President Donald Trump has once again taken aim at India’s trade practices, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of exploiting the United States through high tariffs while maintaining deep economic ties with Russia.
Speaking after images surfaced of Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin walking hand-in-hand at an anti-NATO summit in China, Trump said the relationship between Washington and New Delhi had been “totally one-sided for decades.” He pointed to India’s average 14 percent tariffs on imports—far higher than most major economies—as evidence of unfair trade.
“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us,” Trump said. “They sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest client, but we sell them very little. It has been a one-sided disaster.”
Modi-Putin Show of Solidarity Sparks Backlash
Modi’s warm embrace of Putin—culminating in a walk into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit hand-in-hand—sent a pointed signal to Washington. The gesture was interpreted by many analysts as a defiant response to Trump’s recent tariffs on Indian goods and his criticism of Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
Inside the summit hall, Modi joined Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in what appeared to be a coordinated show of unity. The three leaders were later photographed laughing together in a huddle, underscoring a deepening partnership among Moscow, Beijing, and Delhi at a time of rising tensions with the West.
Modi later posted a photograph with Putin inside the Russian leader’s armored Aurus limousine, writing: “Always a delight to meet President Putin. Conversations with him are always insightful.”
President Trump Warns Against “Dangerous” Alignment
The White House has expressed concern over India’s growing closeness to Russia and China. Presidential trade advisor Peter Navarro, while acknowledging Modi as a “great leader,” questioned the optics of aligning with authoritarian regimes.
“I don’t understand why he’s getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping when he’s the leader of the biggest democracy in the world,” Navarro told Fox News. “This sends the wrong message to the United States and our allies.”
Trump has already retaliated against Delhi’s energy ties to Moscow by imposing tariffs of up to 50 percent on selected Indian goods, accusing the country of “bankrolling Putin’s war effort” in Ukraine. So far, neither India nor China has indicated any willingness to cut oil imports from Russia.
Xi Pushes “New World Order”
The summit in Tianjin was billed by Beijing as an alternative to the US-led global order. Xi Jinping used the stage to denounce “hegemonism and power politics,” urging participating nations to “oppose Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation.”
China pledged billions in aid and loans to SCO member states and proposed new institutions—including a development bank and an artificial intelligence cooperation center—designed to reduce reliance on the West. Putin praised the initiative, saying the SCO was building “a new system of stability and security in Eurasia” free from Western dominance.
Analysts believe India’s participation, despite its traditional balancing act between East and West, lends significant credibility to Beijing and Moscow’s efforts to reshape global governance structures.
Rising Global Tensions Ahead of Beijing Parade
The SCO summit is expected to culminate in a massive military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War Two surrender. Putin will remain in China as guest of honor, joined by North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. The parade will showcase China’s latest strategic weapons, including ship-killing hypersonic missiles, in what experts see as a direct warning to NATO and its allies.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Putin of using the summit to avoid direct peace talks. “Now, during his visit to China, Putin will once again try to wriggle out. That is his number one sport,” Zelensky said.
With Modi now visibly aligning himself with Moscow and Beijing, Trump faces a growing challenge: countering what he has described as an “axis of revisionist powers” while navigating the economic and strategic fallout of his hardline tariff policies.
