President Donald Trump said the U.S. had "lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China," after leaders from Beijing, Moscow, and New Delhi appeared together at a regional summit this week, signaling deepening ties between the three powers at odds with Washington.
"Looks like we've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China," Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social, posting an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "May they have a long and prosperous future together!"
The comments followed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, where Xi welcomed Putin and Modi for a meeting that highlighted their countries' growing alignment. The SCO, founded in 2001 as a regional security forum, has evolved into a platform for Beijing and Moscow to counter U.S. influence across Central Asia. Modi, Putin, and Xi praised their nations' relations, even as all three governments face disputes with Washington over Ukraine, trade, and security.
The optics of the summit drew Trump's ire just days after he accused China, Russia, and North Korea of conspiring against the U.S. during a military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. "Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America," Trump wrote Wednesday in a separate post.
Beijing rejected Trump's assertions. "The purpose was to join peace-loving countries and peoples in remembering history, honoring those who sacrificed their lives, cherishing peace and looking to the future," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Thursday.
Kremlin officials also dismissed the notion of an anti-U.S. conspiracy. "I want to say that no one was plotting [against the U.S.], no one was weaving anything, no conspiracies," said Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Putin, according to the Russian state agency Tass. "Moreover, no one even had this in mind, none of these three leaders had it."
Still, the symbolism was striking. At one point during the parade, Modi was seen holding hands with Putin, a gesture that underscored their countries' longstanding ties despite U.S. pressure. The Trump administration has imposed tariffs of 25% on Indian goods over trade barriers and, more recently, an additional 25% in response to India's purchase of Russian oil amid the war in Ukraine.
Trump has previously acknowledged watching China's military display. "I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing it. And they were hoping I was watching - and I was watching," he said of the parade, which also featured North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The sharper rhetoric from Trump comes as his administration continues to escalate economic measures against India while criticizing what it views as opportunistic moves by New Delhi. "We've lost India and Russia," Trump repeated Friday, casting the shift in stark terms for U.S. foreign policy.
