Trump highlights India-US defence cooperation, cites Apache helicopter delays

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) boasted about India-US defence cooperation, claiming that India’s order for 68 Apache attack helicopters was delayed by five years and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally raised concerns over the long delivery period during a meeting with him.

Speaking at the House GOP Member Retreat, Trump highlighted defence cooperation between the United States and India and criticised what he described as years-long delays in supplying defence equipment.

“India coming at me that thay have been waiting for 5 years and we are changing that. India ordered 68 Apache helicopters. PM Modi came to me and said ‘Sir can I please see you?’ and I said yes”, Trump said, while recalling his interaction with PM Modi.

“India ordered Apache helicopters and didn’t get them for 5 years. PM Modi came to me and said ‘Sir can I please see you?’ and I said yes,” claims U.S. President Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/TNNUpznnjd

— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) January 6, 2026

Trump also reiterated his good relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi; however, he underscored PM Modi’s unhappiness over the high tariffs imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil. “I have a very good relationship with PM Modi, but he is not happy with me as India is paying high tariffs. But now they have reduced it very substantially, buying oil from Russia…” he added.

The tariffs, totalling 50 per cent, were imposed due to India’s significant purchases of Russian oil, which the US sees as supporting Russia’s economy amid the Ukraine conflict.

Trump’s remarks came a day after he warned that Washington could further raise tariffs on Indian goods if New Delhi does not address US concerns over Russian oil imports. “They wanted to make me happy, basically. Modi is a very good man; he is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,” he said.

Trump also defended the tariff policy during his address, asserting that the United States was benefiting financially from the measures. Trump’s comments follow a series of warnings to New Delhi over its ongoing energy trade with Moscow.

Earlier, he warned that the US could raise tariffs further if India does not “help on the Russian oil issue,” directly connecting the pressure to the Russia-Ukraine war. He has accused India of strengthening Moscow by buying discounted Russian crude and has cited this as the basis for sharply higher duties on Indian goods. Trump has also used tariff pressure to influence India’s actions, suggesting that New Delhi was aware of his dissatisfaction and sought to maintain stable trade relations.

At the same time, US President Donald Trump has positioned himself as a potential mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though without any concrete breakthrough.

India has earlier rejected Trump’s assertion that PM Narendra Modi had assured him New Delhi would stop purchasing Russian oil, clarifying that no such conversation or assurance had taken place. (ANI)