Modi turns foreign policy as tool of national strategies

(File photo of S. Jaishankar who took over as India’s External Affairs Minister) This is the season for political gossiping and for tossing hypotheses into the air. Most of them perish, while a handful may survive. The election fever has subsided except amongst a clutch of irreconcilables who won’t accept defeat.  But they forget that …

Venezuela explores peace talks. Will US allow it?

(Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) received Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Moscow, 5th December 2018) The US project on ‘regime change’ in Venezuela has crash-landed. Far-fetched assumptions that have no basis in the ground realities are withering away. The core assumption was  that the existing regime in Caracas is lacking legitimacy. But the failure of …

Indian Muslims show up on US’ ISIS map

(Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on May 31, 2019 at New Delhi) Political developments in India inevitably receive big attention in the neighbouring South Asian countries. Sri Lanka is a special case where Indian developments have impacted the country’s political landscape. Unsurprisingly, the Sri Lankan ruling elite is always keenly …

Russia has more in common with Israel than meets the eye

The rocky partnership between Russia and Iran in the Syrian conflict is entering a turbulent period. The unprecedented US-Russia-Israel security summit due to take place in Jerusalem next month has no other explanation.  A tersely worded White House statement on May 29 said that the summit, which will be attended by the national security advisors …