Washington DC, September 6(HS): U.S. President Donald Trump played down fears of a rift with India on Friday, insisting that Washington and India still share a “special relationship” despite mounting disputes over tariffs and India’s purchase of Russian oil.

“I’ll always be friends with (Narendra) Modi… He’s a great Prime Minister. He’s great. But I just don’t like what he’s doing at this particular moment,” Trump said during an Oval Office interaction. “India and the United States have a special relationship. There’s nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion.”

The comments came against the backdrop of Trump’s recent warning that the U.S. had “lost” India and Russia to what he called “deepest, darkest China.” The president admitted that he was “very disappointed” by India’s move to buy “so much oil” from Moscow, adding, “We put a very big tariff on India, 50% tariff, a very high tariff.”

Trump’s remarks followed a fiery Truth Social post where he shared an old photograph of Prime Minister Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, writing that the trio may now “have a long and prosperous future together.”

The public criticism from Trump coincided with his aides ramping up pressure. Senior trade advisor Peter Navarro declared that India’s oil imports from Russia “feed Russia’s war machine,” while National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the White House was “disappointed that India continues to fund Russia’s Ukraine war.”

Despite the sharp rhetoric, Trump signaled optimism on broader trade talks. “They are going great. Other countries are doing great. We’re doing great with all of them,” he said, while taking aim at the European Union over its treatment of U.S. tech giants.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar