US President Donald Trump brought up his relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the House Republicans' Retreat at the Kennedy Center on Tuesday (local time).
In his speech, Trump said that Modi "is not happy with me" after Washington raised tariffs on Indian goods over its purchase of oil from Russia.
"... I have a very good relationship with PM Modi, but he is not happy with me as India is paying high tariffs. But now they have reduced it very substantially, buying oil from Russia," Trump said.
The US imposed on India an initial 25%, and then an additional 25% tariff due to Russian oil purchases, which Washington sees as helping to fund Russia's war with Ukraine.
Trump made these remarks only a day after he issued a warning that further tariffs could be imposed if New Delhi did not address his concerns regarding Russian oil imports.
"They wanted to make me happy, basically. Modi is a very good man; he is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy," he said.
Trump also said that India had informed him that it had been waiting for the delivery of Apache helicopters for five years.
“We're changing it. We're changing it. India ordered 68 Apaches,” he said.
During his address, Trump also claimed that the US economy is benefiting from the tariffs he put on several countries around the world.
Trump's comments come at a time when he has positioned himself as the mediator between Russia and Ukraine, having held talks with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
India has earlier rejected Trump's assertion that Modi had assured him New Delhi would stop purchasing Russian oil, clarifying that no such conversation or assurance had taken place.
US backs security guarantees to Ukraine for the first time
On Tuesday, the US, for the first time, backed security guarantees given to Ukraine by its allies.
At a key meeting in Paris, leaders from European countries and Canada, as well as US representatives and top officials from the European Union and NATO, said they would provide Kyiv’s front-line forces with equipment and training and back them up with air, land and sea support to deter any future Russian attack.
