‘Lost to China’: Ex-foreign secretary rips into Trump’s post on India-Russia-China ties, calls it impulsive
Sibal further warned that Trump’s statement could signal “new coercive steps against India” and questioned whether it marked an admission of the failure of his policy to distance Russia from China.
- Sep 5, 2025,
- Updated Sep 5, 2025 6:09 PM IST
Former Foreign Secretary of India Kanwal Sibal has raised sharp questions over the trajectory of US-India ties following former US President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on September 5.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sibal said Trump’s comment implied that Washington had concluded India-US relations had “irretrievably broken down.” He asked whether Trump was “reconciled to this” and unwilling to undo his punitive stance toward New Delhi.
Sibal further warned that Trump’s statement could signal “new coercive steps against India” and questioned whether it marked an admission of the failure of his policy to distance Russia from China.
“Let India, Russia prosper together with deepest, darkest China suggests that he has given up on all three who he now sees as bound together,” Sibal wrote, describing the post as “inept, maladroit, whimsical, mistaken, thoughtless and self-damaging diplomacy by an impulsive leader.”
The former top diplomat also expressed concern that such outbursts might fuel anti-India sentiments within sections of Trump’s MAGA base.
Trump had earlier posted on Truth Social: *“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”* The message was accompanied by a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping together.
The post came after Modi and Putin attended the Tianjin SCO Summit hosted by Xi, where their camaraderie with China’s leader was widely viewed as a show of strategic alignment. Analysts described it as a moment underscoring “a new world order” amid the trade war stoked by Trump’s policies.
By blending sarcasm with a thinly veiled warning, Trump’s remarks reflect Washington’s unease over the strengthening trilateral ties between India, Russia, and China — a development that has unsettled many in the West.
Former Foreign Secretary of India Kanwal Sibal has raised sharp questions over the trajectory of US-India ties following former US President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on September 5.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sibal said Trump’s comment implied that Washington had concluded India-US relations had “irretrievably broken down.” He asked whether Trump was “reconciled to this” and unwilling to undo his punitive stance toward New Delhi.
Sibal further warned that Trump’s statement could signal “new coercive steps against India” and questioned whether it marked an admission of the failure of his policy to distance Russia from China.
“Let India, Russia prosper together with deepest, darkest China suggests that he has given up on all three who he now sees as bound together,” Sibal wrote, describing the post as “inept, maladroit, whimsical, mistaken, thoughtless and self-damaging diplomacy by an impulsive leader.”
The former top diplomat also expressed concern that such outbursts might fuel anti-India sentiments within sections of Trump’s MAGA base.
Trump had earlier posted on Truth Social: *“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”* The message was accompanied by a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping together.
The post came after Modi and Putin attended the Tianjin SCO Summit hosted by Xi, where their camaraderie with China’s leader was widely viewed as a show of strategic alignment. Analysts described it as a moment underscoring “a new world order” amid the trade war stoked by Trump’s policies.
By blending sarcasm with a thinly veiled warning, Trump’s remarks reflect Washington’s unease over the strengthening trilateral ties between India, Russia, and China — a development that has unsettled many in the West.