US President Donald Trump, during a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on September 18, 2025, underscored his close ties with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to their recent exchanges and highlighting a personal phone call on Modi’s 75th birthday.

In his remarks, Trump emphasised his strong personal bond with the Indian leader, calling him a friend and praising his leadership, while also acknowledging Modi’s support for efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump reiterated his admiration, stating Modi was doing a “tremendous job” and directly thanked him for backing Washington’s peace initiatives. In reciprocation, PM Modi posted on X, thanking Trump for his greetings and reaffirming India’s full commitment, alongside the US, to elevate the Comprehensive and Global Partnership, as well as voicing support for Trump’s peace efforts in Ukraine.

The cordial personal exchanges coincided with substantive bilateral developments, as US Trade Representative Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch engaged with Indian commerce officials in New Delhi during the week, focusing on advancing the long-pending India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.

Both sides agreed to intensify negotiations with the goal of achieving a mutually beneficial deal at the earliest, reinforcing economic ties to complement the political warmth expressed at the leadership level.

Despite underlining friendship, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, identifying it as a sticking point in bilateral trade. He revealed that this was a direct reason behind Washington’s imposition of higher tariffs on India, with an overall 50% tariff rate, including a punitive 25% specifically aimed at the energy trade.

Trump argued that revenue from oil sales sustains Russia’s war effort and insisted that lower global energy prices would pressure Moscow to compromise on the Ukraine conflict.

He stressed that the US, as the world’s largest oil producer, was determined to suppress energy prices through increased drilling and production, positioning American energy expansion as both a domestic win and a geopolitical lever.

This mix of warmth and pressure encapsulates the present phase of India-US relations: strong personal and political alignment between leaders, visible coordination on global issues such as Ukraine peace, expanded trade negotiations, but underlying tensions over energy policies and strategic autonomy, particularly India’s continued engagement with Russian oil supplies.

The juxtaposition of celebratory phone calls and birthday greetings with simultaneous tariff threats demonstrates Washington’s dual-track approach of deepening strategic partnership while forcefully leveraging economic tools to shape Indian policy choices.

Based On ANI Report