India and the US are natural partners, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday in response to President Donald Trump’s conciliatory post in which he described the Indian leader as a “dear friend” and signalled fresh momentum in stalled trade talks.

“India and the US are close friends and natural partners,” PM Modi wrote on X. “I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest.”

The comments came hours after Trump, in a Truth Social post, said trade negotiations with India were continuing and expressed optimism about an eventual breakthrough.

“I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!” he wrote, adding that he expected to speak with PM Modi in the coming weeks.

Echoing the sentiment, the Prime Minister said he, too, looked forward to speaking with Trump soon. “We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people,” he added.

The exchange between the two leaders comes against the backdrop of Washington’s punitive 50 per cent tariffs on New Delhi over Russian oil imports roiling bilateral ties.

Trump’s warm outreach marks a striking shift in tone from just days ago, when his aides branded India the “Kremlin’s laundromat” over its purchase of discounted Russian oil and dubbed the Ukraine war “Modi’s war”.

The US President himself had grumbled that Washington had “lost” India to “dark China” after photos from the SCO summit earlier this month showed PM Modi happily mingling with Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

By the week’s end, however, he softened his rhetoric, describing ties with India as “special” and stressing his personal bond with PM Modi.

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Published On:

Sep 10, 2025