Thank you, Narendra: Trump’s reprieve following weeks of criticism from India over oil

After months apart, Prime Minister Modi and Donald Trump reconciled with a cordial birthday call. India-US relations have deteriorated since their previous meeting in June as a result of high tariffs and Washington’s criticism of New Delhi over Russian Oil purchases.

In addition to declining a dinner invitation following the G7 Summit in Canada and postponing his trip to New York later this month, where he was supposed to speak to the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ignoring Donald Trump for months. Additionally, he allegedly disregarded a number of Trump’s calls during a heated call in June.

At best, the interactions that took place were lukewarm and primarily took place on social media. After weeks of criticizing New Delhi for its purchases of Russian oil, Trump has been attempting to curry favor with Prime Minister Modi out of concern that the US was losing India, a crucial ally and a counterbalance to China.

Therefore, Trump lost no time in picking up the phone and putting on a show when PM Modi‘s birthday arrived.

Birthday call breaks the ice

The US President swiftly promoted the much-anticipated conversation on social media. Trump posted on Truth Social: “Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I sent him my warmest birthday wishes! He is doing a tremendous job.”

In an unexpected reversal of his recent attitude, Trump also complimented Modi’s peace initiative to end the conflict in Ukraine. Modi responded on X, thanking Trump for his greetings and reaffirming commitment to strengthening the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership.

The June ‘testy’ phone call

The birthday greetings were the first time the two leaders had spoken since June, following India’s brief four-day war with Pakistan and Operation Sindoor. That call was described by the New York Times as “testy”. Trump claimed credit for mediating the truce, but Modi firmly rejected the idea, emphasizing that India and Pakistan resolved the issue directly.

During the call, Modi made it clear India would not accept third-party involvement in its relations with Pakistan, even as Trump hinted at hopes for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Tariffs, oil and souring ties

Relations worsened after the June call, fueled by Trump’s punitive tariffs and Washington’s criticism of India’s Russian oil imports. Trump imposed 50% tariffs, called India’s economy “dead,” and accused New Delhi of funding Russia’s war machine. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent labeled India a “bad actor,” while Peter Navarro referred to it as the Kremlin’s “laundromat.”

These tensions coincided with stalled trade negotiations, pushing New Delhi closer to Moscow and Beijing. However, after the SCO summit where Modi met Putin and Xi, Trump softened his tone, redirecting criticism towards China and emphasizing his “special relationship” with Modi.

A possible thaw in relations

Last week, Trump signaled a thaw in another Truth Social post, saying the US and India were negotiating to reduce trade barriers. He expressed optimism about reaching a positive outcome and reaffirmed his friendship with Modi.

Shortly after, a US trade delegation visited New Delhi for the first face-to-face talks since the tariff increases. Both sides described the discussions as “positive,” raising hopes for a resumption of the stalled trade deal. Whether Trump’s softer tone extends to easing his stance on Russian oil remains to be seen.