Trump Erupts: “We Lost India” – Shocking Rant on Modi, Xi, and Putin Meet

To unpack the implications, Barkha Dutt spoke with Lt Gen Ata Hasnain (Retd), Former Corps Commander, Amb Ashok Sajjanhar (Former Diplomat), and Padma Rao Sundarji, Senior Foreign Correspondent.

Gen Hasnain described Trump’s remarks as an “emotional sulk,” noting that India’s balanced diplomacy remains steady despite U.S. tariffs. He highlighted India’s ongoing military exercises with the U.S., underlining that relations are more resilient than Trump’s rhetoric suggests.

Ambassador Sajjanhar stressed that India’s outreach to Russia and participation at the SCO was a strategic necessity, not a shift in alliances. He emphasized that India seeks “multi-alignment” — engaging all powers without binding itself exclusively to one camp.

Padma Rao Sundarji argued that while the optics of Modi’s engagement with Putin and Xi had rattled Washington and Western media, the deeper purpose was signaling India’s strategic autonomy. She termed it “an era of aligned non-alignment,” where India leverages optics without abandoning core partnerships.

Barkha Dutt noted that Trump’s rants reflect bruised ego rather than real policy collapse. India’s firm but restrained response, she said, shows New Delhi’s resolve to act in its own sovereign interest, neither succumbing to pressure nor abandoning critical ties with the U.S.