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'Modi was ripping us off': Trump after big praise on India deal amid tariff blow
Claiming that he resolved the India-Pak conflict using tariff threats, Trump said that New Delhi, after his request, "pulled way back" from buying Russian oil.
US President Donald Trump hailed his “fantastic” relationship with India and went on to claim that New Delhi “pulled way back” from purchasing Russian oil at his “request” when asked about how the US Supreme Court's tariffs ruling would impact ties and trade with India. He also clarified that “nothing changes” in his trade deal with India after the US Supreme Court struck down many of the controversial tariffs he had imposed last year.
Notably, the Indian side has neither confirmed nor denied that it will stop importing Russian oil and has only said it will keep multiple energy sources, guided by national interest in all purchases. Follow live updates here.
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What Trump said on India’s Russian oil purchases, trade deal
When asked whether the framework for an interim trade agreement with India, expected to be signed soon, remains in place after the Supreme Court ruling, Trump said "nothing changes".
He also spoke about his "great" relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also claimed that the Indian PM was “ripping” them off.
"Nothing changes. They'll (India) be paying tariffs, and we will not be paying tariffs. So deal with India is that they pay tariffs. This is a reversal of what it used to be. As you know, India, and I think Prime Minister Modi is a great gentleman, a great man, actually, but he was much smarter than the people that he was against in terms of the United States; he was ripping us off. So we made a deal with India. It's a fair deal now, and we are not paying tariffs to them, and they are paying tariffs. We did a little flip," Trump said.
While reiterating the claim that he had resolved the India-Pakistan conflict last summer by using tariff threats, Trump also claimed that New Delhi, after his request, "pulled way back" from buying Russian oil.
"I think my relationship with India is fantastic, and we're doing trade with India. India pulled out of Russia. India was getting its oil from Russia. And they pulled way back at my request because we want to settle that horrible war where 25,000 people are dying every month," Trump said.
The confrontation between India and Pakistan ended on May 10, 2025, through a "ceasefire understanding." However, before the two sides could formally declare the halt in fighting, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social claiming he had “stopped the war".
India has repeatedly rejected any US role in the ceasefire understanding, stating that Pakistan’s DGMO contacted New Delhi to seek a truce.
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US Supreme Court strikes down Trump tariffs
In a landmark judgment, the US Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, delivering a strong setback to his signature economic move.
Trump, who had appointed two of the judges who ruled against him, reacted angrily and claimed, without proof, that foreign interests had influenced the court.
During court proceedings, the Trump administration said businesses would get refunds if the tariffs were ruled illegal. The judgment, however, did not deal with that question.
Meanwhile, Trump moved to replace the cancelled tariffs by announcing a temporary 10% global import duty for 150 days. He also ordered fresh probes under other laws that might let him bring the tariffs back.
With inputs from agencies
