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U.S. President Donald Trump sharply escalated tensions with European allies on Tuesday, lashing out at countries that have refused to support the war against Iran even as several governments moved to block military cooperation amid growing legal and economic concerns.  In posts on Truth Social, Trump criticised allies including the United Kingdom and France, telling countries struggling with fuel shortages to “go get your own oil” from the Gulf and suggesting they should “ just TAKE IT ” from the Strait of Hormuz, remarks that further rattled already volatile energy markets.  Image Via: @coinbureau on X His comments came as France blocked Israeli aircraft carrying military supplies from using its airspace, Italy denied U.S. bombers landing access in Sicily, and Spain reaffirmed it would not permit U.S. use of its bases, with Madrid declaring it would not “accept lectures from anyone.”  While the U.K. has allowed U.S. use of its bases despite calling the war illegal, ...

U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that the United States “ does not need the help of anyone ” in its ongoing war against Iran, even as NATO allies declined to participate militarily and European leaders publicly distanced themselves from the conflict, exposing a widening transatlantic rift at a moment of escalating global energy disruption. Photo Via: Vice President Vance Speaking during a bilateral meeting on March 17, Trump said that while “all of our NATO allies were very much in favor of what we did” and “ agreed fully ” that Iran posed a nuclear threat, “ they don’t want to help us ,” adding that “we don’t need too much help and we don’t need any help actually.”  He further asserted that the war had been “long prosecuted” and that U.S. forces had “wiped out their navy, wiped out their military in every aspect,” claiming Iran now had “no air force, no navy… no radar, their anti-aircraft machinery is gone.” The remarks followed an earlier public statement in which T...

Russia may stop supplying oil and gas to Europe ahead of planned EU restrictions , President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, and warned that the escalating war in the Middle East is already disrupting global energy logistics and driving oil prices sharply higher. Speaking at a meeting with senior Russian energy officials and industry executives, Putin said the government had been instructed to evaluate the possibility of halting energy exports to the European market rather than waiting for new European Union restrictions to take effect. File Photo of Russian Prez Vladimir Putin; Via: MFA Russia   “The government has already been tasked with assessing the possibility and advisability of stopping supplies of our energy resources to the European market,” Putin said, and referred to EU plans to impose additional limits on Russian hydrocarbons starting April 25 , with proposals that could culminate in a complete ban by 2027 . Putin suggested Russia could redirect those volumes towa...

Over the crucial week in February 2026 that hosted AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of high-level meetings with leaders from Europe, South Asia, Central Asia and Latin America, using the convergence in New Delhi to deepen trade alignments, technology partnerships and strategic supply-chain cooperation in an increasingly multipolar world. Representational Image; Via PM NaMo Across the week, Modi met leaders from Sri Lanka, Slovakia, Greece, Switzerland, Estonia, Croatia, Bhutan, Serbia, Kazakhstan and Finland, as well as UN Secretary-General António Guterres, while also hosting Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and earlier welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron during his February 17–19 visit.  The clustering of meetings underscored how technology diplomacy, trade realignment and supply-chain resilience are converging in India’s external engagement strategy. On February 20, Modi met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara...

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement signed on January 27 , laeblling it a “wholesale surrender” of the country’s economic interests to European powers and a move that will primarily benefit elites at the cost of Indian workers, farmers and small producers. In a scathing statement, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said the deal entails drastic tariff cuts across key sectors, including automobiles, steel, pharmaceuticals, wines and spirits, processed foods, and meat.  Representational Image via CPIMSpeaks Under the agreement, India will reduce or eliminate tariffs on over 90% of goods imported from the EU. The CPI(M) highlighted specific tariff reductions: from 110% to 40% on automobiles, 150% to 40% on wines and spirits, 50% to zero on processed foods, 11% to zero on pharmaceuticals, and 22% to zero on iron and steel. “These cuts will devastate India’s domestic industries,” the party said.  “The EU itself projects t...

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday described the newly concluded India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as a “strategic choice” that will create one of the world’s largest trading zones, combining two economic blocs representing 2 billion people and 25% of global GDP. Image Source: Indian PM NaMo Speaking at the EU-India Business Forum alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, von der Leyen called the agreement a “new era” for global trade that prioritizes “cooperation over fragmentation.”  The FTA, which will lower tariffs, simplify customs processes, and provide stable market access, comes after nearly two decades of negotiations and is expected to unlock significant economic opportunities for both sides. “European companies already employ more than 3 million people in India. In ten years, trade in goods between Europe and India has nearly doubled to €120 billion.  Now this agreement will unleash ev...

India and the European Union formally concluded negotiations for a historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) during the 16th India–EU Summit in New Delhi on January 27, 2026. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President António Costa during the EU leaders’ official visit to India. The FTA marks the largest and most ambitious trade deal ever signed by India, covering over 99% of Indian exports by trade value and establishing preferential access to the European market for a broad range of goods and services. Image Source: Kaja Kallas The agreement follows years of negotiations, which resumed in 2022 after being suspended in 2013. It aims to integrate the world’s fourth-largest and second-largest economies, together accounting for 25% of global GDP, and create a combined market of two billion people.  The FTA is designed as a modern, rules-based framework that provides certainty for businesses, ...

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with ambassadors from all 27 European Union countries ahead of the high-level state visit by European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen later this month.  The visit will coincide with India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations and the 16th India-EU Summit, where both sides are expected to finalise a historic free trade agreement and deepen cooperation on security and strategic matters. Image Source: EAM Jaishankar In a post following his meeting with EU envoys, Jaishankar described the conversation as an opportunity to take stock of a rapidly evolving global environment.  “Spoke to them about the current state of the world with volatility and instability as the new normal,” he wrote on X.  “Made a case for stronger India-EU relations that will: derisk the world economy by cooperating on resilient supply chains; reassure the international community by providing public goods...

The European Union and India are poised to sign a landmark free trade agreement during the 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi on January 27, a deal expected to create a combined market of two billion people and account for nearly 25% of global GDP.  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the development at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, calling the agreement “the mother of all deals.”  Image Source: Pan European Foundation She said the pact would give the EU a first-mover advantage with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and reflect a strategic pivot toward Asia in light of deepening trade uncertainty with the United States. Von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa are scheduled to travel to India later this week to serve as chief guests at Republic Day celebrations and co-chair the summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  Talks for the free trade agreement — first launched in 2007 and suspended in 2...

European leaders have condemned US President Donald Trump’s threat to seize Greenland, warning that the continent stands at a critical juncture as Trump doubles down on his vow to bring the Arctic island under US control.  Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Trump of "useless aggressivity" and warned against "new imperialism or new colonialism," after the US president said there was "no going back" on the Greenland takeover. Image Source: Louis Duclos on X Trump has threatened 10% tariffs on key European economies—including France, Germany, the UK, and Scandinavia—unless they withdraw opposition to US control over Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory.  In a provocative social media post, he shared digitally altered images depicting the US flag planted in Greenland, declaring the island a “US territory est. 2026.” Macron criticised the use of trade threats as leverage against territorial sovereignt...

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni projected a careful balance between major powers during her New Year’s press conference on 9 January 2026, positioning Italy as a pragmatic actor navigating intensifying US-Russia tensions.  While the US military action in Venezuela drew strong condemnation from much of the international community—including sharp statements from India and UN leadership—Meloni refrained from aligning unequivocally with Washington. Instead, she focused on protecting Italian national interests and reaffirmed a preference for multilateral diplomacy. Image Source: GreenpeaceItalia Responding to questions about the continued detention of Italian nationals in Venezuela, Meloni confirmed that her government had worked “daily” over the past 400 days using “political, diplomatic and intelligence channels.”  She welcomed the unilateral decision by Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez to release Biagio Pilieri and expressed “confidence” about further releases....

✍️ Written by Saket Suman In a development likely to intensify global scrutiny over energy trade during wartime, a new dataset analyzed by German NGO Urgewald reveals that European Union member states funneled an estimated €7.2 billion to Russia in 2025 alone through imports from the Yamal LNG project.  The findings, backed by Kpler shipping data and released today, show that 76.1% of Yamal LNG exports, roughly one in every seven ships docking at European LNG terminals, were destined for the EU. File Photo; via FNNG Alliance This revelation carries sharp geopolitical consequences. With the EU having committed to a full ban on Russian LNG by 2027, the 2025 data illustrates a contradiction between stated policy and actual practice.  Despite a reduction in overall volumes, the EU’s proportional dependence on Yamal gas has deepened, and it casts doubts on Europe’s enforcement of sanctions amid Russia’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In an exc...

A series of coordinated signals from global leaders offer a telling glimpse into the shifting diplomatic, ideological, and geopolitical tectonics shaping our world at the dawn of the new year. At the center of it all are themes that intersect national destiny with global anxieties—sovereignty, unity, history, and the contested promise of peace. Represntational: Old Persian carpet from Iran depicting the geopolitics of Europe; Via: VintageMapStore In China, President Xi Jinping’s New Year address struck a note of national confidence . Framing 2025 as the closing chapter of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, Xi emphasized milestones in economic modernization , scientific breakthroughs, and technological innovation. From asteroid missions and AI advancements to the commissioning of a new aircraft carrier, his tone mirrored an assertive vision of self-reliance.  But this technological momentum was not detached from cultural revitalization. Xi wove in references to the popularity of Chin...

A New Year celebration at one of Europe’s most exclusive ski resorts turned into tragedy in the early hours of January 1, 2026, when a fire tore through a crowded bar in Crans-Montana, killing dozens and injuring over 100 others, according to Swiss police and emergency officials. The incident, which occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time at the Constellation lounge bar, has prompted a state of emergency across the Valais canton, while investigators continue efforts to determine the cause of the blaze. At least 40 have been killed in a deadly fire at Crans-Montana Ski Resort. Via: World Source News The bar, located in the heart of the alpine resort known for its elite clientele and panoramic views stretching from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc, was filled with partygoers celebrating the arrival of the new year.  Witnesses reported that the fire erupted rapidly after sparklers mounted on champagne bottles came dangerously close to the ceiling, igniting flammable materials above...