US President Donald Trump said on Friday that India and Russia appear to have been “lost” to China, following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Tianjin this week.
Trump’s cryptic post
“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” Trump wrote on TruthSocial, posting an old photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping standing together.
The post came a day after Trump accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of “conspiring” against the United States with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The three leaders were among the chief guests at China’s event marking 80 years since the end of World War II.
China’s foreign ministry responded on Thursday, saying Beijing’s diplomatic relations “are never directed against any third party.”
India’s response
Asked about Trump’s comments, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declined to respond directly. “No comment,” a spokesperson told reporters in New Delhi.
However, the ministry pushed back on remarks by Trump’s top trade adviser Peter Navarro, who earlier described the growing engagement between Modi, Putin, and Xi as “troublesome” and said India “needs to be with Washington, Europe, and Ukraine, not with Russia.”
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:
“We have seen the inaccurate and misleading statements made by Mr. Navarro, and obviously reject them.”
Tariffs add to strains
Trump’s remarks come against the backdrop of escalating trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi.
The Trump administration has imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs on India, along with an additional 25% levy on purchases of Russian oil.
That has lifted total duties on Indian goods to 50%, among the highest globally.
India has criticised the US tariffs, calling them “unjustified and unreasonable.”
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India will continue buying Russian oil, making clear that New Delhi intends to prioritise its energy security over pressure from Washington.
“Where we buy our oil from, especially a big-ticket foreign exchange item where we pay so much, the highest in terms of import, we will have to take a call on what suits us best,” Sitharaman said in an interview with News18 television on Friday. “We will undoubtedly be buying.”
The SCO summit
The SCO meeting in Tianjin brought together leaders from across the world, with China using the platform to underline its growing influence in the region.
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted more than 20 leaders from non-Western countries in the port city of Tianjin for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, bringing together Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Putin and Modi were seen holding hands as they walked toward Xi, before the three stood side by side for photographs.
The show of camaraderie underscored India’s warming ties with China, even as US-India relations have cooled under President Donald Trump.
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