'We need to right this ship': Analyst as Trump's first post after SCO hints at Indo-US stalemate
Trump also shared a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Tianjin SCO Summit.
- Sep 5, 2025,
- Updated Sep 5, 2025 4:51 PM IST
Max Abrahms, author and professor at Northeastern University, on Friday attacked US President Donald Trump for his maiden post on Truth Social after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Trump wrote that the US has "lost" both India and Russia to "the darkest" China.
“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also shared a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Tianjin SCO Summit.
"This is not okay, and if unchanged, will be a major foreign policy legacy of this administration. We need to right this ship. India is too important for US grand strategy," Abrahms wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The camaraderie between the three world leaders seemingly irked Trump, as many experts dubbed it "a turning point" and heralding "a new world order" amid the tariff war waged by Trump against allies and adversaries alike.
Another glimpse of warmth between the world leaders was seen when Prime Minister Modi shook hands with President Xi and shared a limousine ride with Putin. The imagery was powerful as it projected India's strategic autonomy amid US pressure over Russian crude oil imports.
Moreover, the wish for a "long and prosperous future together" came as a U-turn from Trump's previous statements, wherein he dismissed the possibility of forming an anti-US axis due to his tariffs, and claimed that New Delhi offered Washington DC "zero tariffs" under pressure from hiked duties.
Time and again, Trump has questioned the US-India trade relation, claiming it was "totally one-sided" and accused New Delhi of levying "the highest tariffs in the world".
India rejected the accusations as “unjustified and unreasonable,” citing its energy and food security. In response, the Trump administration imposed 25% tariffs on Indian goods and an extra 25% on Russian-linked oil imports, raising duties to 50%, among the world’s highest.
Max Abrahms, author and professor at Northeastern University, on Friday attacked US President Donald Trump for his maiden post on Truth Social after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Trump wrote that the US has "lost" both India and Russia to "the darkest" China.
“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also shared a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Tianjin SCO Summit.
"This is not okay, and if unchanged, will be a major foreign policy legacy of this administration. We need to right this ship. India is too important for US grand strategy," Abrahms wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The camaraderie between the three world leaders seemingly irked Trump, as many experts dubbed it "a turning point" and heralding "a new world order" amid the tariff war waged by Trump against allies and adversaries alike.
Another glimpse of warmth between the world leaders was seen when Prime Minister Modi shook hands with President Xi and shared a limousine ride with Putin. The imagery was powerful as it projected India's strategic autonomy amid US pressure over Russian crude oil imports.
Moreover, the wish for a "long and prosperous future together" came as a U-turn from Trump's previous statements, wherein he dismissed the possibility of forming an anti-US axis due to his tariffs, and claimed that New Delhi offered Washington DC "zero tariffs" under pressure from hiked duties.
Time and again, Trump has questioned the US-India trade relation, claiming it was "totally one-sided" and accused New Delhi of levying "the highest tariffs in the world".
India rejected the accusations as “unjustified and unreasonable,” citing its energy and food security. In response, the Trump administration imposed 25% tariffs on Indian goods and an extra 25% on Russian-linked oil imports, raising duties to 50%, among the world’s highest.