New Delhi: In his first public declaration that India-US trade talks are continuing and not on hold, US President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social early on Wednesday (India time) that the two countries “are continuing negotiations to address trade barriers”. He went on to once again call Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “very good friend” whom he would be talking to soon, and claimed that a “successful conclusion” was expected.Hours later, Modi responded in kind, though he refrained from commenting on their personal friendship this time and instead said that “India and the US are close friends and natural partners.” He added that he looked forward to speaking with Trump soon, and said he is “confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership”.India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking forward… pic.twitter.com/3K9hlJxWcl— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2025If the way the last few months have gone were not enough to question this confidence, this apparent show of friendship and camaraderie ironically came alongside reports in the international media that Trump had urged negotiators from the European Union on Tuesday to hit India and China with 100% tariffs as a move to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. This demand, which the Financial Times dubbed “extraordinary”, came when Trump dialled into a meeting between US and EU officials being held in Washington on the Ukraine war.“We’re ready to go, ready to go right now, but we’re only going to do this if our European partners step up with us,” one US official said, according to FT.The EU has not imposed any penalties on India for its imports of Russian oil. Just last week, when German foreign minister Johann Wadephul was in Delhi, he made clear that the issue for the EU would be if Russian oil were to re-enter European markets through “detours” such as refiners in India. He had no complaints about India buying Russian oil for its own use, as long as this oil did not flow into EU markets. He added that it was important to ensure “there are no bottlenecks when it comes to countries supplying themselves with the energy they need and that there are no unreasonable increases in prices”.Since August 27, Indian goods in the US are facing a 50% tariff rate – 25% for what Trump has called a “reciprocal” rate for the tariffs India charges on imports, and 25% because India continues to purchase Russian oil during the war in Ukraine. Several Trump advisors have been making repeated comments about India being a “laundromat” for Russian oil and money. While Modi has not responded to any of these comments, and only responded to Trump’s few positive remarks and not his many public threats and denouncements on India, minister of external affairs S. Jaishankar has said that these decisions highlight India’s “strategic autonomy”, and that Washington had explicitly conveyed in 2022 that it had “no issues” with India purchasing Russian oil.While India may be able to strike a trade deal with Washington that settles the 25% “reciprocal” tariffs issue, the 25% “penalty” tied to Russian oil may lead to a stickier situation. That duty, authorised under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as part of the US response to the war in Ukraine, is specifically cited in the Trump administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court struck down parts of the IEEPA tariffs. The pending case leaves open whether Trump can suspend or roll back this remaining tariff in the meantime.