of being “Kremlin’s laundromat” and even labeled the Russia-Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war.” His statements were strongly rejected by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

“We have seen some inaccurate statements made by him. We reject them,” the MEA said.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal recently expressed optimism, stating that while trade talks take time, the relationship remains resilient.

“There’s never a timeline on such negotiations,” Goyal noted.

Trump’s remarks signal an effort to de-escalate tensions and reaffirm the long-standing strategic partnership between India and the United States.

“India and the United States have a very special relationship,” Trump repeated. “There is nothing to worry about.”

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