‘Mother kept pouring water in our eyes whenever the burning became unbearable. She pushed our bodies deep into the blanket, making sure not a single part was exposed,’ my father said.
December oil imports from Russia may drop nearly 50%, but Indian buyers already shifting to non-designated Russian entities and opaque trading channels to keep Russian oil flowing.
The helicopters produced by Lockheed Martin are known as ‘submarine hunters’. India ordered 24 of these aircraft in 2020 to replace the Sea King helicopters. 15 have been delivered till date.
The India-South Africa series-defining fact is the catastrophic decline of Indian red ball cricket where a visiting team can mock us with the 'grovel' word.
President Putin has his own set of grievances against the United States, which he articulates forcefully. Unilateral action in Afghanistan, Iraq; also Libya, which he felt could lead to similar chaos in Syria. On Crimea and Ukraine, he believes Russia was defending core interests, with NATO not respecting its post 1991 assurances not to breathe down Russia’s neck. On interference in the internal politics of a rival, he is convinced a foreign hand is at work in Russia. Difficult for a lay observer to judge which side is being completely truthful. 2. The new Cold War is not good for the two adversaries and for Europe. Countries like Germany have scaled back defence spending from almost 3% of GDP in 1991 to 1.2% now. A greying Continent with an expensive social security net requires its peace dividend. What Russia could hope to gain from interference in the US election process remains hazy, considering that any hostile act shows up on American screens. The strong bipartisan consensus against Russia and its ruling elite show that Russian foreign policy is not working / successful. 3. The two Presidents need to meet more often and attempt a genuine outreach. At a time when US commitment to its closest friends and allies in Europe and Asia is weakening – one cannot judge if President Trump alone is responsible or other longer term trends are at work – it is also in the EU’s interests to attempt to repair the relationship with Russia.
President Putin has his own set of grievances against the United States, which he articulates forcefully. Unilateral action in Afghanistan, Iraq; also Libya, which he felt could lead to similar chaos in Syria. On Crimea and Ukraine, he believes Russia was defending core interests, with NATO not respecting its post 1991 assurances not to breathe down Russia’s neck. On interference in the internal politics of a rival, he is convinced a foreign hand is at work in Russia. Difficult for a lay observer to judge which side is being completely truthful. 2. The new Cold War is not good for the two adversaries and for Europe. Countries like Germany have scaled back defence spending from almost 3% of GDP in 1991 to 1.2% now. A greying Continent with an expensive social security net requires its peace dividend. What Russia could hope to gain from interference in the US election process remains hazy, considering that any hostile act shows up on American screens. The strong bipartisan consensus against Russia and its ruling elite show that Russian foreign policy is not working / successful. 3. The two Presidents need to meet more often and attempt a genuine outreach. At a time when US commitment to its closest friends and allies in Europe and Asia is weakening – one cannot judge if President Trump alone is responsible or other longer term trends are at work – it is also in the EU’s interests to attempt to repair the relationship with Russia.