Washington: In one of his sharpest remarks yet on shifting global alignments, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Washington has effectively “lost” both India and Russia to Beijing’s orbit. Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said it “looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China,” before signing off with a sarcastic wish for their “long and prosperous future together.”
Trump’s outburst followed this week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The three leaders pledged to deepen cooperation in areas spanning energy security, trade, and defense a collective agenda that underscores a widening distance from Washington.
The meeting marked Modi’s first trip to China in seven years, a symbolic thaw despite bitter memories of the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. By appearing alongside Xi and Putin, Modi reaffirmed India’s doctrine of “strategic autonomy” signaling that New Delhi will not be confined to Washington’s strategic frameworks.
Relations between India and the U.S. have already been strained by Trump’s tariff-heavy policies. Since returning to office, the administration has imposed a 50 percent tariff burden on Indian exports a combination of general trade duties and additional levies linked to India’s ongoing imports of Russian crude oil.
Trump has long maintained that India enjoys a “one-sided” advantage. “What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us. It has been a totally one-sided disaster,” he recently remarked.
The energy issue remains particularly contentious. India’s discounted purchases of Russian crude have become a political flashpoint in Washington, with Trump accusing New Delhi of indirectly funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has countered that charge, noting that U.S. criticism of India appears selective, given that China and several European nations continue to import large volumes of Russian oil.
Trump’s complaint highlights a deepening concern in Washington: that decades of bipartisan effort to cultivate India as a counterweight to China may be faltering. Successive U.S. administrations, Republican and Democrat alike, invested heavily in the partnership — from the civil nuclear deal under George W. Bush to the revival of the Quad dialogue under Trump himself.
Trump once showcased his closeness with Modi at the 2019 “Howdy Modi” event in Houston, presenting India as a vital partner against Beijing’s rise. But in 2025, that vision appears increasingly challenged by India’s balancing act, Russia’s dependence on Asian markets, and China’s readiness to capitalize on both.
Analysts say Trump’s latest statement reveals both frustration and political calculation. On one hand, it acknowledges a geopolitical reality: India and Russia are tightening engagement with Beijing. On the other, it fits Trump’s broader narrative that U.S. partners have taken advantage of Washington while avoiding hard choices on global security.
Whether Trump’s rhetoric will push New Delhi closer to Beijing or prompt a recalibration of ties remains uncertain. But his words leave little doubt about Washington’s anxiety: in a world increasingly defined by multipolar alignments, old assumptions about alliances and loyalties are quickly fading.