White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters that “the president and his trade team continue to be in very serious discussions with India.”
She added, “President Trump has great respect for Prime Minister Modi, and they speak pretty frequently.”
The two leaders’ ongoing communication signals an attempt to ease strained relations that hit their lowest point in years after the US doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent.
The move was made in response to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, which had frustrated Washington.
In recent weeks, Indian refiners have reportedly reduced their imports of Russian crude following US sanctions on major Russian energy firms Rosneft and Lukoil.
Trump recently claimed that Modi agreed to cut Russian oil imports, a statement New Delhi has not publicly confirmed.
While a White House official claimed India halved its Russian oil purchases, Indian sources denied any immediate reduction.
On October 31, both nations signed a 10-year defence framework agreement, a development described by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth as a “cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence.”
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The deal focuses on deepening coordination, technology sharing, and intelligence cooperation between the two militaries.
Additionally, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Malaysia last week to discuss regional and global challenges, further indicating growing strategic engagement between Washington and New Delhi.
