Washington, Sep 6: US President Donald Trump appeared to backtrack from his previous remark about “losing” India to China. At a White House press conference on Friday, Trump said, “I’ll always be friends” with Prime Minister Modi” and called him a "great Prime Minister." Hours after this comment, Indian PM Modi reciprocated on Saturday by saying that he appreciates and fully reciprocates President Trump's sentiments.

“He’s a great Prime Minister. He’s great. I’ll always be friends but I just don’t like what he is doing at this particular moment. But India and the United States have a special relationship. There’s nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasions,” he added.

Hours after Trump's remarks, Indian PM Modi reciprocated by posting on his X handle, "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."

PM Modi's comments came hours after President Trump took a positive view when asked whether he blamed anyone for “losing India to China” and he responded saying, “I don’t think we have.”

President Trump added that he gets “along very well” with Prime Minister Modi but was “very disappointed” with India over New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil.

“I've been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil, as you know, from Russia, and let them know that we put a very big tariff on India, 50 per cent tariff, very hot tariff,” he noted.

Earlier in the day, Trump posted a picture of PM Modi along with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that India and Russia seem to have been "lost" to China.

“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!," he wrote on Truth Social.

The remarks follow a wave of intensified rhetoric against India from his administration and supporters.

White House Advisor Peter Navarro also repeated his accusations on Friday, alleging in post on X that India’s “highest tariffs costs US jobs.”

Trump’s aide Laura Loomer claimed on X that the administration is “considering blocking US IT companies from outsourcing their work to Indian companies.” Though she did not offer any evidence to support it.

In an interview with Bloomberg on Friday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the “US is always willing to talk,” but appeared to set preconditions for India.

“India doesn't yet want to open their market. Stop buying Russian oil, right? And stop being a part of BRICS, right? They are the vowel between Russia and China. If that's who you want to be, go, be it. But either, support the dollar, support the United States of America, support your biggest client, who is the American consumer, or I guess you're going to pay a 50 per cent tariff. And let's see how long this lasts,” he added.

He also voiced US opposition to India’s rising share of Russian crude in its oil imports, calling it “plain wrong.”

On Friday, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asserted that India will continue to buy Russian oil.

“Where we buy our oil from, especially a big-ticket foreign exchange item where we pay so much, highest in terms of import, we will have to take a call on what suits us best. “We will undoubtedly be buying,” she said in an interview with News18.

(IANS)

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