Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude to several world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, for their continued attention to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

During a press briefing Thursday, Putin acknowledged the efforts of these leaders and others for their commitment to seeking peace in the war-torn region, despite the many global challenges they face.

“I would like to start by offering my sincere thanks to President Trump of the US for his focus on the Ukraine situation. Many state leaders, including President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Modi of India, and the Presidents of Brazil and South Africa, have been dedicating significant time to this issue. We appreciate their contributions, as it is all for the noble cause of stopping the conflict and preventing further loss of life,” Putin stated.

Prime Minister Modi has been stressing and reiterating about bringing peace to the region, thereby clearly setting India’s stance on the Russia- Ukraine conflict. During his recent meeting with Trump at the White House, PM Modi made it clear that India was not neutral in the matter, emphasising that India sides with peace.

“This is not an era of war but of dialogue and diplomacy,” PM Modi had said, underscoring India’s commitment to diplomatic efforts. PM Modi has also maintained open channels of communication with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, repeatedly stressing the need for peaceful resolution.

The US has proposed a 30-day ceasefire, urging Russia to accept the deal without any conditions.

Putin, while expressing support for a ceasefire, acknowledged there are “nuances” that need to be addressed, adding that he had “serious questions” about how the proposal would be implemented.

In response, US President Donald Trump referred to Putin’s comments as “promising” but also noted that the statement was “not complete”, suggesting that further discussions were necessary.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has agreed to the ceasefire proposal during talks held in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, following mounting pressure after a meeting between Trump and Zelensky in February.

The war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has caused immense devastation, with hundreds of thousands dead or injured and millions displaced. The conflict has led to severe economic and geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West, with the ceasefire discussions now offering a glimmer of hope for a resolution.

IANS

Moscow: A Ukrainian decree from 2022 ruling out negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin raises the question of who could sit at the table in potential peace talks aimed at ending their three-year war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “is still legally prohibited from negotiating with the Russian side”, Peskov noted during his daily conference call with reporters.

He said it was “positive” that Zelenskyy expressed readiness Tuesday to negotiate peace with Russia as soon as possible. “But the details have not changed yet,” Peskov added, apparently referring to the Ukrainian decree.

Neither Ukrainian nor Western officials have recently mentioned the September 2022 presidential decree, signed seven months after Russia’s cross-border invasion, in the context of US President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop the fighting.

The Trump administration Monday suspended its crucial military aid to Ukraine as the United States sought to pressure Zelenskyy into negotiating an end to the war. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the support would resume after Zelenskyy’s seeming effort to placate Trump.

Ukrainian forces are toiling to slow Russian advances along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, especially in the eastern Donetsk region. The Russian onslaught, which has been costly for its troops, hasn’t yet brought a strategically significant breakthrough for the Kremlin. The war of attrition has killed tens of thousands of soldiers and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians.

Zelenskyy’s 2022 decree declared that holding negotiations with Putin became impossible after the Kremlin’s decision to illegally annex four regions of Ukraine — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

The decree enacted a decision by Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council to bolster Ukrainian defences and seek more weapons from the country’s Western allies.

The Kremlin said at the time it would wait for Ukraine to sit down for talks on ending the conflict, noting that such a step may not happen until a new Ukrainian president takes office.

AP

Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday called American tariffs “very dumb” and said that US President Donald Trump is appeasing Russia while launching a trade war against Canada.

In a blunt news conference during his final days in office, Trudeau said that Canada would plaster retaliatory tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods in response to Trump’s 25% tariffs.

“Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense,” a visibly angry Trudeau said.

Trump imposed tariffs against Washington’s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin. Just after midnight, Trump put 25% taxes, or tariffs, on Mexican and Canadian imports, though he limited the levy to 10% on Canadian energy.

“What he wants to see is a total collapse of the Canadian economy because that will make it easier to annex us,” Trudeau said. “That is never going to happen. We will never be the 51st state.”

Trudeau addressed Trump directly by his first name.

“I want to speak directly to one specific American, Donald,” Trudeau said. “It’s not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you’re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.”

Later Tuesday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the U.S. would likely meet Canada and Mexico “in the middle,” with an announcement coming as soon as Wednesday.

Lutnick told Fox Business News that the tariffs would not be paused, but that Trump would reach a compromise.

“I think he’s going to figure out, you do more, and I’ll meet you in the middle in some way,” Lutnick said.

In a post on Truth Social earlier Tuesday, Trump said: “Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the U.S., our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!”

Trump has threatened Canada’s sovereignty, provoking anger in the country. Canadian hockey fans have been booing the American national anthem at recent NHL and NBA games. Trudeau channelled the betrayal that many Canadians are feeling.

“Canadians are hurt. Canadians are angry. We are going to choose to not go on vacation in Florida,” Trudeau said. “We are going to choose to try and buy Canadian products … and yeah we’re probably going to keep booing the American anthem.”

The premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, said that he would issue a 25% export tax on electricity sold to the US and may later cut it off completely if the American tariffs persist. Ontario powered 1.5 million homes in the US in 2023 in Michigan, New York and Minnesota.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also told The Associated Press that he would stop the sale of nickel and rare minerals to the US.

Ontario and other provinces already began removing American liquor brands from government store shelves. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario sells nearly $1 billion Canadian dollars ($687 million) worth of American wine, beer, spirits and seltzers every year.

AP

New Delhi: Russian lawmaker Vyacheslav Volodin arrived in India early Monday for an official visit to bolster bilateral relations between the two nations.

Volodin is the Chairman of the State Duma, which serves as the lower house of Russia’s Parliament. His visit highlights the continued engagement between Moscow and New Delhi.

Announcing his arrival on X, the Russian Embassy in New Delhi stated, “Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin arrived on an official visit to India.”

The Embassy further noted that in New Delhi, “issues of Russia-India cooperation in economic, cultural, educational and technological spheres, as well as the development of inter-parliamentary dialogue will be discussed.”

As part of his visit, Volodin is scheduled to meet with Indian leadership and visit both houses of the Indian Parliament.

The Russian delegation accompanying him includes Deputy Speaker Alexander Babakov, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) leader Leonid Slutsky, Novye Lyudi (New People) faction leader Alexey Nechayev, Economic Policy Committee Chairman Maxim Topilin, Agrarian Committee Chairman Vladimir Kashin, and Culture Committee Chairwoman Olga Kazakova.

This visit occurs against the backdrop of discussions regarding a possible trip by Russian President Vladimir Putin to India later this year for the annual India-Russia summit.

Although the specific dates are still pending, it would be noteworthy as it would be Putin’s first visit to India since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022.

Putin’s upcoming visit is anticipated to solidify the robust strategic alliance between the two countries, as both parties are already in talks to outline the agenda.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is gearing up to visit the United States in mid-February. This trip takes place amidst new US sanctions aimed at Russian oil companies and ships engaged in the transport of Russian crude oil.

IANS

Washington: US President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ‘destroying Russia’ by refusing to negotiate an end to the ongoing war with Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Speaking to reporters upon his return to the Oval Office Monday, Trump urged Putin to seek a peace deal, emphasising the toll the prolonged conflict is taking on Russia.

“He should make a deal. I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal,” Trump stated. “I think Russia’s going to be in big trouble.”

Trump revealed that plans for a meeting with Putin are already underway, expressing optimism about the possibility of reaching a resolution.

Reflecting on his earlier interactions with the Russian leader, Trump said, “I got along with him great, I would hope he wants to make a deal.”

Commenting on the unexpected duration of the war, Trump remarked, “Most people thought that war would have been over in about one week, and now you’re into three years, right?”

He also noted the strain on Russia’s economy, including the impact of inflation.

Trump claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also interested in negotiating peace.

“Zelensky wants to make a deal,” he said, despite his previous criticisms of the Ukrainian leader.

During his campaign, Trump promised to swiftly end the conflict, even suggesting he could achieve peace within 24 hours of taking office.

Addressing reporters, he reiterated his determination, stating, “We’re going to try and get it done as quickly as possible. You know, the war with Ukraine and Russia should have never started.”

Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Senator Marco Rubio, echoed the sentiment for peace but emphasised the challenges of negotiations.

“Each side would have to concede something,” Rubio said while acknowledging Russia as “the aggressor” in the conflict.

IANS

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.

The plane was flying on Wednesday from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, when it turned toward Kazakhstan and crashed while making an attempt to land. There were 29 survivors.

In an official statement Saturday, the Kremlin said air defence systems were firing near Grozny on Wednesday due to a Ukrainian drone strike, but stopped short of saying one of these hit the plane.

On Friday, a US official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon.

AP

Moscow: President Vladimir Putin boasted that his military operation in Ukraine has strengthened Russia and denied that the ouster of key ally Bashar Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow’s prestige, as he held his annual news conference and call-in show Thursday.

He used the tightly choreographed event, which lasted for about 4.1/2 hours, to reinforce his authority and demonstrate a sweeping command of everything from consumer prices to military hardware.

He claimed that sending troops into Ukraine in 2022 has boosted Russia’s military and economic power. He also said that if he could go back in time, he “would have thought that such a decision should have been made earlier,” and Russia should have “prepared for it in advance and more thoroughly.”

“Russia has become much stronger over the past two or three years because it has become a truly sovereign country,” he said. “We are standing firm in terms of economy, we are strengthening our defence potential and our military capability now is the strongest in the world.”

Putin, who has held power for nearly a quarter-century and began another six-year term earlier this year, said the military was “advancing toward achieving our goals” in what he calls the special military operation in Ukraine.

In response to a question about a new hypersonic ballistic missile that Russia used for the first time last month to strike Ukraine, Putin scoffed at claims by some Western experts that it could be intercepted by NATO’s air defences.

He mockingly challenged Ukraine’s allies to a “high-tech duel,” suggesting that Moscow could give advance notice of a strike on Kyiv with the Oreshnik missile and see if the West could protect the city.

“Let them select a target, possibly in Kyiv, put their air defense assets there and we shall strike it with the Oreshnik,” he said with a dry smile. “Let’s see what happens.”

Putin calls general’s killing a security blunder  

Russia is making steady, if slow, advances in Ukraine, but has also suffered embarrassing setbacks. On Tuesday, Lt Gen Igor Kirillov was killed by a bomb planted outside his apartment building in Moscow — a brazen assassination claimed by Ukraine that brought the conflict once again to the streets of the Russian capital.

Putin described Kirillov’s killing as a “major blunder” of Russia’s security agencies, noting they should learn from it and improve their efficiency.

Moscow’s troops are also battling Ukrainian forces in the Russian region of Kursk, where they have launched an incursion. Asked when they would drive the Ukrainians out, Putin said “we will certainly kick them out” but wouldn’t say how long it would take”.

The show, which is broadcast live by state-controlled TV across Russia’s 11 time zones, usually is dominated by domestic issues, with journalists and ordinary citizens calling in to ask about soaring consumer prices and mortgages, paltry pensions and shortage of doctors. But the Russian leader is particularly watched for his answers on foreign affairs.

In a flourish typical of the marathon news conferences, he asked members of the audience to unfurl a banner presented to him by marines fighting in Kursk as he spoke about Ukraine.

Open to talks on Ukraine but reiterates Russia’s demands

Putin said he was open to possible talks with US President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to negotiate a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine.

“If we meet with Mr Trump, we will have things to discuss,” he said, without elaborating.

Putin said Russia is open for compromise in potential peace talks on Ukraine.

“Politics is the art of compromise,” he said. “We have always said that we are ready for both talks and compromises.” At the same time, Putin added that the talks should be based on “the situation on the ground” referring to some of the conditions he previously laid out.

Putin has previously demanded that Ukraine renounce its bid to join NATO and recognise Russia’s gains. Kyiv and the West have rejected those demands.

Putin says he’ll ask Assad about missing American

In his first comments on Assad’s downfall, Putin said that he hadn’t yet met the former Syrian ruler, whom he has given asylum in Moscow, but plans to. He said he will ask him about Austin Tice, an American journalist who vanished in Syria 12 years ago.

“We also can pose the question to people who control the situation on the ground in Syria,” Putin said, responding to a question from NBC’s Keir Simmons, who cited a letter he said Tice’s mother wrote to the Russian leader seeking assistance.

Moscow has sought to establish contacts with the rebels who ousted Assad to secure its diplomatic and military personnel in the country and try to extend the lease on its air and naval bases in the country.

“If we stay there, we will need to do something in the interests of the host country,” he said, adding that Moscow offered to use its Hemeimeen air base and a naval base in Tartus for humanitarian aid deliveries. “What those interests could be, what could we do for them is an issue to be thoroughly examined by both parties.”

But it’s unclear how much influence Russia will have in Syria. Assad’s fall has dealt it a painful blow since Russia has fought for nine years to prop him up in the country’s civil war.

Still, Putin denied the events had weakened Moscow, arguing it achieved its goal of destroying “terrorist” groups in Syria via an air campaign launched in support of Assad in 2015. He claimed that rebel groups that were fighting Assad have changed and the West is ready to establish ties with them.

“That means that our goals have been achieved,” Putin said.

He described Israel as the “main beneficiary” of Assad’s downfall, noting the deployment of Israeli troops in southern Syria. He voiced hope that Israel will eventually withdraw those forces but noted it is still building them up.

He noted the Syrian army offered little resistance to the opposition offensive and said Russia flew 4,000 Iranian troops from its Hemeimeem air base to Tehran.

Putin began the session by saying that Russia’s economy is on track to grow by nearly 4% this year. He acknowledged that consumer prices are high, with inflation at 9.3%, but insisted that the economic situation remains “stable”.

Putin declines to criticise Biden over pardon of his son

Putin dodged a question about abortion and pornography in Russia, as well as burying the body of Soviet Union founder Vladmir Lenin, which has been displayed in a mausoleum on Red Square for nearly a century.

Asked about President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter, to spare him a possible prison sentence for felony gun and tax convictions, Putin said he wouldn’t criticise the US leader.

“As for Biden, he’s a politician, and it’s always important which side prevails: political or human,” he said. “It turned out that there was more human in Biden. I wouldn’t condemn him for this.”

The annual show is as much spectacle as news conference. Journalists in the hall near the Kremlin wave colourful signs and placards to attract Putin’s attention.

Russian state media reported that ordinary citizens submitted more than 2 million questions ahead of the show.

AP 

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin may visit India next year as part of a laid down structure between the two countries for reciprocal annual visits by their leaders, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.

The two sides are looking at the possibility of the visit but nothing has been finalised yet, they said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the Russian President to visit India when the two leaders held talks in Moscow in July.

Earlier Tuesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a video interaction with senior Indian Editors referred to the strong bilateral relationship between India and Russia, and added Putin’s visit is on the cards. He did not give any specific dates or make a definitive announcement of the visit.

Prime Minister Modi visited Kazan in Russia last month to attend the BRICS summit.

The interaction was organised by the state-owned Sputnik news agency.

“We are looking forward to the visit. The dates will be mutually worked out soon,” Peskov said.

PTI

Moscow: India deserves to be included in the list of global superpowers as its economy is currently growing faster than in any other country, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Addressing the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi Thursday, Putin also said Russia is developing relations with India in all directions and there is a great degree of trust in bilateral ties.

“India should undoubtedly added to the list of superpowers, with its billion-and-a-half population, the fastest growth among all economies in the world, ancient culture and very good prospects for further growth,” he said.

Calling India a great country, Putin said: “We are developing relations with India in all directions. India is a great country, now the largest in terms of population: 1.5 billion people, plus 10 million every year. ”

He said India is leading the world in economic growth.

“Our vision of where and at what pace our relations will develop is based on today’s realities. The volume of our cooperation is increasing many times over, every year,” Putin was quoted by Russian news agency Tass as saying.

Putin added that the contacts between India and Russia in the security and defence sphere are developing.

“Look at how many types of Russian military equipment are in service with the Indian armed forces. There is a great degree of trust in this relationship. We don’t just sell our weapons to India; we design them jointly,” he said.

Putin named the BrahMos cruise missile project as an example.

“In fact, we made it [the missile] fit for use in three environments – in air, in sea and on land. These projects, conducted for the benefit of India’s security, are ongoing,” he said.

“This is widely known and no one has issues with that, but these projects demonstrate a high level of mutual trust and cooperation. So this what we will keep doing in the near term, and, I hope, will continue to do in the more distant future,” he said.

Putin acknowledged certain difficulties on the border between India and China, the agency reported.

However, he said wise and competent people who keep the future of their nations in mind, are searching for compromises and will eventually find them.

“If this approach continues to gain momentum, compromises can be found, and they will be found,” Putin said.

The ties between India and China nosedived following a fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

On October 21, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in New Delhi that an agreement had been finalised between India and China following negotiations over the past several weeks and that it would lead to a resolution of the issues that arose in 2020.

The agreement was firmed up on patrolling and disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, a breakthrough to end the over four-year standoff.

PTI

Kyiv: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged its allies to stop “watching” and take steps before North Koreans troops deployed in Russia reach the battlefield.

Zelenskyy raised the prospect of a preemptive Ukrainian strike on camps where the North Korean troops are being trained, and said Kyiv knows their location. But he said Ukraine can’t do it without permission from allies to use Western-made long-range weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia.

“But instead … America is watching, Britain is watching, Germany is watching. Everyone is just waiting for the North Korean military to start attacking Ukrainians as well,” Zelenskyy said in a post late Friday on the Telegram messaging app.

The Biden administration said Thursday that some 8,000 North Korean soldiers are now in Russia’s Kursk region near Ukraine’s border and are preparing to help the Kremlin fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days.

On Saturday, Ukraine’s military intelligence said that more than 7,000 North Koreans equipped with Russian gear and weapons had been transported to areas near Ukraine. The agency, known by its acronym GUR, said that North Korean troops were being trained at five locations in Russia’s Far East. It did not specify its source of information.

Also Read: Setting timeline for end of Ukraine war difficult: Putin

Western leaders have described the North Korean troop deployment as a significant escalation that could also jolt relations in the Indo-Pacific region, and open the door to technology transfers from Moscow to Pyongyang that could advance the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programme.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui met with her Russian counterpart in Moscow on Friday.

Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly said they need permission to use Western weapons to strike arms depots, airfields and military bases far from the border to motivate Russia to seek peace. In response, US defence officials have argued that the missiles are limited in number, and that Ukraine is already using its own long-range drones to hit targets farther into Russia.

Moscow has also consistently signalled that it would view any such strikes as a major escalation. President Vladimir Putin warned on Sept. 12 that Russia would be “at war” with the US and NATO states if they approve them.

AP 

Kazan: The Russia-Ukraine conflict should be resolved in a peaceful manner and India is ready to provide all possible cooperation towards it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday during his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Modi held bilateral talks with Putin hours after arriving in this central Russian city to attend the 16th BRICS summit.

In his televised opening remarks, the prime minister conveyed to the Russian leader that New Delhi “fully supports” the early return of peace and stability in the region.

Modi also said that his second visit to Russia in the last three months reflected “close” coordination and deep trust between the two countries.

“We are in constant touch on the issue of ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. As I said earlier, we believe that problems should be resolved in a peaceful manner,” the prime minister said.

“We fully support the early return of peace and stability. All our efforts give priority to humanity. India is ready to provide all possible cooperation in times to come,” he said.

“We have the opportunity to discuss all these issues,” he added.

The prime minister also referred to his summit talks with Putin in Moscow in July.

Our annual summit resulted in strengthening cooperation in every field, he said.

The prime minister congratulated Putin on Russia’s successful presidency of BRICS and said many countries want to join the grouping now.

Kazan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday reached the Russian city of Kazan to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The summit, themed ‘Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security’, will provide an important platform for world leaders to discuss key global issues.

“India values the close cooperation within BRICS which has emerged as an important platform for dialogue and discussion on issues concerning the global developmental agenda, reformed multilateralism, climate change, economic cooperation, building resilient supply chains, promoting cultural and people to people connect, among others. The expansion of BRICS with the addition of new members last year has added to its inclusivity and agenda for the global good,” PM Modi said in his departure statement Tuesday morning.

“Building upon the Annual Summit held in July 2024 in Moscow, my visit to Kazan will further reinforce the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia. I look forward to meeting other leaders from BRICS as well,” he added.

Besides participating in the summit, which will offer a valuable opportunity to assess the progress of initiatives launched by BRICS and to identify potential areas for future collaboration, the Prime Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries and invited leaders.

In the meetings in narrow and expanded formats, the BRICS leaders are expected to exchange views on current issues on the global and regional agenda, and discuss the three main areas of cooperation outlined by the Russian chairmanship – politics and security, economics and finance, and cultural and humanitarian contacts.

Particular attention will be paid to the issues of possible expansion of BRICS through the planned establishment of a new category of partner states for the unification.

During the summit, reports from the chairman of the New Development Bank, the Business Council, the Interbank Cooperation Mechanism, and the Women’s Business Alliance will also be heard.

The results of the discussion will be summarised in the Kazan Summit Declaration.

Wednesday, a meeting will be held in the ‘outreach/BRICS plus’ format with the participation of representatives from almost 40 countries. Among them are leaders of the CIS countries, delegations from many countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, as well as heads of executive bodies of a number of international organisations.

According to the Kremlin, it is planned to discuss current international problems with an emphasis on the aggravated situation in the Middle East and the interaction of the BRICS countries and the Global South in the interests of sustainable development.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold bilateral meetings with almost all leaders participating in the summit.

IANS

Washington: In the coming days, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be shaking hands with multiple world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, Turkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian.

They will all be in the Russian city of Kazan Tuesday for a meeting of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, defying predictions that the war in Ukraine and an international arrest warrant against Putin would turn him into a pariah.

The alliance, which aims to counterbalance the Western-led world order, initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, but started to rapidly expand this year. Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia joined in January; Turkiye, Azerbaijan and Malaysia formally applied, and a number of others expressed a desire to be members.

Russian officials already see it as a massive success. Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said 32 countries confirmed participation, and more than 20 will send heads of state.

Putin will hold around 20 bilateral meetings, Ushakov said, and the summit could turn into “the largest foreign policy event ever held” on Russian soil.

Optics and deals for the Kremlin

Analysts say the Kremlin wants both the optics of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with its global allies amid continued tensions with the West, as well as the practicality of negotiating deals with them to shore up Russia’s economy and its war effort. For the other participants, it’s a chance to amplify their voices and narratives.

“The beauty of BRICS is that it doesn’t put too many obligations on you,” says Alexander Gabuyev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre.

“There are not that many strings attached, really, to being part of BRICS. And at the same time, there might be interesting opportunities coming your way, including just having more face time with all of these leaders.”

For Putin, the summit is important personally because it shows the failure of Western efforts to isolate him, Gabuyev says.

The gathering will demonstrate at home and abroad that “Russia is really an important player that is leading this new group that will end the Western dominance -– that’s his personal narrative”, he says.

The Kremlin will be able to talk to major players like India and China about expanding trade and bypassing Western sanctions. India is an important market for Russian commodities, while China is where Moscow hopes to get its hands on dual-use and various military-related goods, Gabuyev says.

Russia also wants more countries participating in a payment system project that would be an alternative to the global bank messaging network SWIFT, allowing Moscow to trade with its partners without worrying about sanctions.

“The Russian idea is that if you create a platform where there is China, Russia, India Brazil and Saudi Arabia, many countries that are vital partners for the US, the US will not be ready to go after this platform and sanction it,” Gabuyev said.

Goals for Iran and China

Russia also is expected to sign a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty with Iran, bolstering the increasingly close ties between Moscow and Tehran.

After the invasion of Ukraine, Iran provided Moscow with hundreds of drones and helped launch their production in Russia. The Iranian drone deliveries, which Moscow and Tehran have denied, have allowed for a constant barrage of long-range drone strikes at Ukraine’s infrastructure.

Iran, in turn, wants sophisticated Russian weapons, like long-range air defense systems and fighter jets to help fend off a possible attack by Israel. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment when asked whether the treaty will include mutual military assistance.

For China, BRICS is among several international organisations -– along with the security-focused Shanghai Cooperation Organisation -– through which it seeks to promote an alternative to the US-led world order.

Xi pushed for enlarging BRICS, and the Kazan summit will consolidate economic, technological and military ties in the expanded bloc, said Willy Lam, a senior China fellow at the Jamestown Foundation.

Beijing and Moscow also want to see if a new international trading currency could “challenge so-called dollar hegemony”, Lam said.

The summit will allow Xi and Putin to flaunt their close relationship. The two, who announced a “no-limits” partnership only weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, already have met at least twice this year, in Beijing in May and at a SCO summit in Kazakhstan in July.

Although they will continue to present a united front, experts are watching for subtle signs of Xi distancing himself from Putin over the war.

“While Putin will want the China-Russia relationship to appear as good as ever, Xi may also want to signal to Western states and others that Beijing officially remains neutral’ in Russia’s war in Ukraine and is not a formal ally of Moscow,” said Eva Seiwert, a foreign policy and security expert with the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

“This will be crucial for conveying the image of China as a serious and legitimate peacemaker in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.”

Balancing acts for India and Turkiye

An expected Modi-Putin meeting could see some rebalancing of their ties. Western friends want India to be more active in persuading Moscow to end the war. Modi has avoided condemning Russia while emphasising a peaceful settlement.

New Delhi considers Moscow a time-tested partner from the Cold War, cooperating on defense, oil, nuclear energy, and space, despite Russia’s closer ties with India’s main rival, China.

Their meeting will be the second in months. Modi visited Russia in July, saw President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine in August and travelled to the US to see President Joe Biden in September.

“India can’t simply abandon Russia because of its deep defence ties, the question of the regional balance of power, and the logic of multi-alignment,” said Raja Mohan, a professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore.

“At the same time, it also builds and develops its relations with the US and the West because that is where the logic of India’s major economic development and technological growth depends on partnership.”

India and Brazil view BRICS primarily through an economic lens to promote a more equitable distribution of power in the international system, while “China and Russia see it more as a geopolitical forum”, said Chietigi Bajpayee, who studies South Asia at the Chatham House in London.

India and Brazil also don’t want to be “pulled into China’s gravitational orbit”, said Theresa Fallon of the Centre for Russia, Europe, Asia Studies.

Another key participant is Turkiye, which has applied to join the BRICS group. That comes at a time when the NATO member and European Union candidate is increasingly frustrated with the West. Turkiye’s EU membership talks have stalled since 2016 due to disputes with Cyprus and concerns over human rights.

Turkiye’s relations with Washington have been strained over its removal from the F-35 fighter jet programme after procuring a Russian missile defense system. Erdogan also has accused the US and other Western allies of alleged “complicity” in Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Membership in BRICS would help Erdogan “strengthen his own hand” at a time when ties with the West are at a low, said Gonul Tol, director of the US-based Middle East Institute’s Turkiye programme.

Middle powers like Turkiye “try to extract more from both camps by being in-between camps, by having one foot in each camp”, he said.

Moscow: Days ahead of the BRICS Summit in his country, Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday asserted that the grouping is not “anti-West”, but is just “non-West”, also recalling that this is member state India’s stand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on October 22-23 to attend the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan.

At an interaction with a group of foreign journalists here, Putin said the doors of BRICS were not closed to new members. He said as the grouping develops even the non-member countries will benefit economically.

He accused the United States of trying to stem development in China. “It’s like telling the sun not to rise,” he said.

Asked if there was a timeline for the war in Ukraine to end, Putin said setting one will be difficult and counterproductive. He said Russia will prevail.

AP 

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that a nuclear power supporting another country’s attack on Russia will be considered a participant in aggression under a new version of Moscow’s nuclear doctrine.

Speaking at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council that considered changes in the doctrine, Putin announced that a revised version of the document says that an attack against his country by a nonnuclear power with the support of a nuclear power will be seen as their “joint attack on the Russian Federation.” Putin didn’t specify whether the modified document envisages a nuclear response to such an attack.

The change in the doctrine, which spells out condition for the use of nuclear weapons, follows Putin’s warning to the U.S. and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range weapons for strikes on Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.

Since Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, he and other Kremlin voices have frequently threatened the West with Russia’s nuclear arsenal to discourage it from ramping up support for Kyiv.

The current doctrine says Moscow could use its nuclear arsenal “in response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it and/or its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy.”

The revised version of the document spells out conditions of nuclear weapons use in greater detail, noting they could be used in case of a massive air attack involving aircraft, cruise missiles or drones, he said.

AP

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree extending an embargo on agricultural products from Western countries for another two years, local media reported.

The embargo, which will run from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026, marks the first time the extension has exceeded one year, Xinhua news agency reported.

Originally enacted in August 2014 in retaliation for Western sanctions over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the ban affects products from the US, the EU, Australia, Norway, and Canada. The restrictions were later expanded to other European countries, including Ukraine.

It is reported that Putin has praised the import ban for spurring Russia’s agricultural growth.

Washington: The US Wednesday announced sweeping actions targeting Russian government-backed efforts to conduct a malign influence campaign in America, which included the sanctioning of 10 individuals and two entities, the seizure of 32 Internet domain names used in the operation and charges filed against two employees of RT, a Russian state-run media outlet previously called Russia Today.

The individuals designated included RT’s Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonova Simonyan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Elizaveta Yuryevna Brodskaia, and Anton Sergeyvich Anisimov, another RT Deputy Editor-in-Chief.

The indicted individuals were RT employees Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, 31, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27.

They had used a US company based in Tennessee to create and put out content intended to spread misinformation. That company was funded by RT, the US Department of Justice has alleged. They remain at large. These two individuals have been charged with violating a US law that requires foreign agents to register with the government for money laundering.

“The Justice Department is seizing 32 internet domains that the Russian government and Russian government-sponsored actors have used to engage in a covert campaign to interfere in and influence the outcome of our country’s elections,” Attorney General Merrick B Garland said.

“As alleged in our court filings, President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, including Sergei Kiriyenko, directed Russian public relations companies to promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 US presidential election,” he added.

Garland cited an internal planning document created by the Kremlin that stated that the goal of the campaign was to “secure Russia’s preferred outcome in the election.

The seized sites were “filled with Russian government propaganda that had been created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, bolster pro-Russian policies and interests, and influence voters in the US and other countries,” the Attorney General said.

Announcing the designation of 10 individuals and two entities, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, “Today’s action underscores the US government’s ongoing efforts to hold state-sponsored actors accountable for activities that aim to deteriorate public trust in our institutions.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “To counter Russia’s state-backed covert influence operations, the Department is acting to hinder malicious actors from using Kremlin-supported media as a cover to conduct such covert influence activities. The Department’s actions include introducing a new visa restriction policy, Foreign Missions Act determinations of RT’s parent company Rossiya Segodnya, and other subsidiaries RIA Novosti, RT, TV-Novosti, Sputnik and Ruptly, and announcing a Rewards for Justice offer.”

IANS

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit on 2 September to Mongolia, a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that has issued an arrest warrant against him since 2023, is yet another example of the waning influence of international institutions that were set up with the objective of keeping the world in order. Mongolia was bound to arrest Putin as mandated by the court’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute. The ICC has accused Putin of being responsible for the abduction of children from Ukraine, where a war of Russian aggression has raged for two and a half years. Instead, the Central Asian country rolled out a red carpet to welcome the Russian president, much to the chagrin of Ukraine and its Western allies.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry stated that Mongolia’s decision not to arrest Putin under an ICC warrant represents a “significant setback” for the international criminal law system. Heorhiy Tykhyi, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, remarked: “Mongolia has permitted a wanted criminal to escape justice, thus sharing in the responsibility for the war crimes.”

Mongolia, home to only 3.3 million residents yet vast in land area, has historically managed its foreign policy under the influence of Russia and China, with which it shares deep historical and economic connections. Of late, to enhance its autonomy from these dominant neighbours, Mongolia has sought to cultivate friendly relations with various “third neighbour” countries, such as the United States, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. This strategy aims to establish Mongolia as a unique player on the global stage, positioning it as a neutral venue for diplomatic discussions. However, Putin’s visit presented a challenge for the country as it navigates its commitments and alliances within the Western-led international order, which includes the ICC, while also striving to maintain amicable relations with its influential neighbours.

The Russian leader received a rousing reception in Ulaanbaatar’s main square, greeted by a guard of honour clad in striking red and blue uniforms inspired by the personal guards of Genghis Khan, the 13th-century founder of the Mongol Empire. Putin and Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa ascended the red-carpeted steps of the Government Palace and paid their respects at a statue of Genghis Khan before proceeding inside for their discussions. A small group of protesters attempted to display a Ukrainian flag prior to the ceremony but were escorted away by the police, while a few demonstrators held posters that read: “Get war criminal Putin out of here.”

Prior to his visit, Ukraine had urged Mongolia to surrender Putin to the court in The Hague, even as the European Union voiced concerns that the Central Asian country might not carry out the warrant. Anyways, the ICC does not possess a robust enforcement mechanism, and member states may be exempt from making arrests if it conflicts with specific treaty obligations or diplomatic immunity granted to another party.

Putin’s undeterred visit highlights the limited ability that global bodies have to hold Moscow, or for that matter any violators of international laws, accountable for crimes against humanity. Similar has been the impact of the hordes of sanctions imposed on Russia. Following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US, UK and the EU, along with nations such as Australia, Canada, and Japan, have imposed over 16,500 sanctions against Russia. Yet, the Russian war machine continues ravaging innocent lives. This once again demonstrates the toothless tiger status that international laws and sanctions have gained for themselves. Such events will make their implementation even more difficult in future.

Washington: US President Joe Biden has commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ‘message of peace’ and ‘humanitarian support’ for Ukraine, as they discussed his historic visit to Kyiv and the prospects for the early return of peace through dialogue and diplomacy.

The phone conversation between Biden and Modi Monday, initiated by the US president, came three days after Modi paid a high-profile visit to Kyiv during which he told President Zelenskyy that Ukraine and Russia should sit together to end the war and that India was ready to play an “active role” to restore peace.

In a post on ‘X’, Biden said, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi to discuss his recent trip to Poland and Ukraine, and commended him for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine.”

“We also affirmed our commitment to working together to contribute to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Biden said.

This was the first call between the two leaders after Modi’s trip to Russia, Poland and Ukraine and the recent political developments in Bangladesh.

The White House readout of the call had no reference to Bangladesh, which was mentioned in an ‘X’ post by Prime Minister Modi.

Modi’s nearly nine-hour visit to Ukraine, the first by an Indian prime minister since its independence in 1991, came six weeks after he held summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that triggered anguish in some Western capitals.

The White House, in a readout of the call, said the two leaders discussed Modi’s recent trip to Poland and Ukraine, as well as the United Nations General Assembly meetings in September.

“The President commended the prime minister for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian prime minister in decades, and for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine, including its energy sector,” it said.

Biden and Modi affirmed their continued support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict under international law, based on the UN Charter.

“The leaders also emphasised their continued commitment to work together, including through regional groups like the Quad, to contribute to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” the White House said.

Meanwhile. commenting on Biden’s telephonic conversation with Modi, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said, “I think it’s safe to say they certainly talked about Ukraine and the Prime Minister’s trip to Kyiv and the prospects for moving forward under President Zelenskyy’s plan for a just peace.

“We welcome any other country that wants to help President Zelenskyy work towards this just peace,” he said.

“And any country that’s willing to come at that discussion by starting with President Zelenskyy’s perspective, by hearing him out, by signing on to that proposal — and I won’t speak for India and what they’re signing on to or not; that’s for the Prime Minister and his team to talk to,” he said.

Kirby said the US certainly welcomes any nation that is willing to be helpful and to start that conversation by ascribing to President Zelenskyy’s just peace proposal and getting his perspectives.

Earlier, in a post on X, Modi said that during the call with Biden, they had a detailed exchange of views on various regional and global issues, including the situation in Ukraine.

“I reiterated India’s full support for early return of peace and stability,” the prime minister said.

Moreover, Modi said that he and Biden also discussed the ongoing situation in Bangladesh and stressed the need for the early restoration of normalcy and ensuring the safety and security of minorities, especially Hindus.

Following the unfolding political developments in Bangladesh, India has been consistently pressing to ensure the safety and security of minorities, especially Hindus, in the neighbouring country.

PTI

Kyiv: Russian troops are fighting Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region on the third day of one of the largest cross-border incursions of the war, the Russian Defence Ministry said Thursday.

A ministry statement said the Russian military and border guards have blocked Ukrainian forces from advancing deeper into Kursk region in southwest Russia and that the army is attacking Ukrainian combatants who are trying to advance on the area from Ukraine’s Sumy region.

“Attempts by individual units to break through deep into the territory in the Kursk direction are being suppressed,” the ministry said.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said that as of Wednesday, Ukrainian troops had advanced as much as 10 km (6 miles) into Russian territory, but that information wasn’t confirmed. Ukrainian officials haven’t commented on the scope of the operation around the town of Sudzha.

“The enemy has not advanced a single meter, on the contrary, it is retreating. The enemy’s equipment and combat forces are being actively destroyed. We hope that in the near future…the enemy will be stopped,” the Kursk region’s acting deputy governor Andrei Belostotsky said Thursday, according to state news agency RIA-Novosti.

Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday described the incursion as a “large-scale provocation”.

Putin met with his top defence and security officials to discuss what he called the “indiscriminate shelling of civilian buildings, residential houses, ambulances with different types of weapons”. He instructed the Cabinet to coordinate assistance to the Kursk region. The fighting is about 500 km (320 miles) from Moscow.

Army chief of staff Valery Gerasimov told Putin at the meeting via video link that about 100 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the battle and more than 200 others were wounded, Russian news agencies reported.

The Ukrainian shelling, meanwhile, killed at least two people — a paramedic and an ambulance driver — and wounded 24 others, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement Wednesday.

It wasn’t possible to independently verify the Russian claims. Disinformation and propaganda have played a central role in the war, now in its third year. John Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesman, declined to comment on the operation and said the Biden administration has reached out to the Ukrainians to better understand what happened.

The cross-border foray would be among Ukraine’s largest since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb 24, 2022, and unprecedented for its deployment of Ukrainian military units.

Kyiv’s aim could be to draw Russian reserves to the area, potentially weakening Moscow’s offensive operations in several parts of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces have increased attacks and are advancing gradually toward operationally significant gains.

But it could risk stretching outmanned Ukrainian troops further along the front line, which is more than 1,000 km (620 miles) long.

Even if Russia were to commit reserves to stabilise the new front, given its vast manpower and the relatively small number of Ukrainian forces engaged in the operation, it would likely have little long-term impact.

However, the operation could boost Ukrainian morale at a time when Kyiv’s forces are facing relentless Russian attacks and are expected to face more in coming weeks.

Several Ukrainian brigades stationed along the border region said that they couldn’t comment. Ukraine’s Defence Ministry and General Staff said that they wouldn’t comment.

Russian forces have swiftly repelled previous cross-border incursions, but not before they caused damage and embarrassed authorities.

Responsibility for previous incursions into Russia’s Belgorod and Bryansk regions has been claimed by two murky groups: the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion, which are made up of Russian citizens and have fought alongside Ukrainian forces.

Some Russian war bloggers who have proved knowledgeable about the war said that Ukrainian soldiers were in Kursk.

Rybar, a Telegram channel run by Mikhail Zvinchuk, a retired Russian Defence Ministry press officer, said that Ukrainian troops had seized three settlements in the region and continued to fight their way deeper in. It also said that Ukrainian forces captured the Sudzha gas transit station, about 8 km (5 miles) from the border. Russian officials haven’t confirmed the gains.

Another pro-Kremlin military blog, Two Majors, claimed that Ukrainian troops had advanced up to 15 km (9 miles) into the region.

Neither claim could be independently verified.

The Kursk region’s border with Ukraine is 245 km (150 miles) long, making it possible for saboteur groups to launch swift incursions and capture some ground before Russia deploys reinforcements.

PTI