The Last Waltz. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre, right) being welcomed by his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif (centre, left), at the airport in Lahore, Pakistan, December 25, 2015 In the world of diplomacy, optics do matter, and therefore, the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s caustic remarks about what he hopes to achieve — or …
Afghanistan’s isolation is crumbling. India should think up big ideas
My article in Deccan Herald dated October 8, 2024: “October 4 marks a turning point not only for the Taliban government but regional security as well, as Moscow expects that the Taliban will never allow foreign military bases in its country — echoing a consistent Indian demand. READ MORE…
Russia aligns with Iran, war clouds scatter
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (L) met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tehran, July 19, 2022 Israel has apparently shelved its planned attack on Iran. A combination of circumstances can be attributed to this retreat, which rubbishes Israel’s own high-pitched rhetoric that it was raring to go. Despite Israel’s brilliant media management, reports …
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West Asian crisis prompts Biden to break ice with Putin
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) met Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin (L), Tehran, October 30, 2024 The US president Joe Biden sprang a surprise during a press gaggle with reporters outside the White House on Thursday when he essentially didn’t rule out a potential meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the upcoming summits …
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The fog of war is lifting in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and former US President Donald Trump met on September 27, 2024 in New York The alignments of the endgame in the Ukraine conflict are surfacing as never before. If much remains in the realm of speculation still, that is largely due to the inflection point concerning the outcome of the …
Zelensky’s Victory Plan is his survival kit
President Volodymyr Zelensky presents (L) Hero of Ukraine award to military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov, Kiev, FEB. 9, 2024 Strana, one of the top online newspapers in Ukraine, which is banned in Russia since 2022, reported on Friday that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is planning to dismiss Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the powerful military …
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US-India: It’s a chicken and egg situation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump (AFP file photo) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term in office is a legacy term marked by his ‘coming of age’ — taking bold decisions in foreign policies. Hardly has the dust settled down on Modi’s controversial decision to visit Kiev as peacemaker even as the …
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India’s military support to Israel is a hideous mistake
My column in the Deccan Herald newspaper on India’s fractured West Asian policies: Deccan Herald, September 18, 2024 India’s military support to Israel is a hideous mistake Doesn’t the government realise that this is adding to the growing perception internationally that the current government is ‘Islamophobic’ and ‘anti-Muslim’? M K Bhadrakumar It came as a …
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Ukraine war turns into Russian roulette
An RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft carrying two Storm Shadow missiles under the fuselage. Photo: UK Ministry of Defence The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with the US President Joe Biden in the White House on Friday with the question of the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine to hit deep inside Russia on their …
Manipur escalation draws attention to Myanmar
Arakan Army troops pose in front of the Central Navy Seal Training Center after seizing it, Rakhine, Myanmar, Sept 5, 2024 The sharp escalation by the Kuki militants in Manipur has shaken up the Indian establishment but the ensuing jingoistic outcry in sections of the media demands a muscular approach to addressing the problem of …
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