We've lost India, Russia to 'deep, dark' China: Trump

US President Donald Trump declared that America had “lost” India and Russia to China in a social media post on Friday, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit that featured prominent visuals with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

- Shashank Mattoo

Trump's stance, the latest in an increasingly hostile attitude towards ally New Delhi, was backed by a senior White House commerce official who called on India to “decide which side they want to be on”.

“Looks like we've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together,” Trump wrote, as critics argued that his administration's 50% tariffs on New Delhi had pushed the country towards Moscow and Beijing.

In New Delhi, foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government had “no comments” when asked to react to Trump's post.

Back in Washington, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick criticised New Delhi's unwillingness to open markets to US exports, stop Russian energy purchases, and withdraw from Brics.

“India doesn’t yet want to open their market, stop buying Russian oil and stop being a part of Brics. They are the vowel between Russia and China. If that's what you want to be, then go be it," Lutnick said in a television interview. Brics is a multilateral forum founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.