Trump highlights India-US defence cooperation, cites Apache helicopter delays
Washington, DC [US], January 7 – US President Donald Trump boasted about India-US defense cooperation on Tuesday (local time), claiming that India’s order for 68 Apache attack helicopters has been delayed by five years and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally expressed concern about the long delivery time during a meeting with him.
Speaking at a House GOP member retreat, Trump emphasized defense cooperation between the United States and India and criticized the years-long delay in the supply of defense equipment.
Recalling his conversation with PM Modi, Trump said, “India is telling me they’ve been waiting for five years, and we’re changing that. India had ordered 68 Apache helicopters. PM Modi came up to me and said, ‘Sir, can I meet with you?’ And I said yes.”
Trump also reiterated his good relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi; However, he emphasized PM Modi’s displeasure with the high tariffs imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil.
He said, “I have a very good relationship with PM Modi, but he’s not happy with me because India is paying high tariffs. But now they’ve significantly reduced them by buying oil from Russia…”
A total of 50 percent of the tariffs were imposed because India purchased oil from Russia, which the US considers to be supporting Russia’s economy amid the Ukraine conflict.
Trump’s statement comes a day after he warned that Washington could further increase tariffs on Indian goods if New Delhi did not address US concerns about Russian oil imports.
He said, “He actually wanted to please me. Modi is a very nice man; he’s a good person. He knew I wasn’t happy, and it was important to please me.”
Trump also defended the tariff policy during his speech, saying that these measures were providing financial benefits to the US.
Trump’s comments come after several warnings to New Delhi regarding its ongoing energy trade with Moscow. Previously, he had warned that the US could further increase tariffs if India “doesn’t help on the Russian oil issue,” directly linking this pressure to the Russia-Ukraine war.
He has accused India of emboldening Moscow by purchasing Russian crude at a discount and cited this as a basis for increasingly higher duties on Indian goods. Trump has also used tariff pressure to influence India’s actions, suggesting that New Delhi is aware of his displeasure and wants to maintain stable trade relations.
Furthermore, US President Donald Trump has presented himself as a potential mediator in the Russia-Ukraine dispute, holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though without any concrete success.
