US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “a great man” and “a friend,” while suggesting he might visit India next year to boost trade ties between the two countries.
Speaking to reporters at the White House after unveiling a new initiative to reduce the cost of weight loss drugs, Trump said his talks with Modi were “going great.”
“He’s largely stopped buying from Russia. He’s a friend of mine, and we speak often. Prime Minister Modi is a great man. He wants me to visit India, and we’ll work that out. I’ll go,” Trump said. When asked directly if the visit could happen next year, Trump replied, “It could be, yes.”
This statement comes months after The New York Times reported that Trump had dropped his plan to attend the Quad Summit in India following the US decision to impose heavy tariffs. That report, titled “The Nobel Prize and a Testy Phone Call: How the Trump-Modi Relationship Unravelled,” claimed Trump had earlier promised Modi he would attend but later backed out.
The White House event briefly halted when a company representative fainted during the announcement. “The White House Medical Unit quickly responded, and the gentleman is fine,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said afterward.
Leavitt also reaffirmed Trump’s strong stance on India-US relations earlier this week, saying, “The President is positive and feels very strongly about the partnership. He even spoke to Prime Minister Modi during Diwali celebrations at the White House with Indian-American officials.”
Trump has recently praised India for cutting back on Russian oil imports, calling New Delhi “very good” on the issue. His comments reflect Washington’s wider effort to isolate Russia economically amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that its energy decisions are guided by national interests and the welfare of its citizens. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s import policies focus on securing stable prices and reliable supplies through diversified sources.
He added, “We have consistently worked to expand energy cooperation with the US over the past decade, and discussions on this front are ongoing.”
