US President Donald Trump has sparked debate on global alliances, claiming the US has “lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China”. His social media post featured a photograph of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping interacting at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The image, showing the leaders laughing, has fuelled discussions about a potential realignment in global politics.

The president's remarks highlight a growing strain in US-India relations, exacerbated by his imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian imports. These tariffs were partly a response to India's purchase of Russian oil, a policy New Delhi has called "unfair" and "unjustified". Adding to the tension, Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro accused India of being an "oil money laundromat for the Kremlin".

While India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had “no comment” on Trump’s post, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal affirmed the US-India relationship is a “very important” strategic partnership. Jaiswal also rejected Navarro’s remarks as “inaccurate and misleading”. The friction has cast doubt on the upcoming Quad summit to be hosted by India.