US President Donald Trump has mocked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while recounting a past meeting between the two leaders, saying Modi had sought permission to see him. Furthermore, Washington continues to pressure New Delhi over its purchases of Russian oil.
Speaking at a House GOP member retreat, Trump said Modi had come to meet him during discussions on defence sales and trade ties.
“Prime Minister Modi came to see me, ‘Sir, may I see you please’. Yes,” Trump said, while referring to India’s interest in buying US military equipment.
Trump said India had been waiting for five years for US-made Apache attack helicopters and had ordered 68 of them.
He made the remarks while highlighting defence demand and using trade as leverage in negotiations.
The US president said Modi was “not that happy” with him because of the tariffs imposed by Washington.
“I have a very good relationship with him. He’s not that happy with me because you know they’re paying a lot of tariffs now,” Trump said, linking the move to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
Trump claimed India has now “reduced it very substantially” but added that pressure would continue.
He repeated that he had made it clear to Modi that Washington expected New Delhi to change its policy. “Modi knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,” Trump said.
The United States has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% levy specifically tied to India’s imports of Russian oil.
On Sunday, Trump warned that tariffs could be raised further if India fails to curb those imports. “They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” he said.
The remarks drew a response from India’s opposition Congress party, which shared a caricature of the episode on social media.
Trade relations remain tense as Washington continues to link economic pressure to New Delhi’s energy ties with Moscow.
Read more: Iran’s President Orders Restraint as Economic Protests Spread and Death Toll Rises
