Overview

• Trump said he will “always be friends” with Modi and called the India–U.S. relationship “very special,” even as he criticized India’s continued imports of Russian crude.
• Tariffs on Indian imports remain at 50%, which Trump has linked to New Delhi’s energy trade with Russia and what he describes as a long‑standing trade imbalance.
• India’s foreign ministry rejected White House adviser Peter Navarro’s statements on Russian oil and defense ties as “inaccurate and misleading,” and declined comment on Trump’s “lost to China” post.
• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick predicted India could return to trade talks within two months and “say they’re sorry,” framing it as his expectation rather than a set plan.
• Trump’s post followed Modi’s meeting with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in Tianjin, while previously planned U.S.–India trade negotiations remain on hold.