Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sparked global uproar after being pictured walking hand-in-hand with Vladimir Putin at an anti-NATO summit in China.
The show of unity with Moscow came as Donald Trump erupted, accusing India of exploiting the United States with punishing tariffs while funnelling cash into Russia’s war machine.
Trump’s Outburst
Trump slammed India in a furious statement:
“They sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest client, but we sell them very little, until now a totally one-sided relationship, and it has been for many decades. India has charged us such high tariffs, the most of any country. It has been a totally one-sided disaster!”
He warned that India continues to buy most of its oil and military hardware from Russia, not the US, accusing Delhi of bankrolling Putin’s war in Ukraine.
The President has already hit Indian imports with 50% tariffs in retaliation, but Modi’s pivot towards Moscow appears to be hardening.
From “Tariff King” to Putin’s Partner
Trump once hailed Modi as an ally, but relations have soured during his second term. India’s average import tariff is 14%, more than double China’s 6.5%, earning Modi the nickname “Tariff King.”
Analysts say Washington’s tough approach may have driven Delhi closer to Moscow and Beijing.
A United Front Against the West
Modi’s public display of friendship with Putin came as the pair joined Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin.
The gathering brought together more than 20 non-Western leaders in a direct challenge to the US-led world order.
Putin, Modi and Xi were later seen laughing together, while Modi even shared a smiling photo of himself with the Russian leader inside Putin’s armoured limousine.
“Always a delight to meet President Putin,” Modi wrote. “Conversations with him are always insightful.”
Putin called Modi a “dear friend” and praised India and Russia’s “special relations.”
Xi’s Warning to Washington
Xi used the summit to attack the West, calling on leaders to “oppose the Cold War mentality and block confrontation” while pledging billions in loans and aid.
China floated the creation of a new development bank and unveiled plans for joint ventures in artificial intelligence and even a lunar research station.
Putin backed Xi’s vision, saying the SCO was building “a new system of stability and security in Eurasia.”
Ukraine Reacts
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Putin of ducking promised peace talks, calling him a master of “wriggling out” of commitments.
Putin, however, again blamed NATO for the war, claiming Western attempts to pull Kyiv into the alliance created the crisis.
The Russian leader will remain in China for a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is also attending, with Beijing set to showcase hypersonic missiles in what experts call a direct warning to the West.
