US President Donald Trump posted a sharp social media comment saying it "looks like we've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China," following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China.

His post, shared on Truth Social with a photo of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping together, sarcastically wished the three nations a "long and prosperous future together".

The SCO summit marked a historic moment where Modi met Xi Jinping on Chinese soil for the first time in seven years and held discussions alongside Putin, signalling a thaw in bilateral relations despite the backdrop of longstanding border tensions, including the deadly 2020 Galwan clash. The three leaders publicly discussed cooperation spanning energy, security, and global trade, areas where all are, to various extents, at odds with Washington.

Trump’s comments represent his strongest public acknowledgment yet of the deepening strategic ties between India, Russia, and China, raising concerns in Washington about shifting global alignments.

For decades, successive US administrations have viewed India as a potential counterweight to China's growing influence in Asia, with the US courting India as a strategic partner through mechanisms like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) and high-profile events like the 2019 "Howdy Modi" rally.

However, recent developments have cooled relations between Washington and New Delhi. Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods, totalling a 50% duty—25% as a reciprocal tariff and an additional 25% largely targeting India's import of discounted Russian crude oil.

These tariffs, among the highest ever imposed by the US, have affected a wide range of Indian exports including garments, jewellery, footwear, and chemicals. This has strained economic and diplomatic ties, with India condemning the tariffs as unfair and harmful to its economic growth and exporters.

The energy trade has become a particularly contentious issue, with Trump accusing India of indirectly financing Russia’s war in Ukraine through its purchases of Russian oil. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar rebutted by highlighting the lack of similar US sanctions on other major Russian energy importers such as China and the European Union, emphasising India's stance of strategic autonomy and balanced foreign policy.

India’s engagement at the SCO reflects its desire to maintain strategic independence by balancing relations with all major powers. While continuing cooperation with the US and Europe remains important to New Delhi, its participation in multilateral forums like the SCO and growing ties with Moscow and Beijing illustrate a pragmatic approach to its national interests in a multipolar world.

The public flare-up in rhetoric by Trump and his trade adviser Peter Navarro, who urged Modi to align with the West rather than Moscow, has drawn mixed reactions. India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed Navarro’s criticism as inaccurate and reaffirmed India's commitment to an independent foreign policy.

In summary, Trump’s blunt remarks and tariff policies have spotlighted widening fissures in US-India relations at a time when Modi is visibly deepening ties with China and Russia through forums like the SCO, highlighting evolving geopolitical realities and India’s pursuit of strategic autonomy amid great power rivalry.

Based On ANI Report