Jaishankar has surely realised that Russians are hardly a junior partner of the Chinese, a phrase much used in Central Asia, where Russia & China struggle for influence.
Reports from Bangladesh speak of an atmosphere of fear, nervousness and resistance. Democracy has been more or less inverted—meaning the bad guys are more popular than the good guys.
There is no real contradiction between India’s anti-Israel vote at the UN and its strong, public support for Israel. Both are simply different sides to the same, evolving story.
PM Narendra Modi’s video message described the “vision of connectivity” with Sri Lanka that goes beyond the boat. It includes digital payments, fintech, and a joint energy grid.
India was so confident about Ibrahim Solih and to decapitate Abdulla Yameen’s pro-China agenda that it forgot to take the others along in the Maldives.
The lessons of earlier American regime-change efforts should be obvious. The dismantling of Iran’s regime could lead to the breakdown of state authority and the rise of warlords.
Major energy infrastructure is in the crosshairs of the conflict, raising risks of the biggest shock since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Qatar’s largest LNG plant remains shut, fuelling supply fears.
Sinking of the ship has raised eyebrows in the Indian defence and security establishment. Lankan navy has recovered several bodies, believed to be of crew members.
The Pakistani political leadership is weak and devoid of any intellect. Its diplomacy is entirely India-China-US focused and suffers from a presumptive view of Afghanistan as a vassal.
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