In a holiday-season flavored but hard-sounding telephone conversation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was called by former US President Donald Trump earlier this week, wishing him Diwali greetings and discussing some serious matters like how the two nations trade and why India imports oil from Russia.
In Trump’s own terms, the conversation was “very friendly” and consisted “of a lot of things, but trade first.” Trump told reporters that Modi assured him India “is not going to buy much oil from Russia,” and this brought immediate reaction across both sides of the border. Indian officials have not yet made that claim, however, maintaining the diplomatic tone measured and guarded.
The appeal is made at a delicate moment for both countries. India, the second-fastest-growing energy consumer in the world, has kept on purchasing low-cost Russian crude since the war in Ukraine broke out something repeatedly condemned by Washington as diminishing Western sanctions. Trump’s comments suggest he will keep pushing New Delhi to drop those purchases, something that “massive” Indian product tariffs can continue until it does.
From the Indian standpoint, the tone was thrown wider. New Delhi issued Modi thanking Trump for his greetings and reaffirming India’s commitment to strengthening the “enduring strategic partnership” of the two democracies, including counterterrorism as well as global security.
Behind the diplomatic wording is a long-standing tension. India desires the freedom to move in foreign policy and has danced around Washington and Moscow for decades. To the United States, however, it is about energy, something greater than economics it’s about projecting an image of solidarity against Russia.
Still, the tone of the exchange suggests both leaders see value in keeping channels open. Trump’s use of phrases like “great friend” and Modi’s cordial response underscored a personal rapport that has often softened the edges of policy disagreements.
In the end, what had begun as a jubilant Diwali call to arms was a muted reminder of the richly variegated fabric of friendship and tension that defines U.S.–India relations. As the international pressures mount and the trade negotiations gather steam, both sides appear eager to keep talking even when the talks are tough.
