Finland President Alexander Stubb has issued an unusually blunt warning to US President Donald Trump that to adopt a more respectful and cooperative policy towards India and the Global South, or risk losing influence to China and Russia.
Speaking in Helsinki, Stubb said, “If Europe and America don’t adopt a more cooperative foreign policy towards the Global South and India, then we will lose.”
His remarks follow the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen engaging warmly with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
SCO summit and shifting geopolitics
The SCO meeting highlighted the growing confidence of China and Russia in shaping the agenda for the developing world. The summit’s visuals of Modi, Xi, and Putin in close conversation were interpreted as a signal of deepening cooperation. Stubb cautioned that such platforms are increasingly attractive to countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, who view them as counterweights to what they perceive as Western dominance.
Donald Trump’s confrontational trade policies, particularly towards India, are alienating partners. Stubb urged both the United States and Europe to view India not only as a strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific but also as the de facto voice of the Global South.
Trump’s strained relations with India
Relations between Washington and New Delhi have deteriorated sharply under Trump’s leadership in 2025. In a controversial move, the US President recently imposed a 50% tariff on Indian exports to the United States, alongside a 25% duty on Indian purchases of Russian oil. He described India’s trade practices as “totally one-sided”, accusing New Delhi of exporting large volumes of goods to the US while maintaining high barriers against American products.
Although India reportedly offered to reduce tariffs on US goods to zero, Trump dismissed the proposal as “too little, too late”. He has further accused India of indirectly financing Russia’s military campaign through oil purchases, threatening additional sanctions unless India scales down its energy imports from Moscow.
India-US relation
Diplomatic sources indicate that communication between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump has grown tense. Modi is said to have rejected Trump’s requests for mediation in the India-Pakistan dispute, while the US President has repeatedly hinted at further punitive measures against India if it does not fall in line with Washington’s Russia policy.
As per foreign media reports, PM Modi has refused four calls from Donald Trump amid the growing tensions.
The tariffs, sanctions threats, and public rebukes have left relations at their lowest point in recent years, eroding goodwill built during earlier phases of US-India strategic partnership.
Stubb’s intervention reflects growing unease in Europe over Trump’s “America First” posture. As a new NATO member, Finland is one of Washington’s closest allies, yet it is openly warning that the West risks alienating a vital partner in India. According to experts, India is indispensable in balancing Chinese power in Asia and maintaining a rules-based international order.
For Stubb, the message is clear that unless the West learns to treat India as a partner rather than a subordinate, it will lose its influence in the Global South.