Donald Trump Fires Salvo Again, Says ‘Looks Like We’ve Lost India & Russia to Darkest China’

In a pointed message on his Truth Social platform, President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US appears to have “lost India and Russia to China” as he ramps up calls for Europe to stop buying Russian oil in order to increase economic pressure on China over Beijing’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together! President Donald J. Trump,” the US President wrote in a seemingly sharp social media rebuke.

Trump’s latest sarcasm-laden remarks come amid tensions over New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil, despite Washington’s efforts to isolate Russia economically. Trump has already hit India with increased tariffs, raising levies on Indian imports linked to Russian oil.

Trump Pushes Europe to Step Up Pressure on Russia and China

According to a White House official who spoke with CNN earlier this week, Trump told a group of world leaders in a Thursday call that Europe must stop buying Russian oil, warning that “Russia received €1.1 billion in fuel sales from the EU in one year.” The US President also reportedly pressed European leaders to put economic pressure on China, which has been providing financial backing to support Russia’s war effort.

According to the report, Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from 26 countries forming the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ – an alliance aimed at ending the Ukraine war and securing Kyiv’s future.

French President Emmanuel Macron later said that the participating countries have pledged troops to a potential peacekeeping force if a ceasefire deal is reached, while also stressing the need for “an American safety net” to back up those guarantees. “In the coming days we will finalise the American support for these security guarantees,” CNN quoted Macron as saying.

Ukrainian Leaders Seek More Support and New Diplomatic Formats

Zelenskyy, the report said, also highlighted ongoing talks to boost the country’s air defenses and mentioned discussions about a “new format” for negotiations. “We shared it with the partners today and President Trump,” the Ukrainian President reportedly said.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that “a huge amount of work” remains before any top-level meeting can take place between the Kremlin and Kyiv.

The Trump administration has expressed openness to some American involvement in Ukraine’s security guarantees potentially including air support, but has ruled out deploying ground troops.

Targeting Countries That Trade with Russia

Asked about sanctions on countries doing business with Russia, Trump had on an earlier ocassion stated, “I have already done that with regard to India,” referring to tariff hikes on Indian goods.

Zelenskyy backed the call for increased pressure on Russia and its trade partners, saying, “The Russian economy is pressured and all the countries who trade with Russia are pressured, and we will continue with this.”

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