India has now aligned with the Taliban, Pakistan, China, and Russia in opposing the U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid to regain control of the Bagram air base in Afghanistan. The announcement comes days ahead of the scheduled visit of Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to New Delhi, a historic first for a senior Taliban diplomat.
The relationship between the United States and India is being strained and the matter in the middle of the storm is oil. Washington displeased with the fact that the New Delhi is still purchasing crude oil with Russia, and the Trump administration has reacted with hefty trade sanctions. However, as verbal abuse goes on between the two democracies, a single global power, China, has decided to remain silent.
US President Donald Trump accused India and China of financing Russia’s war in Ukraine, a charge that he made on September 23, 2025, when addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have again escalated as Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery inside Russian territory. The attack was carried out late at night. It targeted a facility that plays an important role in processing crude oil and producing fuel for the Russian economy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed US President Donald Trump’s statement about being “always be friends,” indicating that he “fully echoes his sentiments” even though relations between their nations have been tense due to tariffs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Monday that addressing NATO’s eastward expansion is vital for achieving lasting peace in Ukraine. His comments came after discussions with China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Tianjin.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where he pressed for speeding up efforts toward a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The security assurances for Ukraine, with Germany joining, are a big step forward that have been interpreted as a promise and a responsibility by many. For Kyiv, the importance of this assurance is not limited to politics but encompasses the existential and future hope regarding self-defence against further Russian aggression.
The United States and India are encountering a fresh tension in their relationship. Days before a significant increase in tariffs on Indian products goes into effect, US Vice President JD Vance has justified Washington’s choice, stating it aligns with President Donald Trump’s plan to pressure Russia to conclude its conflict in Ukraine.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar strongly defended India’s energy policy during his visit to Moscow on Thursday (August 21, 2025), saying New Delhi was only following advice given by the United States itself.
