Turkish military reinforcements preparing to cross the border into Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, February 12, 2020 Moscow has taken with a pinch of salt Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s statement on Wednesday that a Turkish incursion into the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib is imminent. Objectively speaking, Erdogan should be out of his mind to order …
Continue reading “Russia warns Turkey against rash moves in Idlib”
An aerial view of yet-to-be-completed Motera cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where the Namaste Trump event to honour US president takes place on Feb 24, 2020 One great thing about US President Donald Trump is that he can be brutally frank. Trump recently picked up the phone and called British PM Boris Johnson to convey his displeasure …
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena (C) summoned US envoy AlainaTeplitz to convey “strong objections” on the travel restrictions on Army Commander & Actg. Chief of Defence Staff, Colombo, Feb. 16, 2020. What cannot be lost sight of is that the “public designation” of the Sri Lankan army chief and Acting Chief of Defense Staff …
Continue reading “India should be wary of US ‘pro-activism’ on Lanka’s Tamil problem”
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar accosting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Munich, Bavaria, February 15, 2020 Among the notable interactions External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has had on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (February 14-16), the momentary encounter with the US House Speaker Nancy …
Continue reading “Tweaking ‘Namaste Trump’ is still possible”
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressing the annual Munich Security Conference on ‘constructive vocal nationalism’, Munich, Germany, February 15, 2020 The External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chose the annual Munich Security Conference (February 14-16) as the forum to espouse a world order characterised by nationalism that is legally legitimate, constructive and vocal. It was …
Continue reading “Cutting the US-Iran Gordian knot at Munich”
Syrian forces took control of M5 highway connecting economic hub of Aleppo to Damascus and other key population centres to Jordanian border, February 12, 2020. The de-escalation talks between Moscow and Ankara over the Russian-backed offensive by the Syrian government forces in the northwestern province of Idlib didn’t help defuse tensions. On the contrary, …
Continue reading “Syria: M5 highway secured, time for truce”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal offering prayers at a Hanuman temple on the eve of Delhi elections, Feb 7, 2020. He said, “What kind of politics is this? God belongs to everyone. May god bless everyone, even those in the BJP.” The meaning of the Delhi state election results will take time to sink in, …
Continue reading “Kejriwal bestows a road map on India’s opposition”
Every five to six years, roughly, the United States comes out with a ‘new’ Central Asia strategy. The Indian automobile industry might call it “facelift” — cosmetic changes to create an air of novelty, such as a new radiator grill, a tweak in the rear bumper, exciting colour options and so on. The document titled …
A Turkish military convoy entering the town of Sarmada in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib. The Russian reaction to Turkey’s latest military moves in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib has appeared in the form of a lengthy interview with the government daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on February 4, which has since …
Continue reading “Russia rejects Turkish narrative on Syria”
Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi (L) receives appointment decree from President Barham Salih (R), Baghdad, February 1, 2020 In happier times, Washington and Tehran might well have zeroed in on Mohammed Tawfik Allawi as their consensus candidate for the post of Iraq’s prime minister. Why not? He was opposed to Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship — …
Continue reading “US uneasy as Iraq gets new prime minister”
