Former CIA Director William J. Burns has issued a sharp warning about the potential consequences of Donald Trump’s approach to India, cautioning that the United States could inadvertently push Prime Minister Narendra Modi into a closer strategic alignment with China. Burns, a seasoned diplomat with decades of service and the current president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, described such an outcome as profoundly troubling for Washington’s long-term interests.
Speaking in a wide-ranging discussion with foreign policy analyst Aaron David Miller during an event titled US Leadership in a Challenging World, Burns noted that the delicate balance of America’s relationships in Asia requires careful navigation. He stressed that it would take a significant degree of mismanagement to push Modi into openly embracing Chinese President Xi Jinping, underscoring just how damaging Trump’s policies could become if not recalibrated. “It takes a lot of effort to drive Narendra Modi to the point where he’s holding hands with China’s Xi Jinping. America has to be really careful about this,” Burns remarked.
His comments come in the wake of Prime Minister Modi’s high-profile appearance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on September 1. The meeting, which brought Modi together with Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, was highly symbolic. Images of the three leaders exchanging warm greetings, handshakes, and even sharing rides were splashed across international media outlets. In Washington, these optics raised alarm, with critics viewing the trilateral camaraderie as a potential shift in global power alignments that could sideline the United States.
Trump himself reacted with open frustration, declaring on social media that both India and Russia appeared to have been “lost” to China. Sharing a photograph of Modi, Xi, and Putin at the summit, he wrote, “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” His blunt assessment reflected growing unease in the White House over India’s independent foreign policy, particularly in relation to Russia.
Tensions between Washington and New Delhi have escalated in recent months. Trump’s administration recently slapped a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods—comprising a 25 per cent base duty along with an additional 25 per cent penalty—arguing that India’s continued purchases of Russian oil undermined Western sanctions and provided Moscow with critical revenue to sustain its war in Ukraine. The US accused India of profiteering at a time of conflict, while India defended its position, asserting that affordable Russian crude was essential to meet the energy needs of its 1.4 billion citizens.
Burns’ intervention highlights growing concern among American foreign policy veterans that Trump’s confrontational trade policies and volatile rhetoric could backfire. Rather than drawing India closer into Washington’s strategic orbit to counterbalance China, there is a risk of alienating New Delhi and encouraging it to deepen ties with both Beijing and Moscow. Such a shift, they argue, would have serious consequences not only for US influence in Asia but also for the broader balance of power in an increasingly multipolar world.
