WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump made startling claims about new global alignment, saying Washington “lost” India and Russia to China.
Trump’s remark came just days after Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where striking image of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping together set off a storm of speculation about shifting power blocs.
The clicks, showing Modi and Putin laughing with Xi beside them, is being pushed by some as a symbol of an emerging anti-West axis.
“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” Trump wrote, igniting heated debate in Washington and beyond.
The statement lands as U.S.-India relations face turbulence. Trump recently slapped a massive 50% tariff on Indian imports, citing New Delhi’s oil trade with Moscow. India has blasted the move as “unfair,” warning it could damage economic ties.
Yet in New Delhi, the official response was measured. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal declined to comment directly on Trump’s outburst but stressed that the U.S.-India partnership remains “very important” and rooted in “shared democratic values, common interests, and strong people-to-people links.”
He added that the relationship had endured “transitions and challenges” before and would continue moving forward “based on mutual respect and shared interests.”
