Donald Trump says he’s very near India, PM Modi

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (September 18, 2025) stated he’s “very shut” to India and shares a robust private rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a joint press convention with U.Ok. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the British PM’s countryside residence, Mr. Trump stated he has a “excellent relationship” with Mr. Modi and likewise wished him on his seventy fifth birthday — a gesture reciprocated by the Indian chief with a “stunning” assertion.

“I’m very near India. I’m very near the Prime Minister of India. I spoke to him the opposite day to want him a Happy Birthday,” Mr. Trump advised reporters.

“We have an excellent relationship, and he put out a good looking assertion too. But I sanctioned them,” he stated, in response to a query about his plans on coping with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr. Trump’s name on Tuesday (September 16, 2025), a day earlier than Mr. Modi turned 75, is being seen as a big gesture as a part of the US’ efforts to reset ties with India amid pressure over tariff points.

The Trump administration doubled tariffs on Indian items to a whopping 50%, together with a 25% further duties for India’s buy of Russian crude oil.

Defending its buy of Russian crude oil, India has been sustaining that its power procurement is pushed by nationwide curiosity and market dynamics.

“Very merely, if the worth of oil comes down, Mr. Putin goes to drop out. He’s going to haven’t any alternative. He’s going to drop out of that struggle,” Mr. Trump stated, including that he was pressured to sanction European nations and China too for getting oil from Russia.

“China is paying a really massive tariff proper now to the United States, however I’m keen to do different issues, however not when the folks that I’m combating for are shopping for oil from Russia. If the oil worth comes down, very merely, Russia will settle; and the oil worth is manner down, we received it manner down,” he claimed.

During the press convention, Mr. Trump famous that Mr. Putin had been his “largest disappointment” over the continuing battle with Ukraine and went on to repeat his declare about intervening within the India-Pakistan face-off earlier this 12 months.

“We did seven (conflicts) and most of them weren’t considered settleable. We did India, and we did Pakistan. That’s two nuclear (international locations),” he stated.

“That was purely for commerce. You [India and Pakistan] need to commerce with us, you are going to should get alongside. And they [India and Pakistan] have been going at it scorching and heavy,” he stated.

In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor in retaliation of the Pakistan-backed terrorist strike in Pahalgam in April, Mr. Trump had taken to on social media to proclaim that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire and repeatedly claimed that he advised the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours that America will do a “lot of trade” with them in the event that they stopped the battle.

India has persistently denied any third-party intervention, sustaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the 2 militaries.

Mr. Trump and spouse Melania, who have been within the UK on a two-day State Visit on the invitation of King Charles III, departed from Chequers to board Air Force One again to Washington quickly after the press interplay.