Just before celebrating Diwali at the White House, US President Donald Trump said that he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about India-US trade issues. Trump while extending Diwali wishes to the Indians from the Oval Office said, “Let me also extend our warmest wishes to the people of India. I just spoke to your Prime Minister today. We had a great conversation. We talked about trade. We talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade. He’s very interested in that.”
The US President’s comments come at a time when trade relations between Washington and New Delhi remain strained. Trump has raised tariffs on Indian goods by 25% in response to India’s ongoing imports of Russian oil, taking the total tariff rate on Indian products to nearly 50% this year. Earlier, he had defended his tariff policy, saying it had boosted the US economy and even helped avoid possible wars. He noted that several past conflicts were mainly linked to trade and tariffs.
‘No wars with Pakistan and India’: Trump
Trump added that his discussion with PM Modi also touched on regional peace. He reiterated that he had earlier advised both India and Pakistan to stay away from conflict, and added that he was glad that there was no war between the two countries, calling it a positive outcome.
“Although we did talk a little while ago about let’s have no wars with Pakistan. And I think the fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about that. And we have no war with Pakistan and India. And that was a very, very good thing,” Trump said.
Trump hails PM Modi as a ‘great friend’, ‘great person’
Trump went on to praise Prime Minister Modi, calling him a “great person” and a “great friend”, and spoke about their long relationship. However, India has not confirmed Trump’s latest remarks.
A week earlier, the US President had made a similar claim, saying he spoke with Modi, who allegedly agreed that India would stop buying oil from Russia, something Trump described as a big step in isolating Moscow over the Ukraine war.
India denied saying that there was no such call. It was the Ministry of External Affairs that made it clear that there was no phone conversation between the two leaders.
Diwali celebrations at White House
After speaking to the reporters, Trump lit diyas at the White House to celebrate the festival of lights. Several senior members of his administration were present, including FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai, India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and the US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.
According to reports, the event was also attended by a group of well-known Indian-American business leaders.