India Narrative

  The liberation of Donbass region in southeastern Ukraine remains the "ultimate goal" of Moscow's ongoing 'special military operation', Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Ashgabat Wednesday evening. After wrapping up his visit to Tajikistan, Putin travelled to Turkmenistan's capital city to participate in the 6th Caspian Summit. The Presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan also took part in the meeting of the heads of state of the Caspian Five. On the sidelines of the event, Putin told reporters that everything was going "according to plan" in Ukraine. "The ultimate goal I have outlined is the liberation of Donbass, the protection of these people and the creation of conditions that would guarantee the security of Russia itself. That's all. The work is going smoothly, rhythmically. As you can see, the troops are moving and reaching those lines that are set as a task at a certain stage of this combat work," he sa

The first Eurasian Economic Forum kicks off in Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek on Thursday as Russia battles unprecedented sanctions amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine which is having much wider ramifications not just in the region but all over the world. The Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, will be meeting in the backdrop of Moscow vowing to raise cooperation with post-Soviet states located in the region to a "qualitatively new level of allied relations" to counter a wide range of "modern challenges and threats". Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak at the plenary session virtually and share his views on 'Eurasian economic integration in an era of global change - New opportunities for investment activity'. Read more

The Russian-controlled administration in southern Ukraine's Kherson region has once again reiterated its intention of joining Russia and also urged Moscow to establish its permanent military base to guarantee full security. Kirill Stremousov, Deputy Head of the military-civilian administration of the region, has said Kherson will not "rush to a referendum" since its results "will not be recognised by Western countries anyway". The integration into the Russian Federation, he told the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti on Tuesday, would be gradual after establishing a peaceful life on the territory. The Russian language will also be given the status of a state language along with Ukrainian in the due course. "According to our plan for integration into the Russian Federation, we must complete the process of transition to all standards of Russian legislation by the end of the year, and only then we can decide on a referendum and our future status,"

Russia has slammed the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to hold a special session on Thursday to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine "stemming from the Russian aggression". The special session will be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and is being convened according to an official request submitted by Ukraine and supported so far by 53 States. Moscow said on Tuesday that the special session highlights another anti-Russian approach of the “collective West” on the situation in Ukraine. Late Tuesday, the UN General Assembly elected Czech Republic to the 47-member Human Rights Council following Russia's suspension from the body over the Ukraine conflict. "As a justification for the need to hold it, Westerners cite the argument about the 'degradation of the situation on earth', as well as the fakes they themselves disseminated about the events in Bucha and Mariupol. At the same time, the crimes committed b

Calling it a tough decision for his country, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said that phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict will "take time" and that Tokyo has no plans as of now to back out from large oil and gas extraction projects with Moscow in the Russian Far East. Kishida made the comment in Tokyo on Monday morning, only a few hours after attending the Group of Seven (G7) Summit video conference which lasted for about 70 minutes from midnight (Japan time).   The meeting was held at the behest of Germany, which holds the G7 presidency this year, and was attended by the leaders of G7 countries and also the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a joint statement released today, the G7 leaders committed to phase out dependency on Russian energy, including by phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil in "timely and orderly fashion", and in ways that provide time for the world to secure altern

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that "despite Kyiv's inconsistency and unpreparedness for serious work", Moscow is still open to dialogue to resolve the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.   In a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday evening, Putin also accused the European Union member states of ignoring the "war crimes" of the Ukrainian security forces. This was the first interaction between the two leaders after Macron was re-elected as head of state after his victory in the recent presidential elections. Both Presidents have exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine several times since February 24, the day Russia began its 'special military operation' in the neighbouring country. As Putin congratulated Macron on his election triumph, he detailed the course of the military operation, including the liberation of Mariupol and the evacuation of civilians "held by the nationalists" at the Azovstal plant i

Russia said on Monday that its armed forces continue to strike important military infrastructure of Ukraine with high-precision missiles, including the Iskander-M which destroys air and missile defence systems as well as other important objects at a distance of up to 500 km. Releasing a video on the operation today, the Russian Defence Ministry showed how the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system destroys an entire battery of Smerch multiple launch rocket systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a high-precision strike. "Intelligence calculated the positions of the rocket artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the sky, an unmanned aerial vehicle controls the target. At a distance of hundreds of kilometers from the enemy, 'Iskander-M' hits the enemy in the heart. In place of the explosion, a sea of fire and a column of smoke. Dozens of destroyed strategic facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already been accounted for by such complexes," sai

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Kyiv should take "political responsibility" for the Ukrainian servicemen and "militants of the nationalist battalions" blocked on the territory of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, the strategic  port city in southeastern Ukraine. Discussing the situation in detail, and especially in and around the key port on the Sea of Azov, Putin told Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone conversation today that Mariupol has been liberated and there were no military operations there. "As for the Ukrainian servicemen and militants of the nationalist battalions blocked on the territory of the Azovstal plant, the Kyiv authorities should take political responsibility and, guided by humane considerations, order them to lay down their arms. Prisoners of war are guaranteed life, medical care and treatment in accordance with international legal standards," said the Kremlin.   Quoting Denis Pushilin, the head o

The United States is working closely with its Allies to provide longer-range anti-aircraft, artillery and coastal defence systems as part of its military assistance to Ukraine which it says is having a "critical impact" in the ongoing conflict with Russia.     Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, said on Monday that the Ukrainians are "effectively defending themselves" with US-produced air defence systems and anti-tank systems, such as Stingers and Javelins, as well as radar systems that give early warning and target data, and multiple other types of arms and munitions. "The administration is working around the clock to fulfill Ukraine's main security assistance requests — delivering weapons from US stocks where they are available and facilitating the delivery of weapons by Allies where Allied systems better suit Ukraine's needs. This is happening at what the Pentagon has described at an unprecedented pace," said Sullivan at a briefing

For the West to build pressure on India to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine as some kind of a political and moral obligation for a democracy is a brazenly manipulative exercise. If western democracies genuinely believe that all democratic countries have an obligation to band together against Russia on this issue shows how much they have become prisoners of their own rhetoric and are incapable of seeing the incongruities in their position. If, on the other hand, they are aware that they themselves have not adhered to the principle that they now espouse in the case of Russia, it denotes outright cynicism bred by a sense of unaccountable power. India, which has been a democracy since 1947, has not received any special consideration on the political economic and security fronts from the West. On the contrary, it has been subject to decades of sanctions in the strategic nuclear, space and high technology areas. It was pushed toward a close relationship with the Soviet Union in the

The developing confrontation between the West and Russia on the Ukraine issue does not serve India’s interests. We have very friendly ties with the US, Europe and Russia and would prefer not take sides. This would require very deft diplomacy on our part. India is now an important global player and both sides will be watching the position India takes. The US will want some show of support for its position, while Russia will want us to take an independent position and not succumb to US pressure. For India an actual military conflict will be most undesirable because its international repercussions will be grave and cushioning against them by us will be most difficult. The US and the EU are issuing repeated warnings at the highest level that in case Russia invades Ukraine it will face sanctions of unprecedented severity. Russia has already been subject to severe sanctions in recent years and seems to have absorbed them so far without excessive difficulty. It has warned the West that the ne

  Rejecting war as an option, India has raised its voice for a peaceful resolution of the situation in and around Ukraine, saying that "quiet and constructive diplomacy" is the need of the hour. Making a statement at Thursday's United Nations Security Council briefing on the implementation of the 2015 Minsk agreements, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, T S Tirumurti said that any steps that increase tension may best be avoided by all sides in the larger interest of securing international peace and security. "India has been in touch with all concerned parties. It is our considered view that the issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue," said the Ambassador. "India's interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long-term peace and stability in the region and beyond," he added. Tiru

  While war clouds are apparently hovering over a segment of the Russia-Ukraine border, threatening a broader conflict, Dr. Valentin Yakushik, a Professor at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev tells geopolitical analyst Aditi Bhaduri that “there will be no war now between Russia and Ukraine”. In a freewheeling interview, exclusively with India Narrative, Dr. Yakushik also discusses the role of the United States in the crisis and prospects of peace. Excerpts of the interview: Walk us through what the current situation is like on the Russian-Ukrainian border.   The situation at the Russian-Ukrainian border now is “as usual” – quite peaceful. One can see a lot of people moving from one country to another. Trade is “as usual”; people, cars, buses, trucks and freight waggons go back and forth, though under some restrictive measures (on both sides) connected with the declared “COVID-19 pandemic”, and taking into account that the Ukrainian side has sto

  The developing crisis over Ukraine and the uncertainties of conflict that lie ahead provide an occasion to reflect on the historical role of Europe in disturbing peace, engendering conflicts, violating human rights worldwide and building its prosperity on colonial and imperial excesses. European rivalries triggered two devastating world wars in the 20th century. Even before that, European history is full of conflicts within Europe and those generated by colonial rivalries abroad. Terrible atrocities were committed by the Europeans against other races, including slave trade. Aboriginal populations were destroyed in many continents. The process of burying European rivalries in structures of European unity exemplified by the European Union has been projected as an emblematic success in overcoming history and making Europe a haven of peace, with pooling of sovereignty and developing a new international vocation of promoting human rights and liberal values across the world as weapons of i