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Following US President Donald Trump's post claiming that the US has "lost Russia and India to deepest, darkest China", West Asia Strategist Waiel Awwad noted the remark as an acknowledgement that reflects India's growing global stature as a significant power and strategic player.
Reacting to Trump's post on Truth Social, Awwad on Friday noted the tone of regret, pointing out that the India-US relationship had seen significant gains over the last three decades. "I think India's position has been indicated by his statement that India is not a small country, is an emerging power, and is a force to reckon with. The US cannot afford to lose India. I think it was a very clear statement from him, and they should do the damage control to revive the relations and bring them back to the normal track because India has spent a lot of time, and even the US in the last three decades has been trying to improve and normalise the relations," he stated. Awwad stated that Trump's abrupt imposition of tariffs and aggressive trade policies during his term may have damaged that progress, while adding that the remarks may also be interpreted as an indirect call for course correction. Awwad further noted India's central role in the regional geopolitics, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, emphasising that both nations cannot "afford to lose each other". "Suddenly, Trump declared so many tariffs on India and is trying to bully India. It has backfired on him, and its admission is a clear indication that he has taken a wrong step... Neither nation can afford to lose the other; both are strategic partners. They need each other for trade and security arrangements. I think India is playing a major role in the Asia-Pacific, especially with the Quad... India is balancing its act and has taken an equidistant position among the stakeholders," he added. A few days after India, Russia and China stood together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Tianjin, Trump posted a comment on his social media platform Truth Social, stating that the US has "lost Russia and India to deepest, darkest China". "Looks like we've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!" he wrote. Trump wrote this with an old picture of three leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, together. (ANI)
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