US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed matters related to trade.
Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump described Modi as “a great person” and “a great friend” while extending his warm wishes to the people of India.
“Let me also extend our warmest wishes to the people of India. I just spoke to your Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. We had a great conversation… he’s a great person, and he’s become a great friend of mine over the years,” Trump said.
“We talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, according to Reuters.
The development comes a day after Trump reiterated his claim that PM Modi told him India will stop buying Russian oil. He also warned that New Delhi would continue paying “massive” tariffs if it did not do so.
“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
When asked about India denying that him and Modi held a phone call regarding New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil, Trump had said: “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”
Trump’s latest remark coincides with the ongoing trade negotiations between India and the US, in the backdrop of his 50% tariffs on Indian imports. He had announced 25% of these duties, that took effect back in August, as additional penalties on India for its oil trade with Russia.
India has maintained that its energy purchases are driven by market forces and national security requirements rather than geopolitical alignment, consistently defending its right to secure affordable energy for its population.
