Trump Praises PM Modi As ‘Great Man’; Signals Willingness To Meet At ASEAN Summit

US President Donald Trump has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘great man’. He also described India as ‘an incredible country’.

Trump indicated that he is open to meeting PM Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.

Addressing reporters at the White House, Trump said he would be pleased to meet PM Modi during the summit.

“Yeah, sure, he’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship,” he remarked.

Calling PM Modi ‘a great man’, Trump said he had observed India’s leadership transitions over the years and praised the Prime Minister for providing stability.

“He’s a great man. He loves Trump…I have watched India for years. It’s an incredible country, and every single year you’d have a new leader. I mean, some would be in there for a few months, and this was year after year after year. And my friend has been there now for a long time,” he stated.

Trump also claimed that he had received assurances that India would cease purchasing oil from Russia, though he acknowledged that such a shift would take time.

India has yet to issue an official response to his statement.

“He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia…You can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon, and all we want from President Putin…is to stop this,” Trump told reporters.

He further added that India’s move away from Russian oil could make it ‘much easier’ to help bring an end to the conflict.

“Within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they’ll go back to Russia after the war’s over,” Trump asserted.

Trump also indicated that he would urge China to take a similar position.

While India began purchasing Russian oil in recent years, China remains Moscow’s largest energy customer.

In August, the Trump administration imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India over its Russian oil imports but did not take comparable action against China.

During the same briefing, Trump introduced Sergio Gor, the newly appointed US Ambassador to India, expressing confidence in his ability to strengthen bilateral relations.
“We have the new ambassador to India right here. They’re well represented. You better represent us, not them, okay? But Sergio is going to do a great job. He’s going to do a great job,” he noted.

Trump’s remarks coincide with the latest round of trade discussions between India and the United States. India’s chief negotiator, Rajesh Agrawal, is likely to arrive in Washington late Wednesday.

Earlier, India’s Commerce Ministry said the country could import an additional $12–13 billion worth of crude oil and natural gas from the US without altering refinery configurations.

The government, it noted, remains committed to diversifying energy imports, provided supplies are available at competitive prices.

The renewed trade dialogue follows Ambassador Gor’s recent meetings in New Delhi with:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and
• National Security Adviser Ajit Doval

Gor also met Commerce Secretary Agrawal.

Taking to X, the US Ambassador to India posted, “During my visit to India, I met with Commerce Secretary Agrawal and discussed U.S.- India economic ties, including increased investment in the United States.”