U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (September 5, 2025) claimed that India and Russia have “moved closer” to China after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Tianjin.
Posting on TruthSocial, Trump wrote, “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” He also shared an old photograph of PM Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The U.S. president also accused Xi Jinping of conspiring against Washington alongside Kim Jong-un and Putin. In response, a Chinese spokesperson said their diplomacy “is never directed against any third party.”
Trump’s ex-trade adviser Peter Navarro added that Modi “should align with the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine instead of Russia.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected Navarro’s remarks as “inaccurate and misleading,” while declining to comment directly on Trump’s post.
Meanwhile, U.S. tariffs on India have risen sharply — 25% reciprocal duties plus an additional 25% on Russian oil imports — bringing total levies to 50%, among the highest globally. India has condemned the move as “unjustified and unreasonable.”