Putin shrugs off 'conspiracy' claim, says Trump 'not without sense of humour'

A day after US President Donald Trump accused China of conspiring against his country with Russia and North Korea in a social media post, his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin brushed it off, saying the former is not someone “without a sense of humour”.

Speaking with reporters at a news conference in Beijing, where he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and the Victory Day parade organised by the Chinese leadership to mark Japan’s surrender in the Second World War, the Russian president commented wryly, “the President of the United States is not without a sense of humour.”

Further, according to an AP report, Putin added, "Over these four days during negotiations of all kinds, both in formal and informal settings, no one has ever expressed any negative judgments on the current American administration."

In his interaction with the media, Putin also slammed Washington for trying to strong-arm India and China with tariffs and sanctions, stating, "You cannot talk to India or China in that way." He accused the Trump administration of using economic pressure as a tool to undermine two of Asia’s biggest powers.

Also read: Trump says India 'kills us with tariffs', claims New Delhi offered zero tariff deal

Putin in China

Putin is on a four-day visit to China from Sunday (August 31).

Apart from participating in the SCO event, he held extensive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and held bilateral meetings with other leaders. On Wednesday (September 3), he was seen at the Victory Day military parade, where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was also present. Putin shared a car ride with Kim Jong and also held talks with him after the event concluded.

'Conspiracy' post

Ahead of the meetings in China, Trump posted on Truth Social, “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”

Also read: US Hindu group seeks Navarro’s ouster over ‘Brahmins profiteering’ remarks

Putin also mentioned his meeting with Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, which centered around the ongoing Ukraine war. He said everyone he spoke to during his visit to China had “supported” their meeting in Alaska. He also expressed hope that negotiations would end the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Putin slams US over tariffs

The Russian leader also cautioned the US against taking an aggressive stance on India and China with tariffs and sanctions, saying they could not talk to India or China in such a manner.

He accused the Trump administration of using economic pressure to undermine the two biggest powers in Asia. Putin called India and China “partners” and said the steep tariff regime imposed by the US was aimed at weakening the leadership of both neighbouring countries.

Also read: Ro Khanna says Trump imposed tariffs on India after Modi's Nobel snub

While Trump always considered China an adversary and slapped it with high tariffs, he also decided to penalise India during his second stint for buying cheap oil from Russia. Though US's ties with India had seen remarkable improvements in the past few decades.

Putin said both India and China, both of which are home to a population of over a billion, are strong economies but also have their domestic political mechanisms and laws. "When somebody tells you they are going to punish you, you have to think -- how can the leadership of those big countries react?" he asked.

The Russian president also said that Washington’s rhetoric showed "outdated thinking".

Also read: Trump claims US is so powerful 'everything in the world would die' without it

"The colonial era is now over. They have to realise they can’t use these terms in speaking with partners," said Putin.

(With agency inputs)