President Donald Trump said that he spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Diwali, while celebrating the Hindu festival in the White House on Tuesday.
Modi Is ‘A Great Friend of Mine’
While extending Diwali greetings to the people of India, Trump said he had “a great conversation” with Modi, describing him as “a great person” and “a great friend of mine over the years.” He noted that their discussion touched on several topics, but was mostly focused on trade.
Trump reiterated his involvement in the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. He said, “We did talk a little while ago about let’s have no wars with Pakistan,” adding, “And we have no war with Pakistan and India. That was a very, very good thing.”
India has, however, pushed back against this narrative, maintaining its stance that the ceasefire with Pakistan was the result of a mutual military agreement, and not foreign mediation.
In a Presidential message on Diwali, Trump wished all Americans celebrating the “Festival of Lights” with serenity, prosperity, hope and peace, shared by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on X.
Not Happy With India Buying Russian Oil
This comes amid ongoing trade negotiations between the two nations, with the U.S. imposing 50% tariffs on imports from India since August, a move aimed at curbing the nation’s crude oil purchases from Russia.
Last week, Trump said, “I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he [Modi] assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia,” which he referred to as a “big step” in the administration’s efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine by curtailing the Russian energy industry.
India’s Foreign Ministry has denied this claim, saying that it was “not aware” of any conversations between Modi and Trump at the time, according to a report by BBC News.
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