'We have lost India, Russia to deepest, darkest China,' says Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump, on Friday (September 5), in an apparent reference to the bonhomie among Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Putin, and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the SCO Summit in China, said that it seems the US has lost India and Russia to “deepest, darkest, China”.

"Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Bonhomie at the SCO summit

Trump’s comments come days after the camaraderie among Modi, Putin and Xi at the SCO summit made headlines, especially in the backdrop of strained Indo-US ties over the US President’s decision to impose a 50 per cent cumulative tariff on India. Apart from the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs, Trump has slapped 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on India over its purchase of Russian oil, alleging Moscow was using the revenue from New Delhi’s oil purchase to fund its war in Ukraine. India has described the move as “unjustified”, pointing out that China was the largest buyer of Russian oil.

Several political leaders and former government officials in the US, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton, Republican leader Nikki Hale, have cautioned Trump not to treat India as an “adversary” like China but as a “prized free and democratic partner.”

Also Read: To compete with China, put India-US relations back on track: Nikki Haley

China warning from Biden era ex-officials

The latest warning came from former National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan and ex-US Deputy Secretary Kurt M Campbell, who co-authored an article for Foreign Affairs, stating that the ties must be restored to ensure that the US does not lose the “innovation edge” to China.

The officials noted that multiple US presidents previously strengthened bilateral ties through initiatives like the Bush-Singh Civil Nuclear Agreement and Biden-Modi cooperation in AI, biotechnology, and aerospace. Trump's tariffs—initially 25 per cent reciprocal, then an additional 25 per cent retaliatory for Russian oil purchases—have reversed this progress.

Referencing Modi's recent "chummy appearance" with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit, they cautioned that current US policies risk driving India "directly into its adversaries' arms." They advocated for a comprehensive strategic alliance covering technology, defence, supply chains, and intelligence to prevent India from being squeezed between an "unaccommodating China" and strained US relations.

Also Read: Trump-Modi friendship is gone, says ex-NSA John Bolton

MEA declines to comment on Trump, slams Navarro

Later in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during a media briefing, declined to comment on Trump’s post but slammed White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro’s scathing remarks on India regarding the purchase of Russian oil. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dubbed Navarro’s comments as “inaccurate and misleading”, adding that the Government was rejecting the claims.

Jaiswal also said that the relationship with the US was very important to New Delhi and both countries share a “global strategic partnership” anchored in shared interests. "We have seen the inaccurate and misleading statements made by Mr. Navarro, and obviously, we reject them. We have also spoken about it earlier. This relationship between the United States and India is very important for us,” said Jaiswal as quoted by ANI.

Also Read: Trump takes credit for Indo-Pak ceasefire again, blasted by his ex-NSA

'Indo-US global strategic partnership'

“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,” he added, expressing hope that the Indo-US will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests.

The MEA further stated that India was continuing its engagement with the US 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,” said Jaiswal.

“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 added.