US President Donald Trump has claimed that India and Russia appear to have aligned more closely with China, following this week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

Sharing a picture of the three leaders, he suggested the US had “lost” both countries to China.

Trump’s reaction on social media

In a post on his Truth Social platform early Friday morning, September 5, Trump wrote: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”

The post came after Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the SCO summit in Tianjin, where the leaders projected unity and spoke warmly of cooperation.

Growing rift over global issues

India, Russia, and China have all clashed with the US on major issues, particularly the war in Ukraine and international trade.

Trump noted that while the three leaders showed closeness in China, Washington remains at odds with them. He previously accused Russia, China, and North Korea of conspiring against the US after Xi, Putin, and Kim Jong-un attended a military parade in Beijing marking 80 years since the end of World War II.

Strains in US–India relations

Trump’s remarks also follow rising friction between Washington and New Delhi. The Trump administration had imposed a 25% tariff on India’s purchases of Russian oil during the Ukraine war. Earlier, the US had placed a similar tariff over trade barriers faced by American companies in India.

Adding to the tension, Indian Prime Minister Modi had rejected Trump’s earlier claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a flare-up in cross-border conflict.