Modi, Xi Jinping & Putin In One Frame! A Pointed Message For ‘Historical Friends’ U.S. & Pakistan? OP-ED

By
Sakshi Tiwari
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In what appears to be a pointed message for US President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted photos of himself with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin from the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.

This shift is interesting as it corresponds with the US warming up to India’s arch-rival, Pakistan, and Trump’s 50% tariffs on India.

The message seems to be clear: India is not going to back down in the face of sustained US pressure and new tariffs. In fact, the hostility shown by Trump has brought India and China closer together, with President Xi telling Modi that China and India are cooperation partners, not rivals.

Meanwhile, India’s commitment to purchasing Russian oil has demonstrated the resilience of its ties with its oldest and most consistent partner.

The bonhomie between these three leaders was on full display at the summit, with some observers noting that it is the most powerful optics in recent times. Some netizens even went on to say that the image is proof that Donald Trump’s efforts at bullying these countries and isolating America’s adversaries like China and Russia have failed miserably.

These assertions may or may not be true, and the relationship between this trio is more complex and layered than it may seem in the images.

However, for India, the symbolism is significant in multiple ways. Besides upholding its strategic autonomy, this move comes as a rebuttal to the US President, who has taken an increasingly hostile approach towards New Delhi, while strengthening ties with its arch-rival Pakistan.

Weeks after the Indo-Pakistan conflict in May, Pakistan’s most powerful man, Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, was hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House. The visit heralded a reset in the ties between the two countries, which seems to have come at the expense of Washington’s relations with India.

Indian Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, was asked about the striking shift in the US at the ET World Leaders Forum last month. The Minister responded by taking a dig at the US, saying that it has forgotten its history with Pakistan.

“They have a history with each other. And they have a history of overlooking that history. It’s not the first time we have seen things. And the interesting thing is that when you look sometimes at the certificates that say somebody in the military will give, it’s the same military that went into Abbottabad and found you know who there,” Jaishankar said, in a reference to the hunting down of Osama Bin Laden by US Special Forces in 2011.

“So the issue, in a way, is when countries are very focused on doing the politics of convenience. They keep trying to do this. Some of it can be tactical, some of it can have other benefits or calculations,” he added.

The Minister also added that while watching this equation unfold under the Trump administration, India is also being mindful of the strength of its own relationship with the US. Thus, it indicates that despite not bowing down to pressure, India is interested in repairing its relations with the US and balancing its ties with its own strategic interests.

“But, again, I obviously respond to the situation or the challenge of the day. But I also do so, always keeping in mind the larger structural strengths of the relationship and the confidence that comes from it. So I take it in that spirit. I know what I am about. I know what my strengths are, I know what is the importance and relevance of my relationship. So that’s what guides me,” he told the forum. 

Image Via Indian PM

Pakistan & US Are Cozying Up

India and Pakistan fought a four-day conflict from May 7 to 10, 2025. The conflict began with India’s Operation Sindoor, which began with air strikes on terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistani territory. However, it soon snowballed into an armed conflict as Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos.

The conflict ended on May 10 with a ceasefire that took effect at approximately 1700 hours.

In an unexpected turn of events, Donald Trump took credit for mediating the ceasefire, which he claimed was achieved by threatening a complete halt in trade with both of them.

While India categorically denied these claims, Pakistan, led by Army Chief Asim Munir, wholeheartedly embraced them. 

In fact, US President Trump hosted Field Marshal Asim Munir for lunch at the White House, after the latter endorsed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the war in June 2025, just weeks after the conflict concluded.

This was a rare occasion in which a sitting U.S. president extended an invitation exclusively to a nation’s military leader. But more importantly, this marked a rare meeting between a high-ranking Pakistani military chief and a sitting US President.

The luncheon has since been viewed as a snub to India and a diplomatic victory for the Pakistani military.

The US administration and Pakistan have since been cozying up.

On July 30, for instance, the US finalized a deal with Pakistan to work together on developing the South Asian nation’s “massive oil reserves.” This was followed by a social media post in which the US President wondered if Pakistan could sell oil to India “someday”.

At the same time, the ties between the US and India are now on a downward spiral. Just a few days after announcing the deal with Pakistan, Trump made an unexpected policy shift vis-à-vis India, imposing a 25% tariff on Indian goods while threatening to double it to 50% in an attempt to dissuade the South Asian country from buying Russian crude oil.

Regarding the relations between India and the US, S. Jaishankar listed three key issues at the ET Forum: the first was trade, the second was the purchase of Russian oil, and the third was Trump’s claims to mediate between India and Pakistan.

On the trade issue, he said, “According to me, this is a big issue.” Talks are still going on, but some things are like a red line for us. These are issues related to our farmers and small producers, and we are committed to protecting their interests.

In the case of India’s oil purchase from Russia, Jaishankar said that India has been targeted. He cited the examples of China and Europe, which buy more Russian oil and LNG from Russia, respectively.

Jaishankar alleged that India has been unfairly targeted. When asked if India is profiting from buying Russian oil, he said, “If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy.” No one is forcing you to do this. But Europe and America buy. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.”

The third issue pertains to Trump’s claims that he mediated a ceasefire between the two countries by threatening to halt trade. The foreign minister reiterated that there were direct talks between India and Pakistan on the ceasefire. In the matter of mediation,  Jaishankar said, “India does not accept the mediation of any third country on the Kashmir issue.”

However, Jaishankar’s reference to “history” of the US-Pakistan relationship does help put things in perspective. If the last seventy years are anything to go by, the US has demonstrated that it would always favour Pakistan if called upon to take sides in a potential Indo-Pakistan confrontation.

The History Of US-Pakistan Ties 

The US-Pakistan ties go back several decades, when the world was divided into two blocs—one led by the United States and the other by the former Soviet Union.

As the US sought allies to counter Soviet influence in the 1950s, Pakistan was quick to join US-led alliances, such as the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) in 1954 and the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) in 1955.

These alliances positioned Pakistan as a strategic partner in South Asia, and the next few years saw an extensive flow of arms and economic aid into Pakistan.

While India was the flag bearer of the Non-Aligned Movement under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, it leaned toward the Soviet Union for some military and economic support to counterbalance Pakistan’s influence. Two different kinds of alliances were drawn and were to grow stronger in the years to come.

Though the US consistently claimed to be neutral in various Indo-Pakistan conflicts,  the arms it sent to Pakistan as aid were used by its Army against India. Eventually, the facade of “neutrality” fell in 1971, during the Indo-Pakistan war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The US openly took a pro-Pakistan stance under President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, motivated by Cold War considerations, as disclosed by the declassified US government documents released by the US National Security Agency. 

Although aid to Pakistan was officially suspended during the war, the United States continued to covertly provide military support to its old friend.

Furthermore, the US mobilized part of its Seventh Fleet and sent the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to the Bay of Bengal as a show of force intended to deter India.

India vehemently denounced America’s involvement in the war, and eventually grew closer to the Soviet Union, which came to its defense. As per reports, the Soviets deployed their armada of 20 warships with a nuclear submarine shadowing the American aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

Later, in the late 70s and 80s, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan became a critical US ally, receiving $3–6 billion in aid through Operation Cyclone to support the Afghan Mujahideen.

This included advanced weapons, such as F-16 jets. India viewed US military aid to Pakistan with suspicion, especially as Pakistan supported insurgencies in Kashmir during the late 1980s.

Interestingly, during the Kargil War between India and Pakistan in 1999, the American administration, under President Bill Clinton, publicly sided with India against Pakistani aggression and demanded that Pakistan withdraw its troops. Clinton also blamed the good old friend of America for risking a nuclear war. 

However, after 9/11, Pakistan once again became a major non-NATO ally, receiving over $20 billion in US aid from 2001 to 2018 for counterterrorism efforts. This included military equipment and economic support.

India, a victim of Pakistan-backed terror, like the 2008 Mumbai attacks, criticized Washington for not pressuring Pakistan enough to curb militancy.

The US and Pakistan had a love-hate relationship that was rooted in pragmatism. Though the US knew that Pakistan harboured the world’s most wanted terrorists, it relied on Islamabad to face the persistent Afghanistan problem.

Then came the 2019 Balakot strikes. While India claimed to have downed a Pakistani F-16 during the aerial duel following the Balalot strikes, the US government sources told Foreign Policy Magazine that none of the F-16s with Pakistan were missing.

This was seen as an attempt by the US to save the reputation of its aircraft, but it ended up undermining genuine claims made by the Indian military.

During the latest Operation Sindoor by the Indian military, the IAF chief claimed neutralizing several of Pakistan’s warplanes that experts believe include a few F-16 jets.

This time, the US has not defended its Jets!

 

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