Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reaffirmed that relations with the United States remain “very positive,” after US President Donald Trump softened his earlier comments about India drifting toward China.

The exchange comes amid growing strains over trade, oil imports, and geopolitical alignments.

Modi responds to Trump’s remarks

In a statement on X, Modi said he “deeply appreciates and fully reciprocates President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties.” He added that India and the US enjoy “a very positive and forward-looking comprehensive and global strategic partnership.”

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.@realDonaldTrump @POTUS https://t.co/4hLo9wBpeF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 6, 2025

Trump downplays talk of losing India

Trump had stirred speculation of a rift when he suggested that India and Russia seemed “lost” to China, sharing a photo of Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at last week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

Also Read: Trump says India, Russia ‘lost to deepest, darkest China’

Later, Trump walked back his statement, saying: “I don’t think we have [lost India]. I’ve been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil from Russia. And I let them know that.” He stressed that he “will always be friends with Modi” and that “India and the United States have a special relationship.”

Strains over trade and Russia

Tensions between New Delhi and Washington have been simmering since the Trump administration imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian imports, accusing India of indirectly supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine by purchasing Russian oil.

At the same time, Trump has expressed frustration at his inability to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, more than three years into the conflict.

Modi’s visit to China

The SCO summit marked Modi’s first visit to China in seven years, a move widely seen as a thaw in ties between the two Asian powers. His participation alongside Xi and Putin raised questions in Washington about India’s balancing act between global alliances.

Kashmir mediation rebuffed

Trump also appeared irritated after New Delhi dismissed his claims of “Nobel Prize-worthy diplomacy” for mediating peace between India and Pakistan following one of the worst flare-ups in Kashmir in decades. India has consistently rejected any third-party involvement in the Kashmir dispute, a stance that has added to recent diplomatic coolness.

A day ago, Trump claimed that India and Russia appeared to have aligned more closely with China, following this week’s SCO summit in Tianjin. Sharing a picture of the three leaders, he suggested the US had “lost” both countries to China.

Trump’s reaction on social media

In a post on his Truth Social platform early Friday morning, September 5, Trump wrote: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”

The post came after Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the SCO summit in Tianjin, where the leaders projected unity and spoke warmly of cooperation.