As Trump hugs Xi and plugs Sharif, India feels the squeeze

A widening US-India diplomatic rift became evident this weekend through White House and United Nations actions, according to a TOI correspondent in Washington. India openly denounced Pakistan for spreading "falsehoods" and "deceit," while the US President Donald Trump appeared to endorse those accusations. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif credited Trump's "timely intervention" in the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, a claim that drew both praise and criticism from India.

Indian officials accused Pakistan of spreading falsehoods and described it as a "puppet" regime. The Trump administration's shift in foreign policy towards China, however, may pose a greater challenge to India. At the United Nations, Trump shared a 87-second video clip of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's speech on Truth Social, which included Sharif's praise for Trump and Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir.

India, however, rejected Trump's assertion that he mediated the cessation of hostilities in May 2025, emphasizing communication between India and Pakistan. The emerging US-China arrangement has prompted comparisons to a "de facto G-2," leaving other powers, including India, to adjust to decisions made without their input.