On Tuesday night, September 9, 2025, President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took steps to ease weeks of growing tensions between their countries, jointly announcing via social media that suspended trade talks would soon resume.
Trump posted on Truth Social that evening, expressing satisfaction that the United States and India were back at the table to address trade barriers. He called Modi a very good friend and said he was confident they could reach a deal that would benefit both nations without difficulty.
Responding on X, Modi described India and the U.S. as close allies and natural partners. He voiced optimism that renewed negotiations would tap into the limitless potential of their partnership and said he looked forward to speaking with Trump in the coming weeks.
This coordinated exchange marked a sharp departure from the recent strained relations between the two largest democracies. Just four days earlier, on September 5, Trump had claimed on social media that the U.S. had “lost” India and Russia to China, sharing a photo of Modi walking hand-in-hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Tensions had flared earlier in the summer when the U.S. imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian exports after trade talks collapsed. In late August, Trump doubled that tariff to 50 percent, citing India’s heavy purchases of Russian oil as part of his strategy to pressure Moscow over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
India, the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian oil, protested being singled out for tariffs while China, the top purchaser, and Turkey, the third-largest, faced no such penalties. On Tuesday, the Financial Times reported that Trump had pushed the European Union to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on both China and India over their Russian oil imports.
Trump had further irritated Indian officials by repeatedly claiming he had helped mediate peace after a brief clash between India and Pakistan in May. India has consistently rejected any third-party mediation in its dealings with Pakistan, insisting that all issues be resolved bilaterally—a stance Modi reiterated in a June phone call with Trump.
In late August, Modi appeared to underscore India’s independent foreign policy by sharing images of meetings with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at a conference in China, a move that unsettled those who preferred India keep its distance from China and Russia.
In the days leading up to Tuesday’s announcements, both nations had made small conciliatory moves. India slightly reduced its purchases of Russian oil, and Trump nominated his close ally and personnel chief, Sergio Gor, as the next U.S. ambassador to India—widely seen as a positive sign for relations.
Also on September 5, Trump remarked that he would always remain friends with Modi, even if he disapproved of some of Modi’s recent actions. Former Trump administration trade official Mark Linscott credited the breakthrough to constructive discussions among senior figures on both sides rather than any single concession.
Lisa Curtis, who served as deputy assistant to the president and senior NSC director for South and Central Asia under Trump, observed that both countries had been taking steps toward one another in recent weeks and appeared to be building on that momentum.
The renewed engagement comes after trade talks had effectively stalled due to tariff escalations. In his post on X, Modi stated that both sides’ negotiating teams were working to wrap up discussions as soon as possible, with a shared commitment to securing greater prosperity for their citizens.
Linscott cautioned that resolving differences over Russian oil purchases remains a challenge but described the latest developments as a promising sign that both nations want to move away from confrontation and toward a new trade agreement.
