News Desk: Amid swirling speculation of a possible breakthrough in the long-stalled India–US trade deal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation on Thursday, reviewing the state of bilateral ties and discussing ways to deepen cooperation across key strategic sectors.
According to an official statement, both leaders took stock of progress in the partnership and explored new avenues for collaboration in trade, critical technologies, energy, defence and security. They also expressed satisfaction over the strengthening of bilateral cooperation and stressed the need to maintain momentum in efforts to boost commerce.
The statement underscored their commitment to advance shared interests under the India–US COMPACT framework — a modern initiative designed to accelerate defence, economic and technology partnerships.
Modi later described the interaction on X as “warm and engaging”, noting that the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments. Notably, he made no mention of trade, even as economic ties face renewed friction.
Had a very warm and engaging conversation with President Trump. We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the U.S. will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity.…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2025
Bilateral tensions have escalated in recent months following Washington’s decision to impose a fresh 25% tariff on India’s imports of Russian oil — over and above existing duties — effective August 27. New Delhi has termed the move discriminatory, pointing out that China remains the largest buyer of Russian crude and the European Union continues significant LNG imports from Moscow.
Thursday’s call came close on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s high-profile visit to India, which drew global attention for its major defence and energy agreements — and the visibly warm personal chemistry between Modi and Putin, including their widely discussed car ride from the airport to the PM’s residence.
Back in Washington, Trump’s India policy has faced mounting criticism, with lawmakers accusing him of alienating a key strategic partner. During a recent congressional address, a Democratic representative even brandished the image of Modi and Putin sharing a car, arguing that Trump’s actions were pushing India closer to Moscow.
“President Trump’s policies towards India can only be described as cutting off our nose to spite our face,” Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove warned, cautioning that the administration’s approach was causing “real and lasting damage” to strategic trust.
