New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat asserted on Thursday that the Sangh will not tell the government how to deal with US President Donald Trump and will support its decision, maintaining that any friendship should not be "under pressure".

Bhagwat made the comments while responding to a question about international trade and tariffs imposed by the US during a three-day lecture series.

"International trade is essential and must happen, as it also maintains relations between countries. But it should not be under pressure; friendship cannot thrive under pressure.

“It should be free, based on mutual consent. We should aim to be aatmnirbhar, yet understand that the world functions on interdependence, and act accordingly," he said.

"We don't tell the government how to deal with Trump; they know what to do and we will support it," he said.

The comments by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sarsanghchalak came a day after the additional 25 per cent tariff imposed by Trump on India for its purchases of Russian oil came into effect, bringing the total amount of levies imposed on New Delhi to 50 per cent.

The lecture series was organised to mark the 100 years of the RSS.

On Wednesday, Bhagwat had said international trade should happen voluntarily and not under any pressure and appealed to Indians to opt for swadeshi products. PTI GJS NAB GJS KSS KSS

Voluntary international trade: RSS says it won't dictate response to US tariffs and will support government policy. The RSS stated it will not direct government policy on handling actions by the US President and will support the government's chosen course; it asserted that international trade must be voluntary and free from pressure, balancing self-reliance with global interdependence. The comments followed the imposition of additional US tariffs on Indian purchases of Russian oil, noted in the report as increasing cumulative levies.