How did Donald Trump agree to reduce tariffs on India? Know how PM Modi used Ukraine, Venezuela to convince US President

New Delhi: Donald Trump has always made surprising decisions. First, he surprisingly imposed tariffs on India, and today, he suddenly announced a reduction through a social media post. Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that a tariff of only 18 percent will now be applied to Indian imports. Trump made this announcement after a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Prime Minister himself confirmed this in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Trump wrote, "I spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning. He is one of my best friends and a powerful and respected leader of his country."

What did Donald Trump say?

US President Donald Trump provided information about the tariff reduction later in his post, but before that, he explained how this deal became possible. He claimed that he discussed several issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, such as trade and the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump writes, "PM Modi has agreed to stop buying oil from Russia.  He has also agreed to buy more oil from the United States and perhaps Venezuela. This will help end the war in Ukraine, where thousands of people are being killed every day and every week. Out of respect and friendship for PM Modi, we are immediately entering into a trade deal with India. Under this deal, the tariffs on India will be reduced from 25 percent to 18 percent. India has also agreed to purchase American products on a large scale."

What did PM Modi say?

Following this, we see a tweet from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which doesn't explicitly mention Ukraine and Russia, but the hints point in that direction. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked President Trump for reducing the tariffs. He also described Trump's leadership as essential for global peace, stability, and prosperity. He writes that India stands with Donald Trump's efforts for peace. He writes that we will take our partnership to new heights and for this, we are eager to work with the Donald Trump administration. Why is the decision not to allocate a budget for Chabahar being linked to this decision?

Besides this decision, there is another issue that is being seen in the context of improving US-India relations. In the recent budget, India did not allocate funds for the strategically important Chabahar port. It is believed that the US had given India time until April 2026 regarding this matter, and India acted accordingly. However, India has not officially commented on this. It is being said that India had already released significant funding for Chabahar, so there was no need to do so in the new budget. Nevertheless, this decision is being linked to the US.