WASHINGTON
In a swift reversal of his earlier comments, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated he does not believe the United States has “lost India.” This came a day after he made a cryptic social media post suggesting India had aligned with China and Russia.
In a tweet, Trump had posted a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that it “looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China.” However, when questioned by reporters, he backtracked on his initial statement.
“I don’t think we have,” Trump said. “I am disappointed that India would be buying so much oil from Russia, and I let them know that. We put a 50% tariff on India, a very high tariff. But I get along very well with Modi.”
The President’s comments underscore a shift in tone amid ongoing tensions over India’s purchase of Russian oil and trade tariffs. While expressing his disappointment with India’s energy policy, Trump maintained that he has a “very good” relationship with Prime Minister Modi, and described the U.S.-India relationship as “special.”
