New Delhi/Washington: US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to India over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil, signalling that tariffs already imposed on Indian goods could be raised “very quickly” if Washington’s concerns are not addressed.
Speaking to reporters, Trump struck a mixed note—praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally, while making it clear that India’s energy trade with Russia remains a sore point for the US administration.
“Modi is a very good man. He’s a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump said.
President Trump : “Modi is good man, he knew, i was not happy and it’s important to make me happy. It’s good that they substantially reduced buying russian oil.” pic.twitter.com/HPuZDDnZ8Q
— RAJAT (@RajatJain) January 5, 2026
The warning comes just weeks after Trump and Modi held what officials described as a “warm” telephonic conversation, during which the two leaders reviewed the overall trajectory of India–US relations and discussed ways to deepen cooperation across key strategic sectors.
According to an official statement, the leaders assessed progress in the bilateral partnership and explored opportunities to expand collaboration in trade, critical technologies, energy, defence and security. Both sides “expressed satisfaction” over the strengthening ties and underlined the need to sustain momentum to further boost trade relations.
The statement also highlighted their shared commitment to working closely under the India–US COMPACT framework—a 21st-century initiative aimed at accelerating cooperation in military partnership, commerce and advanced technologies.
Modi later described the interaction on X as “warm and engaging,” noting that the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments.
Trump’s renewed warning assumes added significance against the backdrop of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent high-profile visit to India, which drew global attention for major defence and energy agreements and the visibly warm personal rapport between Putin and Modi, including their widely discussed car ride from the airport to the Prime Minister’s residence.
The remarks also come amid heightened global energy tensions following a recent US strike on Venezuela—home to some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves—adding another layer of complexity to the geopolitics of energy, trade and diplomacy.
