Washington: US President Donald Trump spoke about India–US defence cooperation during a House GOP members’ retreat in Washington, sharing several key points on military supplies and trade issues.
Trump said there was a five-year delay in the delivery of 68 Apache helicopters ordered by India. He said PM Modi had raised serious concerns about the delay during a meeting and had requested an early resolution. Criticising long delays in the supply of defence equipment, Trump said his administration is now changing the system to ensure faster delivery.
The US president also spoke openly about tariffs imposed on India. He said the US had imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on India due to its purchase of oil from Russia, adding that PM Modi was not very happy about the decision. However, Trump praised PM Modi, calling him a “very good person,” and said India has significantly reduced its purchase of Russian oil.
Trump warned that if India does not address US concerns over Russian oil purchases, the tariffs could be increased further.
