Following a public exchange of goodwill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump have signaled a renewed effort to strengthen their “special relationship,” taking the first steps to patch up a relationship that had soured over trade disputes and India’s purchases of Russian oil. The positive shift has set the stage for officials to work towards a final trade deal that benefits both nations.
The public de-escalation began with President Trump’s remarks on Friday, where he reaffirmed his personal friendship with PM Modi, stating he would “always be friends with Modi” and that “there is nothing to worry about” the India-US special relationship. He acknowledged that the two countries “just have moments on occasion” but that the underlying bond remains strong.
On Saturday, PM Modi promptly reciprocated Trump’s sentiments in a post on X, writing, “Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties. India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.”
The Path to a Trade Deal
With both leaders making it clear that they are committed to closer bilateral ties, the focus now shifts to senior officials to negotiate and finalize a trade agreement. The move is expected to soften or even stop the recent public friction coming from Washington against India. There is also a strong possibility that the two leaders may have a direct phone conversation to provide directions to officials and cement ties.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also underscored the importance of the relationship, stating that PM Modi attaches “a lot of importance to ties with US.” He emphasized that despite current disagreements, engagement between the two countries continues.
In a related comment, President Trump clarified that he did not believe the US had “lost India to China,” a point he had made in an earlier social media post. He noted his disappointment with India’s purchase of a large amount of Russian oil but reiterated his personal rapport with PM Modi.
India’s position, as conveyed by officials on Raisina Hill, is that the country is not moving closer to China but is simply normalizing ties while continuing to engage with Russia. New Delhi believes that the bilateral relationship between the two “natural allies” is for the global good and that any trade disagreements are temporary hurdles. This sentiment was echoed by a top Indian national security planner who recently visited the US and received assurances that the bilateral relations would continue as usual despite the “hiccup” in trade.