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In a coordinated front emerging from London, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and leaders from Ukraine, the UK, France, and Germany signaled both urgency and clarity as Ukraine’s war with Russia enters what all sides agree could be a decisive phase.  With indirect talks unfolding between the U.S. and Russia, and battlefield losses mounting, the Coalition of the Willing reiterated its unified commitment to Kyiv while raising flags about the shape and speed of evolving diplomatic efforts. Image Source: Zelenskyy on X Ursula von der Leyen briefed the coalition on two central pillars: unwavering support for Ukraine and increasing European defence preparedness. “We all know what is at stake and we know we do not have any more time to lose,” she said. Framing Ukraine’s survival as “a crucial act of European defence,” von der Leyen detailed a Reparations Loan proposal aimed at escalating economic pressure on Russia.  “The longer Putin wages his war, spills blood, ta...

India and the United States have called for expanded global sanctions against key Pakistan-based terror outfits and their proxies, marking a significant step forward in bilateral counterterrorism cooperation.  File Photo/Representational Image Source: Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff  At the 21st meeting of the India-US Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and the 7th Designations Dialogue held in New Delhi on December 3, both sides sharpened focus on operational coordination and designations of groups responsible for cross-border attacks. Led by Dr. Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Ms. Monica Jacobsen, Senior Bureau Official at the US Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism, the high-level engagements reinforced the counterterrorism pillar of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Against the backdrop of recent attacks in Pahalgam and near Delhi’s Red Fort, both delegati...

Meeting under the shadow of recent attacks in India, the Quad’s Counterterrorism Working Group (CTWG) convened for its third high-level session in New Delhi this week. The gathering signaled a sharpened joint resolve to confront evolving terrorist threats across the Indo-Pacific region.  Senior officials from India, Australia, Japan, and the United States gathered on December 4–5, 2025, to reinforce the framework of cooperation that has come to define the Quad’s expanding security agenda. Image Source: Gemma Huggins, Australia's Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism The talks, hosted by India as part of its rotation ahead of the next Quad summit, marked a substantial push to operationalize counterterrorism measures beyond political declarations.  Ambassador Sibi George, Secretary (West) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, opened the meeting with a pointed call to strengthen the Quad’s collective capabilities.  “The time has come to forge a common resolve within the Q...

Amid intensifying global fragmentation and rising strategic autonomy across the Global South, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a landmark roadmap to deepen their bilateral economic engagement through 2030, aiming to take trade beyond $100 billion.  Prez Putin and PM NaMo attended the Plenary Session of the India-Russia Trade Forum The wide-ranging Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of India–Russia Economic Cooperation till 2030 was the centrepiece of the 23rd Annual Summit held in New Delhi on December 5, with the two sides signing 29 agreements spanning energy, mobility, healthcare, customs, polar training, labour migration, media, and advanced scientific cooperation. The summit, Putin’s first visit to India since the Ukraine war began, saw both leaders publicly reaffirm the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” between their countries, even as global alignments continue to shift.  “India-Russia ties have...

In a summit thick with strategic symbolism and sweeping bilateral action, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed 29 agreements and issued a joint declaration pledging to elevate their “time-tested progressive partnership” into a deeper geopolitical alignment rooted in sovereignty, stability, and multipolarity.  Indian PM NaMo with Russian Prez Putin At the center of the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit, held in New Delhi on December 5, was a key policy milestone: the formal adoption of the Program for the Development of Strategic Directions of Russian–Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030.  This is  a forward-looking document that defines new rules of engagement across trade, defence, energy, migration, and critical technologies amid shifting global power centres. The two leaders met at Hyderabad House for in-depth talks before witnessing the signing of wide-ranging intergovernmental and institutional agreements, including on labo...

In a highly choreographed display of diplomatic warmth and strategic alignment, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks in New Delhi this week. Together the Russian President and the Indian Prime Minister sent a clear signal of continuity and deepening ties between the two long-standing partners even as global tensions mount over the ongoing war in Ukraine and shifting geopolitical alliances. PM NaMo welcoming President Vladimir Putin at Hyderabad House Greeting Putin with a handshake and a rare protocol-breaking hug upon his arrival, Modi hosted the Russian leader at Hyderabad House for the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit.  “India is on the side of peace,” Modi said firmly, reiterating New Delhi’s consistent message throughout the Ukraine conflict.  “The welfare of the world is only through the path of peace… together, we must look for the pathways to peace.” Putin, addressing the crisis directly, thanked Modi for his att...

US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States is “working very hard” to end the Ukraine conflict and expressed optimism that a peace agreement involving Russia and Ukraine could soon be reached.  Image Source: FanTrumpArmy Speaking ahead of the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the White House on December 3, Trump stated, “We're making peace all over the world… We're settling wars at levels that nobody's ever seen before. Eight of them.  We're looking for one more. That's Russia-Ukraine… and I think we’ll get there eventually.” Trump’s comments came amid intensifying diplomatic contacts between Washington and Moscow, including a five-hour meeting at the Kremlin on December 2 between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Trump’s son-in-law and former White House adviser Jared Kushner.  According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, the discussions focused on a revised US peace proposal com...

In a pointed message amid growing Western pressure on both New Delhi and Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that the India–Russia partnership remains focused solely on mutual interests and is not targeted at any third country.  Indian PM NaMo presenting a copy of the Gita to Russian Prez Vladimir Putin His remarks came during a high-profile two-day visit to India for the 23rd Annual Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as both nations seek to expand their decades-old strategic collaboration in the face of increasingly fractious geopolitical alignments. Putin’s visit, his first to India since the Ukraine war began, coincides with a visible downturn in India–US relations.  Tensions escalated after Washington imposed sweeping tariffs on Indian goods, including penalties for importing Russian crude oil — a punitive move widely interpreted as a warning shot to New Delhi for its continued economic cooperation with Moscow.  In response, Putin dismi...

Germany has deployed five Eurofighter Typhoon jets and around 150 personnel from its Tactical Air Wing 31 “Boelcke” to Poland as part of NATO’s reinforced air policing mission on the Alliance’s eastern flank, the German Air Force confirmed this week.  Image Source: NATO Air Command The move underscores Berlin’s firm commitment to collective defence and comes amid ongoing regional security concerns stemming from Russia’s actions in Ukraine and broader tensions along NATO’s eastern perimeter. The German detachment will support NATO’s 24/7 Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) operations, a continuous peacetime mission designed to ensure that Allied airspace remains secure, controlled, and protected from potential intrusions or threats.  Operating under NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany’s Eurofighter pilots and ground crews will work in close coordination with the Polish Air Force, conducting regular training flights and readiness exercises.  These operati...

In a crucial state visit to Beijing on December 4, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping renewed commitments to deepening bilateral relations, positioning the China-France partnership as a pillar of stability amid escalating global fragmentation.  Image Source: Visegrad24 As Europe’s most prominent advocate for strategic autonomy, Macron’s high-profile engagement with Xi highlights a deepening convergence between Paris and Beijing on key global governance issues, even as Western alliances face stress over Ukraine, Middle East tensions, and global trade realignments. President Xi, hosting Macron for the fourth time on Chinese soil, described the relationship as one between two “independent, visionary and responsible major countries,” and urged both sides to continue shaping a more “equal and orderly multipolar world” through strengthened cooperation in trade, green technology, global governance, and peace diplomacy.  During the visit, which in...

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening for a tightly choreographed two-day state visit. This marks a significant reaffirmation of the India–Russia strategic partnership at a time of deepening geopolitical rifts and growing divergence between India and the West over Ukraine.  Image Source: PM NaMo As Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Putin with a warm embrace at Palam Airport, the visit--Putin’s first to India since 2021 and his first anywhere in the region since the invasion of Ukraine--set in motion a high-stakes diplomatic engagement that signals India’s intent to maintain and expand its historical ties with Moscow despite rising pressure from Western capitals. The visit comes at a time when India–US relations have faced visible strain, with tensions emerging around Ukraine diplomacy, defence alignment, and global leadership postures.  Against this backdrop, the Putin-Modi summit on Friday is expected to focus on expanding bilateral de...

The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled a long-anticipated plan to provide Ukraine with a multibillion-euro loan backed by profits from frozen Russian assets. This move is framed as both an economic lifeline for Kyiv and a geopolitical message to Moscow that prolonging war will carry escalating costs. Image Source: Visegrad24 Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc is aiming to provide €90 billion to cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s estimated funding needs for 2026 and 2027, using a dual structure: EU market borrowing and cash balances generated by Russian assets immobilised in European financial institutions. “Pressure is the only language the Kremlin responds to,” von der Leyen told reporters. “We want peace, but peace must come from a position of strength.” The proposal, released ahead of a decisive EU summit later this month, comes amid signs of deadlock in international peace efforts.  Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Wednesday that President V...

Russian President Vladimir Putin used a high-profile international investment forum in Moscow to reinforce his country’s defiant economic narrative and shift in geopolitical orientation, positioning India and China as key pillars of Russia’s external economic strategy.  At the same time, in a parallel engagement, Putin reviewed efforts to rebuild the conflict-affected Kursk region, linking local revival with broader themes of national resilience and historical memory. Addressing foreign investors and delegates at the 16th VTB Investment Forum and the “Russia Calling!” plenary, Putin laid out an assertive economic vision grounded in sovereignty, self-reliance, and what he described as the rejection of “anti-competitive practices” by Western powers.  He accused Western nations of attempting to preserve global dominance through “non-market restrictions” and reiterated that Russia would continue to pursue independent economic policies, deepen trade with non-Western partners, and a...