US President Donald Trump highlighted his ‘very close’ relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a briefing in the UK on Thursday. The POTUS urged European countries to stop buying Russian oil and insisted that the war in Ukraine would end if prices fell. Trump also claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “let him down” over the ongoing conflict — calling it his “biggest disappointment”.
“I’m very close to India. I’m very close to Prime Minister of India. I spoke to him the other day. Wished him a happy birthday. We have a very good relationship and he put out a beautiful statement too. But I sanctioned them,” Trump said.
“Very simply, if the price of oil comes down, Putin is going to drop out. He’s going to have no choice. He’s going to drop out of that war. And when I found out that the European nations were buying oil from Russia…” he added.
Thaw in India-US ties
The India-US relationship had come under severe strain last month as Trump imposed a 50% tariff against India over continued purchase of Russian oil. Top aides had also held New Delhi responsible for the ongoing ‘bloodshed’ in Ukraine — claiming that India was indirectly financing the Russian war and being a “laundromat for the Kremlin”. President Trump heralded a thaw last week — referring to Modi as a close friend and reiterating the “special relationship” between the US and India. Both leaders had also pledged to resume talks and voiced confidence in unlocking the “limitless potential” of a trade relationship.
Days later, Trump called Modi to extend birthday greetings and insist that the Indian leader was “doing a tremendous job”. The US President also thanked the PM for his “support” in ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the War between Russia and Ukraine!” the POTUS wrote on Truth Social earlier this week.
“Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” Modi responded via X.