'No Comments, Rest You Are Allowed to Imagine': MEA On Trump's 'Lost India, Russia To Deepest, Darkest China' Remark

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has declined to comment on United States President Donald Trump's "Lost India, Russia to China" remark.

At a press briefing in Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "I have no comments to offer on this post at this time."

"Rest, you are allowed to imagine," he responded when replying to a reporter's question on the matter.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!"

The US President's post was accompanied by a picture of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This is the first time Trump has acknowledged that trade relations between India and the US have been strained.

Trump's post follows a recent meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, amid the United States' imposition of an additional 50 percent tariff on India for its trade in Russian oil and China's backing of India. The camaraderie among the three leaders was on full display during the summit and garnered global attention.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, however, clarified that India continues to engage in trade talks with the US.

"We continue to remain engaged with the US side on trade issues... We see the Quad as a valuable forum for discussion among the four member countries on shared interests across several issues. The leaders' summit is scheduled through diplomatic consultations among the member countries," he said.

During a bilateral meeting at the SCO summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to work as "partners" rather than "rivals." With the impact of Trump's tariffs, India and China appear to be aligning more closely. In a significant diplomatic move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the SCO summit, the first such visit in seven years, following tensions in India-US relations.

PM Modi described his meeting with Putin at the SCO summit as "excellent" and highlighted the strength of Russia-India relations.

"Even in the most difficult situations, India and Russia have always walked shoulder to shoulder. Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability, and prosperity," PM Modi said.

Trump's post also comes a day after he accused Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un of hatching a conspiracy against the United States, as the three leaders attended a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday.

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