US President Donald Trump has commented on the growing alignment between India, Russia, and China, posting on social media that it “looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China,” while wishing the three nations a “long and prosperous future together.”
The remarks follow the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The leaders discussed cooperation in areas such as energy and security, even as all three countries remain at odds with Washington on issues like the war in Ukraine and global trade policy.
Trump’s post on Truth Social marks his strongest public recognition yet of the closer ties forming between New Delhi, Moscow, and Beijing. For decades, the United States has considered India a strategic counterweight to China’s influence, with both Republican and Democratic administrations nurturing the partnership. During his first term, Trump courted India by appearing alongside Modi at the 2019 “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston and reviving the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) with Japan and Australia.
Analysts note, however, that recent tensions, including Trump’s tariff measures and criticism of India’s energy trade with Russia, have weakened Washington’s leverage and contributed to a perceived cooling in U.S.-India relations.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday declined to comment on US President Donald Trump's latest remarks.
"I have no comments to offer on this post at this time," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media queries.
Answering another query, Jaiswal said the relationship between the United States and India is very important for India. "Both our countries share a comprehensive global strategic partnership, which is anchored in our shared interests, democratic values and robust people-to-people ties. This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges.
We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to, and we hope that the relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests. As you would have seen, I would draw your attention to a joint military exercise that is underway in Alaska. A few days ago, there was a 2+2 inter-sessional meeting... Talks between both countries is going on and we are committed to strengthening our partnership," he said.
Answering another query, Jaiswal said India continues to remain engaged with the US side on trade issues. "We see the Quad as a valuable forum for discussion among the four member countries on shared interests on several issues. The leaders' summit is scheduled through diplomatic consultations among the member countries. As far as the Ukraine conflict is concerned, we welcome all the recent efforts towards establishing peace in Ukraine. We hope that all parties will proceed constructively. India supports an early end to the conflict and the establishment of enduring peace," he said.
The United States has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, including 25 per cent penalty for importing Russian oil.
The government had earlier said that India's ties with any country stand on their own merit and should not be viewed through the prism of a third country.
(With inputs from ANI)
