G20 backs Modi's pitch against black money; tensions soar as Putin quits

Vladimir Putin's early exit from a G20 summit in Australia after an icy reception from world leaders may further stoke Russia-West tensions and lead to renewed fighting in Ukraine, analysts said. Western leaders piled huge pressure on the Russian strongman at the Group of 20 meeting in Brisbane, with host Tony Abbott calling on Putin to "atone" for the shooting down of Malaysian flight MH17 over rebel-held east Ukraine and Britain's David Cameron branding him a "bully".  Analysts said Putin's apparent…

Russia's Nuclear Posturing: Strategies to Deter Western Support for Ukraine

DefenseNews : In a high-stakes game of global politics, Russia is intensifying its nuclear rhetoric and military exercises as it seeks to deter increased Western support for Ukraine. With President Vladimir Putin's announcement of new nuclear capabilities and a shift in military doctrine, the implications for international security are profound. This article explores the motivations behind Russia's nuclear posturing and its potential impact on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech as he vis…

Putin plans to leave G20 early after West blasts Russia over Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to leave the  G20  summit early, a member of his delegation said, after Western leaders blasted Moscow on Saturday for the crisis in  Ukraine  and threatened more sanctions.  The Russian official told Reuters that Putin planned to skip a working session on Sunday at the two-day summit in Brisbane and bring forward his departure because he needed to attend meetings in Moscow. Russia  denied it was involved in a recent escalation of military activity in  Ukraine , where fighting has claimed more than …

Russia Says Proposal For Unsc Meeting 'still On Table'; Pushes For India's Membership

DefenseNews: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated recently that President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to convene a summit of the permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), is still on the table and valid, Russia's state-affiliated news agency TASS reported. Moscow "hopes" this initiative shall be implemented as Lavrov on Friday lashed out at the West, saying that it must "regains its senses." Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of t…

Russia attacked Ukraine with new ballistic missile

DefenseNews : The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv’s use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said.  In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian …

DefenseNews :  Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit India soon, with the Kremlin currently finalizing the dates for his trip. This announcement was made by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who indicated that the exact dates will be revealed shortly. This visit marks Putin's first trip to India since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022; his last visit occurred on December 6, 2021, during the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit in New Delhi. The upcoming visit is significant as it comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#…

Defense News: Russia and Japan eye economic pact with amid stalemate on territory

Russia and Japan aren’t likely to resolve a long-running territorial dispute, but they hope to announce an economic cooperation agreement after their leaders finish talks in Tokyo on Friday. The two countries have been negotiating the agreement since Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed it as part of a “comprehensive approach” to improving bilateral ties at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia in May. The two leaders are wrapping up a two-day summit that began on Thursday evening at a hot spri…

When Moscow calls

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit this week comes against the backdrop of the toughest challenge faced by the Russian economy since the late 1990s. With falling global oil prices and bruising Western sanctions, Russia is set to slip into recession next year and Putin ’s state-of-the-nation address last Thursday warned Russians to brace for hard times ahead. In this situation, Moscow would naturally seek to reach out to other partners, such as India and China.  Putin ’s visit is also going to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s f…

Congress passes Ukraine nuclear security funding

WASHINGTON — The House on Friday passed 230-201 an additional $12.35 billion Ukraine aid package, including money to help Kyiv respond to a potential nuclear security incident, as part of its stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown.  The package includes $35 million in defense nuclear nonproliferation funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration to prepare Ukraine for a potential incident from shelling at the besieged Zaporizhzhia power plant. The Senate passed the government funding bill, complete with the Ukraine nucl…

China and Russia in naval co-operation vow

China and Russia have vowed to strengthen bilateral military co-operation and hold joint naval exercises to counter US influence in the Asia-Pacific region as a growing chorus of voices warns of a looming “new cold war”. During a visit to Beijing where he met his Chinese counterpart and Premier Li Keqiang, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said the two sides “expressed our concern with the US attempts to reinforce its military political influence in the Asia-Pacific region”, Chinese and Russian state media reported. “…

Russia can soon set up 20-24 nuclear energy units in India

NEW DELHI: Less than two months before Barack Obama 's presence in Delhi as the Republic Day Chief Guest, Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin would unveil on Dec 11 a grand vision document to meet India's energy needs and boost trade and investment ties across wide-ranging sectors including a deal on sovereign fund notwithstanding a recent veiled threat from US official of the risks of doing business with Moscow.  The fast changing geo-political scenario has seen Delhi getting closer to US while Moscow has re…

Merkel, Obama try to bridge differences on arms to Ukraine

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel huddled at the White House Monday to evaluate the prospects of reviving an elusive peace plan to end the conflict between Ukraine and pro- Russia n separatists. Hanging over the discussions was a potential split between Obama and Merkel on sending Ukraine defensive weapons to wage a more effective fight against the rebels. The White House has said Obama is reconsidering his opposition to arming Ukraine given a recent surge in violence, while Merkel has ad…

RUSSIA: Putin Orders Military Drills for 150,000 Troops

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday scrambled Russian military forces for a massive military exercise across the vast country. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the maneuvers will last until Tuesday and involve about 150,000 troops, nearly 27,000 military vehicles, 414 aircraft and 106 navy ships. It noted that the exercise is intended to train the troops for fending off “terrorist threats” in the country's southwest and prepare for the even bigger “Caucasus-2020” drills later this year. The ministry said the …

Russia Deploys New Ballistic Missile Against Ukraine Amid Escalating Tensions: Putin Confirms Strategic Shift

DefenseNews : In a significant development in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country has used a new ballistic missile to strike Ukrainian targets. This latest military escalation highlights Moscow's evolving tactics amid a prolonged and intensifying war. The Russian Ministry of Defense detailed the deployment of this advanced missile, claiming it demonstrates superior precision and power. Ukrainian officials have yet to confirm specific details but expressed concerns about the incre…

US to boost military presence in Europe for Russia threat

MADRID (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the U.S. will significantly increase its military presence in Europe for the long haul, including by establishing its first permanent presence in Poland, to bolster regional security after Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine . Meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the opening of the alliance’s annual leaders’ summit in Madrid, Biden said “NATO is strong and united” and that steps to be taken during the gathering will “further augment our collective strength.” Biden opened his p…

Delayed FGFA Deal May Get The Nudge During Putin’s India Visit

India and Russia may finally settle on a number of delayed defense deals including the Fifth Generational Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) program during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India this December.   Putin met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BRICS summit in July where both leaders reportedly agreed that the $30 billion program to build 200 jets should move forward. In 2010, a preliminary design agreement was signed between India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau to …

Russia is No Longer India’s Reliable Friend. What's wrong with the Russia-India relationship?

Indo - Russian ties are at a crossroads. A strong relationship between India and Russia was forged in the 1960s amid growing Sino-Russian hostility and Sino-Pakistani amity. Russia is no more India's Friend. Russia's alliance with China and Pakistan  is  alarming Given America’s interest in mending its own fences with China in 1971, Russia offered India some political insurance against security threats from China and Pakistan Both have laid claim to parts of India’s territory since it achieved independence in 1947…

DefenseNews: US Air Force to test launch nuclear missile Wednesday morning

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force plans to conduct a test launch of an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile early Wednesday morning, the Pentagon announced. Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a Tuesday briefing that Air Force Global Strike Command will launch the Minuteman III missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, calling it a routine test that was scheduled well in advance. It will be the second such test in less than a month, since the Aug. 16 launch of another unarmed Minuteman III from Vandenberg. That la…

New Russian Stealth Jet Fighter Called ‘Super Weapon’ Giving Russia Edge Over U.S. In Skies

A new Russian jet fighter, using stealth technology designed to conceal the plane from radar, is being called a “super weapon” by military experts who say that the fifth-generation Russian fighter jet actually surpasses United States fighters and could give Russia an advantage in the skies. Known as the TA-50 PAK FA , the new Russian stealth fighter is developed by the Russian aeronautic giant Sukhoi and is set to go into action in 2016. Russia is developing the new super fighter together with India, which is kicking in 25 percent of t…