Putin's Speech Valdai Courtesy: Valdai Discussion Club
3 November 2022

At Valdai, Putin’s vision of emerging world order

The reference to India by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Valdai Discussion Club may be interpreted as encouragement to New Delhi to use its good offices to nudge the warring sides to the negotiating table. Mediation is a big power game, and this may be the right time for India, at the cusp of the G20 Presidency, to start with a record of success

UN Russia Ambassador Courtesy: Justin Lane/European Pressphoto Agency
5 October 2022

Double standards at the UNSC

The BRICS have largely abstained from the UNSC resolution condemning Russia’s attempts to annex four Ukrainian provinces. Is it BRICS solidarity or is it because the interests of the Global North and its allies, and those of the Global South, are diverging?

Russia Central Asia Migrants Courtesy: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
8 September 2022

Central Asians are central to Russia’s economy

An estimated 9 million Central Asians reside and work in Russia, and almost every major city in the country is dependent on their labour. It’s a marriage of convenience but beneficial all around. Russia gets modernised infrastructure, while remittances bring in much-needed capital to Central Asia.

Raisi-Putin Version 1 Courtesy: TASS
25 August 2022

Iran-Russia pas de deux

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s July visit to Iran was a geopolitical reset for both countries. The collapse of the JCPOA and the Ukraine crisis has strategically united Iran and Russia against their common adversary, the U.S. Russia is now a credible alternative to fill the investment vacuum for Iran’s defence, trade and energy sectors.

sco meeting pngf Courtesy: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kazakhstan
4 August 2022

A fruitful SCO foreign ministers’ meet

The SCO foreign ministers met in Tashkent in July to plan for the all-important SCO summit in September. New additions and old issues remain, but the SCO is now growing into a significant grouping, with importance to India

Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs Courtesy: BRICS Forum - India 2021
2 September 2021

Is BRICS still relevant?

The 13th BRICS summit will be held virtually on 9 September 2021 and India is the host. The grouping has managed to hold its ground in an era of increasingly complex geopolitics. While immediate goals are important, in the longer term it must cooperate on counter terrorism, improve trade and work towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mission Shakti Courtesy: Press Information Bureau, Government of India
2 September 2021

A decade of autonomy in space

As the private or autonomous space industry becomes more developed, an interesting phenomena is occurring. The public sector which runs space programmes has lagged behind, but also profits from the recent success of private space companies are limited to direct stakeholders. After a decade of private investment, it is worth assessing why countries like the U.S., Russia, China and India have pursued independence from government entities in space over the last decade.

sanctions and counter-sanctions Courtesy: Shutterstock
15 July 2021

Sanctions and counter-sanctions

For years, Western countries have used sanctions as a means of economic warfare against their adversaries. Now, China and Russia are utilising the same tactic against the West. The United Nations Security Council is paralysed by differences between the five permanent members, leaving the tools of unilateral sanctions and counter-sanctions to proliferate at the cost of UN-approved multilateral sanctions.