'We've lost India, Russia to China': Trump
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has said that India and Russia appear to have been "lost" to China, following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in China. Sharing a picture of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putins from the summit, he wrote on Truth Social, "Looks like we've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China."
Summit dynamics
Trump's tariffs
The SCO summit, which concluded on September 1, saw Modi share a handshake with Xi and ride together with Putin in the same limousine. This display of camaraderie was seen as a sign of India's strategic independence and autonomy amid Trump's criticism over India's purchase of Russian oil. The India-US bilateral ties are at their lowest point in years after Trump's administration imposed reciprocal tariffs of 25% on Indian goods and an additional 25% levy over oil imports from Russia.
Tariff tensions
India calls tariffs 'unjustified and unreasonable'
These tariffs have been criticized by India as "unjustified and unreasonable," with New Delhi insisting that its energy and agricultural needs cannot be compromised. The overall level of duties is among the highest globally. Earlier this week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had also criticized India, China, and Russia. He called them "bad actors" for allegedly fueling Moscow's war in Ukraine and dismissed the SCO summit as "largely performative."
More tariffs
Trump hints at more sanctions
Trump has hinted at more sanctions against India for its continued purchase of Russian oil. Speaking in the Oval Office, he said putting secondary sanctions on India has "cost hundreds of billions of dollars to Russia" and warned that "phase two" and "phase three" sanctions were still on the table. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the other hand, has asserted he can't compromise on the interests of farmers, cautioning, "Pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it."