New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin painted a vivid picture to describe the intricate relationship between China, India, and Russia. He recalled how Chinese President Xi Jinping had coined the metaphor “dragon and elephant dance” to characterise the dynamic between China and India. Putin added that the media had subsequently included Russia’s “bear” to the imagery, symbolising Russia’s role in this trilateral relationship.
Speaking with a touch of humour at the Eastern Economic Forum 2025, Putin suggested that instead of the bear, Russia’s Far East could be represented by a tiger, specifically the Amur or Siberian tiger, the largest tiger subspecies native to that region.
In a playful dig at the United States, Putin also pointed to the American symbol of a double-headed eagle, which “looks to the West and the East, but there is also south, you know,” subtly highlighting the US’s limited geopolitical outlook.
The Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping, originally proposed by Russia in 1998, aims to strengthen cooperation among these three powers on global issues. This trilateral partnership exists alongside other efforts to bolster non-Western alliances, such as BRICS, reflecting a broader shift in global geopolitics.
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump chimed in via social media, publicly acknowledging the deepening ties among the three nations. On his platform, Truth Social, he posted, “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”
Earlier this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit held in Tianjin. The gathering highlighted the deepening collaboration among the three powers on the global stage.
Trump’s remarks reveal a recognition from Washington of the shifting alliances, despite the United States historically viewing India as a counterweight to China’s expanding influence.
Relations between the US and India have cooled in recent years, partly due to Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Indian goods and his criticism of India’s oil trade with Russia. This cooling of ties contrasts sharply with the increasing closeness among the US’s adversaries, China, Russia, and North Korea.
Notably, the leaders of these three countries appeared together publicly for the first time on Wednesday at an event commemorating the end of World War II, signalling an unprecedented level of coordination among them.