Finnish President Alexander Stubb has cautioned that Europe and the wider West need to have a "dignified" and "cooperative" foreign policy, or else they risk losing their influence in the world.
Addressing a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Tuesday, Stubb pointed out the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit as a sharp reminder of the rising power of the Global South.
"My message is not only to my European colleagues but especially to the United States that if we don't drive a more cooperative, more dignified foreign policy, especially with the global south, the likes of India, we're going to lose this game. So I think this meeting in China on Sunday and Monday is a good reminder to all of us in the global west what is at stake. We're trying to preserve the remnants of the old order," he said.
His statement seemed to be a veiled attack on US President Donald Trump's policy, specifically the stiff tariffs placed on India, which have come under fire even from within the US.
Agreeing with the criticism, former US National Security Advisor John Bolton on Thursday (local time) criticized Trump for pushing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi closer to Russia and China by imposing 50% tariffs on Indian imports, effectively reversing years of US diplomatic work.
In a post on X, Bolton stated, "The White House has set US-India relations back decades, pushing Modi closer to Russia and China. Beijing has cast itself as an alternative to the US and Donald Trump."
India is now grappling with global economic uncertainties, following the US tariffs on Indian goods, further compounded by a 25% tariff linked to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
These improvements overlapped with the end of the 25th SCO Heads of State Council summit in Tianjin, China, where PM Modi had bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
PM Modi pointed out the significance of India and China's economies towards the stability of global trade during his bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping, a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs revealed.
While in his interaction with Putin, Modi highlighted India's robust and long-standing relationship with Russia, reiterating that both countries have always stood by each other in turbulent times. Modi added that cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow is still vital for world peace, stability, and prosperity.
President Putin also highlighted that 2025 will be the 15th anniversary of the India-Russia "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."
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