Trump claims Obama, Biden policies united China and Russia

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday blamed former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for “forcing” China and Russia into an alliance, while also claiming that India has agreed to drastically reduce its imports of Russian oil by the end of the year.

“China is a little bit different. Their relationship with Russia was never good, but because of Biden and Obama, they got forced together. They should never have been forced together... by nature, they can’t be friendly. Biden and Obama forced them together because of energy and oil. They are closer than they would normally be,” he said.

Trump’s remarks refer to U.S. sanctions on Russia under Obama and the “Pivot to Asia” strategy, which collectively encouraged Moscow and Beijing to deepen cooperation in trade, energy, and defense to counter U.S. pressure.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said India’s decision to cut Russian oil imports is part of an ongoing process but praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his cooperation.

“India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop buying Russian oil. It’s a process. You can’t just stop. By the end of the year, they’ll be down to almost nothing, almost 40 percent of the oil. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi yesterday. They’ve been absolutely great,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly asserted that India assured him it would significantly cut Russian crude purchases, which Washington says indirectly helps Moscow finance the war in Ukraine. Relations between India and the U.S. have been under strain after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 percent, including a 25 percent additional duty on products linked to India’s Russian oil trade. India condemned the move as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”

The president said he would also raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their upcoming meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea later this month.

“What I’ll really be talking to him about is how we can end the war with Russia and Ukraine, whether it’s through oil, energy, or anything else. I think he’s going to be very receptive,” Trump said.

Trump defended his tariffs, claiming they made the U.S. wealthy and secure, attributing the $37 trillion national debt to past trade policies. Economists reject this, noting tariffs contribute less than 1% of federal revenue and mainly burden domestic businesses. Trump framed tariffs as a matter of national pride and credited them with preventing wars, including a supposed India-Pakistan conflict, though India denies U.S. involvement. His remarks reflect a mix of economic nationalism and transactional diplomacy, leveraging tariffs and energy influence while criticizing predecessors for strengthening rival alliances.