President Vladimir Putin addressed an expanded meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry Board, Moscow, Dec. 21, 2022 The defining moment in US President Joe Biden’s press conference at the White House last Wednesday, during President Zelensky’s visit, was his virtual admission that he is constrained in the proxy war in Ukraine, as European allies don’t …
A German-China-Russia triangle on Ukraine
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) with Chairman of the United Russia Party Dmitry Medvedev, Beijing, December 21, 2022 The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken probably thought that in his self-appointed role as the world’s policeman, it was his prerogative to check out what is going on between Germany, China and Russia that he wasn’t …
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In Ukraine, it’s Patriot vs. Iskander for now
Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky addressed a joint session of the US Congress, Washington, DC, December 21, 2022 With the Republicans poised to take narrow control of the House of Representatives in the US Congress in January, the Biden Administration is hoping to extract as much funding as possible for the proxy war in Ukraine against …
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NATO nuclear compass rendered unavailing
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Minsk, December 19, 2022 The visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Minsk on Monday, accompanied by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, turned out to be immensely consequential for European security. Putin drew attention to it rather obliquely at his news …
Why time isn’t ripe for Ukraine talks
Russia warns that Patriot missile defence systems will be legitimate targets should Washington supply them to Kiev (File photo) A Russian-American “consensus” is forming that the Ukraine conflict is far from a climactic stage leading to peace talks. Russia’s stance is that any settlement will devolve upon Kiev recognising “realities” — namely, acceptance of Crimea, …
Modi ignores West’s sanctions on Russia
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (L) met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Moscow, November 8, 2022 Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday marks a new stage in the bilateral relationship between the two time-tested friends, both contextually and from a long-term perspective. The media may find it alluring to …
New era of China-Saudi ties riles Iran
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) sees Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a decisive leader, Riyadh, Dec. 9, 2022 The pomp and ceremony of the recent visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia has drawn comparison with the banality and frigid atmosphere surrounding the US President Joe Biden’s trip to the kingdom …
EU cracks the whip (gently) on Iran
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (L) with Iran’s Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian, Tehran, July 27, 2022. (File photo) The European Union has returned to the ritual of sanctioning Iran to leverage its foreign and security policies. The highlight of the EU Foreign Affairs Council ministerial meeting in Brussels on Monday was the imposition of …
Unrest in Mongolia: Who Stands to Gain?
Week-long anti-government protests in Ulaanbaatar show no signs of abating, Mongolia, December 9, 2022 The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a TV interview in Moscow on Sunday, when asked about where the relationship between Russia and the West is moving, “Well, we are not moving. We have already arrived at a station named ‘Confrontation’, …
Demons creep up from Europe’s attic
‘Reichsbürger’ at a rally in Berlin: Neo-Nazi, or just a crackpot? The visit of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to New Delhi had an anti-climatic ending. Baerbock waxed eloquently about Germany as a paragon of democratic values and claimed affinity with India. She hoped to persuade Modi government to disengage from strategic partnership with “authoritarian” …