US President Donald Trump made a sharp turnaround on India just hours after claiming the US had “lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China,” now saying the US-India relationship remains “special” and that he will “always be friends” with Prime Minister Modi. Trump’s new comments came after criticism following the SCO summit meeting of Modi, Putin, and Xi, and days after imposing steep 50% tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil imports—while granting China a 90-day tariff relief despite it buying far more Russian energy. India has rebuffed US pressure, affirming its sovereign right to choose trade partners. Meanwhile, China rejected Trump’s call for economic pressure, insisting Beijing is not a party to the Ukraine crisis.