News Analysis India

Tag: Ukraine

  • Ukraine, wheat ban to be discussed at Biden-Modi meet: US NSA

    By IANS

    WASHINGTON:  The Russian invasion of Ukraine and Indian restrictions on wheat exports will be among a range of issues that will figure at the upcoming meeting of the Quad in Tokyo next week and the bilateral between American President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the US has said.

    Modi and Biden will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australia’s newly elected Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, for the second in-person summit of the Quad, short for Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, on Tuesday in Tokyo.The two leaders will also meet bilaterally, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed in a gaggle with reporters travelling with Biden from South Korea to Japan, the second leg of his first trip to Asia as President.India and the US have not been on the same page on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. New Delhi has not condemned the invasion withstanding unrelenting pressure from the US and others such as the UK, who had, together with their other allies, have come to Ukraine’s aid with money and materiel with the stated intention of driving back the army of Russian President Vladimir Putin.The issue was discussed at the highest level between President Biden and Prime Minister Modi when they met virtually in March for a Quad meeting. They discussed it again in a short video conversation that kicked off the 2+2 ministerial dialogue in April. And they will discuss it again.”It won’t be a new conversation. It will be a continuation of the conversation they’ve already had about how we see the picture in Ukraine and the impacts of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine on a wider set of concerns in the world, including this food security concern,” Sullivan said in response to a question if Ukraine will come up at the meeting of the two leaders.Asked if the US would push India on wheat exports, the National Security Adviser said “food security will be a topic of conversation at the Quad”.India’s ban on export of wheat has raised international concerns with western leaders calling for New Delhi to behave more responsibly as the world grapples with shortages caused by the war � Russia and Ukraine together account for about 29 per cent of global wheat exports, and India is the world’s fourth largest producer of wheat after China, the US, and Russia.Sullivan was also asked a general question about how the Biden administration balanced the priority it accords to democratic and human rights in its foreign policy with the accusations of “human rights abuses and maligning Muslim minorities” in India.”President Biden has been clear from the beginning of this administration that we’ll speak out when we see any form of departure from or deviation from basic principles, fundamental freedoms, human rights, the values of democratic institutions, and the rule of law. That’s true for a range of countries. And, you know, we don’t single India out,” he said.He added: “We have found a way both to pursue practical cooperation with countries that are democratic and non-democratic, while, at the same time, being clear and consistent of where our values lie.”Human rights have become a new source of friction in India-US ties. From ignoring them as in the past, the Modi government has been increasingly more confrontational.External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, during his last visit to the US for 2+2 ministerial dialogue, said: “People are entitled to have views about us. We also are entitled to have views about their lobbies and vote banks. We will not be reticent. We also have views on other people’s human rights, particularly when it pertains to our community.” He had meant the US, though he was not that specific in this instance.

  • Russia-Ukraine crisis hits Gujarat diamond industry, here’s why

    By ANI

    SURAT: India’s diamond polishing hub Surat has lost its glamour in the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War which has affected the supply chain of rough diamonds.

    Dinesh Navadia, Regional Chairman, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council said, “Surat’s diamond industry witnesses an impact amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Every month raw material of around 1.75 lakh carat was imported into Surat via Russia. No raw material availability now. Over 30 to 35 per cent of rough diamonds imported from Alrosa directly come to the Indian market at Surat and Mumbai for cutting and polishing.”

    Major diamond factories in Surat have reduced the working week from three to four days. Several small factories in Surat have been closed for the time being.

    “Russian rough diamonds are generally smaller, making up 40 per cent of India’s diamond trade by volume and about 30 per cent in value. The war with Ukraine has now affected this 18 billion dollar trade. The stock of Russian raw materials sent to India before the US sanctions are also about to run out,” added Navadia.

    The Diamond Workers Union Gujarat’s Surat unit on May 4 sent a memorandum addressed to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel seeking financial aid to be given to the diamond workers.

    The Russian invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022, and the US imposed sanctions on several items exported from Russia around mid-April.

  • Covid pandemic, Ukraine war behind price rise: Rajnath

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the coronavirus pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war have caused price rise and the government has taken several steps to tackle the challenge.

    Even developed countries like the USA and China are not untouched by inflation, he said according to a press release. 

    “Inflation has increased in the country due to coronavirus and the Ukraine crisis,” he said addressing a programme organised by the Lucknow Intellectual Foundation Addressing a Financial Markets Workshop organised by the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants, Rajnath Singh said the economy has been affected due to COVID-19, prices have increased slightly and steps have been taken to deal with the challenges.

    The Reserve Bank has also taken steps to reduce inflation, whose results will be out soon, he said. “Many agency surveys are showing that India is the fastest growing economy. Our government has signed a major free trade agreement with Australia,” he said.

    According to the press release, Rajnath also claimed that efforts made by the BJP government to check the coronavirus crisis have been appreciated by the World Health Organization.

    Ever since the Modi government was formed in 2014, India’s credibility on the world stage has increased and now the whole world listens carefully to what India says, he said, adding that all this has happened because of the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Singh said India is currently the sixth largest economy in the world and the vision is to be named among the top three economies in the world in coming 10 years.

    Singh, who took part in a number of programmes, discussed development projects in Lucknow and said six flyovers have been built here and five new ones have been approved. He said officials have been asked to complete the work at the earliest.

    Many prominent leaders, including former UP deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, were present on this occasion. Padma Shri recipient litterateur Vidya Bindu Singh requested Rajnath to rename Lucknow as Laxman Puri.

  • Self-reliance essential, conflict in Ukraine told us even commercial contracts prone to be affected: Rajnath Singh

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: It is essential to achieve self-reliance in defence not only because it safeguards the sovereignty of the country said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday but it is also necessary as lessons from the conflicts like Ukraine tell us that not just the defence-related supplies but also the commercial contracts of the national interest are also prone to be affected.

    Sharing his views on the need to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, the defence minister described self-reliance as essential for not only building the domestic capacity, but also for safeguarding the sovereignty of the country. 

    “Our past experiences have taught us that India cannot depend on imports for its security and security. Recent conflicts, especially the situation in Ukraine, have told us that not just defence supplies, but commercial contracts are also prone to be affected when it comes to national interests,” said the Defence Minister.

    The Defence Minister was delivering the keynote address for the 37thAir Chief Marshal PC Lal Memorial Lecture here. It was organised by the Air Force Association.

    Adding further the defence minister said that the nature of future wars can be assessed through a closer look at the situation in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and the recent Ukrainian conflict.

    “Although these trends are suggestive, we can gain a deeper understanding by correlating them with our local threats,” he said.

    Highlighting the importance of technology in wars, Rajnath Singh said, the use of technology has seen an unprecedented increase in recent times. He, however, stated that expensive platforms/weapon systems do not alone ensure victory; it is their employment which gives an edge in wars.

    “Be it precision guided munition, unmanned aerial vehicles or manpack anti-tank weapons, their deployment in any future war will be as critical as it had been in the past. Technology is a force multiplier, but without innovative deployment, state-of-the-art equipment will be a mere display,” he added.

    Rajnath Singh called for technology evolution, gaining expertise and human resource management to defend the country against space-guided attacks and protect the space assets.

    “Change is the law of nature. It is eternal. This law is applicable to war as well. As students of military affairs and geopolitics, it is our duty to keep anticipating the nature of future wars. Steps are being taken by our adversaries toward military use of space. This is likely to have an adverse effect on our interests. We, therefore, need to identify and be fully prepared for the evolving security challenges,” he said.

    The Defence Minister also paid tributes to Air Chief Marshal PC Lal who was the Vice Chief of the Air Staff during the 1965 war and had served as the 7thChief of the Air Staff during the 1971 war.

    Rajnath Singh asserted that through the process of integration structures can be built for bringing together the forces and greater synergy can be established between them through joint vision, training, planning and execution of operations.

    “The ongoing process of integration of the Armed Forces is aimed at not only increasing the combined capability, but also efficiency. There have been deliberations in the Armed Forces regarding the envisaged changes. This consultative process will continue till the implementation of the reforms. We have to keep in mind that its long-term success will depend on the vision of the planners just as much as it depends on those who implement it. I have full faith that in future more unity will be established not just ideologically, but also in action,” he said.

    On the occasion, the Minister also released a book titled ‘INDO-PAK WAR 1971- Reminiscences of Air Warriors’. The book comprises 50 articles penned by the veterans who have shared their experiences in detail. The book has been edited by Air Marshal Jagjeet Singh and Group Captain Shailendra Mohan.

    Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari; President of the Air Force Association Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd) and senior officers of the IAF, both serving and retired were also present.

  • India calls for cessation of hostilities in Ukraine ahead of PM Modi’s Europe trip

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a tour of three European nations, India on Sunday once again called for the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, noting that was an appreciation of its position on the crisis by its partner countries.

    At a media briefing, newly appointed Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra underlined the “context, clarity, importance and positive dimension” of India’s position on Ukraine and asserted that there should not be any doubt about it.

    On his first trip abroad this year, Modi will embark on a three-day visit to Germany, Denmark and France beginning Monday amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

    “Our position on Ukraine has been clear. First, there should be a cessation of hostilities; second, a solution must be found out through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said, adding this view has been conveyed very clearly to various countries.

    The foreign secretary said the visit is focused on expanding India’s bilateral ties with the three European nations in a range of areas including trade and investment, clean energy, digital technology and defence, and added that the Ukraine issue will figure in the talks as part of discussions on regional and global developments.

    He said India’s international partners have an understanding of its standpoint on Ukraine and they even have a deep appreciation for it.

    Kwatra said discussions on energy security will be one of the key areas of discussion during Modi’s visit as it has assumed greater significance in the current circumstances.

    There has been a wider debate and discussion in Europe over ending dependence on its reliance on Russian energy in view of its attack on Ukraine.

    The foreign secretary talked about the “changing elements” of energy security, its impact on developing countries like India, the challenges in the sector and the mitigation of the challenges.

    “I am sure this would constitute one of the elements in the overall discussions. But naturally one single item would not define what the structure of the discussions would be,” he said.

    Kwatra said Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will co-chair the 6th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) on Monday. It will be followed by a high-level roundtable where Modi and Scholz will interact with the top CEOs of both countries.

    Modi is also scheduled to interact with the Indian diaspora in Germany.

    “The meeting between the two leaders would provide an excellent platform not only to strengthen the existing multi-faceted bilateral partnership but to also shape and develop an ambitious agenda of cooperation for months and years ahead including in the field of the development partnership, green agenda, trade and investment linkages,” Kwatra said.

    German Chancellor Scholz is scheduled to host Modi at a private dinner.

    From Germany, Modi will travel to Copenhagen at the invitation of the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. He will also participate in the second India-Nordic summit being hosted by Denmark.

    Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and a number of other senior Union ministers are expected to accompany Modi to Germany as the format of the IGC mandates direct talks between senior ministers from the two sides on cooperation in specific areas.

    In Denmark, Modi is scheduled to hold separate bilateral talks with leaders of Norway, Sweeden, Iceland and Finland.

    “The prime minister’s first visit in 2022 factors an ambitious and substantial agenda packed into an intense schedule. The principal purpose of the visit is for India to continue to strengthen its multi-dimensional multi-faceted partnerships with key countries of Europe,” the foreign secretary said.

    On May 4, Modi will have a brief stopover in Paris on his return journey where he will hold extensive talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who was re-elected to the top post last week.

    “Modi’s visit to France will provide an opportunity to carry forward high-level engagement between the two countries following the French presidential election,” Kwatra said.

    “Both countries have continuously nurtured and delivered on the ambition of their strategic partnership,” he said.

    Asked whether the Ukraine crisis will figure in his talks with the European leaders, Kwatra said: “When the prime minister interfaces with the leaders, naturally issues of regional and global importance would also figure in the discussions.”

    “But the principal focus of the visit is to structure and strengthen bilateral partnership across a range of areas and exchange perspectives on Ukraine issues.” The foreign secretary also said that it would not be correct for him to comment on the position of each of these countries on the Ukraine issue.

    Reflecting the EU’s tough approach in dealing with the Russian aggression, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the Raisina Dialogue on Monday that Europe will make sure that Moscow’s “unprovoked and unjustified” aggression against Ukraine will be a “strategic failure.

    India has not yet publicly condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and has been calling for the resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

  • Centre looking at options following delay in delivery of Vande Bharat train parts from Ukraine

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said there have been some delays in the delivery of certain components of Vande Bharat trains by the manufacturer in Ukraine.

    The MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said options are being looked at to ensure the delivery takes place.

    “Ukraine manufactures some components. There has been an impact on the delivery schedule. We are looking at options so that delivery takes place on time,” he said at a media briefing.

    He was asked whether the ongoing conflict in Ukraine delayed the supply.

    “The Railway ministry has the details. But we are coordinating to ensure that we receive the components as soon as possible,” Bagchi said.

    India procures the wheels and some other components of the Vande Bharat trains from Ukraine.

    India’s import orders to a Ukrainian firm for thousands of wheelsets for Vande Bharat trains were been hit by the war.

    Ukraine, which is one of the world’s largest suppliers of such wheels, has virtually stopped new production with most staffers joining the war effort after Russia launched a military offensive on February 24.

    The railways’ plan of launching dozens of new Vande Bharat train this year ran into troubles as the entire order given to the Ukraine-based firm — 36,000 wheels at a cost of $16 million — looked undeliverable.

  • Focus should be on stopping fighting: EAM Jaishankar on Ukraine

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The best way to deal with the conflict in Ukraine would be to focus on “stopping the fighting and getting the talking” to move forward and India’s position on the crisis is best placed to advance such an approach, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    His comments came in response to a question at an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier foreign policy and geo-economics conference.

    Jaishankar on Tuesday countered criticism of India’s position on Russia’s actions in Ukraine, saying the Western powers have been oblivious to the pressing challenges in Asia including last year’s developments in Afghanistan.

    “We spent a lot of time yesterday on Ukraine and I have tried to explain what our views are but also explained that in our minds the best way forward is to focus on stopping the fighting, getting the talking and finding ways of moving forward.

    We think our choices, our positions are best placed to advance that,” he said.

    India has not yet publicly condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and has been calling for the resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

    In his address, Jaishankar talked about India’s 75-year-long journey after Independence and highlighted how the country played a key role in promoting democracy in South Asia.

    Reflecting on areas where India came up short, the external affairs minister listed a lack of adequate attention to human resources and manufacturing and mentioned that probably not much attention was given to hard security as part of foreign policy.

    Asked about what should be the priority for the country in the next 25 years, Jaishankar said capability development in all possible areas should be the central focus.

    “We have to be confident about who we are. I think it is better to engage the world on the basis of who we are…This idea that others define us, somehow we need to get the approval of other quarters, I think that is an era we need to put behind us,” Jaishankar said.

    He hoped that India will be “deeply more international” in terms of its commitments, responsibilities and roles in the next 25 years.

    “We should not be looking at the world with a sense of entitlement. We need to earn our place in the world and which to a certain extent, therefore, comes to the issue of how the world benefits from the growth of India. We need to demonstrate that ” he said.

    The external affairs minister was asked what India expects from the world.

    “There is a lot of talk about reliable and resilient supply chains and people speak about transparency and trusted technologies. If India could do more and show the rest of the world that the world benefits by India being bigger,” Jaishankar said.

    “So we need to develop stakes in our future whether the rest of the world is concerned. I think some of that is happening for strategic reasons obviously, but we need to make more of it happen especially for economic reasons,” he added.

    Showcasing India’s 75-year-long successful democratic journey, Jaishankar said the choices made by India have had a larger influence globally.

    “There was a time in this part of the world that we were pretty much the only democracy. If democracy is global today, we see it is global today, I think, in some measure, that credit is due to India,” Jaishankar said.

    He noted that it is also fair to look back on where the country came up short.

    “One, clearly we did not pay the kind of attention to our social indicators, our human resources as we should have. Two, we did not concentrate on manufacturing and technology strengths as we should have. And three, in terms of foreign policy, probably, in the mix of various elements, we did not give as much importance, as much weight to hard security as we should have,” he said.

    The external affairs minister said India contributed to the spreading of democracy in South Asia.

    “We would like to see more prosperity in South Asia. If India has been in a sense example of democracy or promoter of democracy in South Asia, we would now like to be part of a larger lifting tide so that the rest of South Asia grows along with us,” Jaishankar said.

    Asked about the shortage of wheat in the wake of the war in Ukraine and if India would like to contribute to addressing the issue.

    “We have a significant wheat production. We would obviously go into the global markets and try to compensate for the shortfalls as much as we can. It (Egypt) is one of the countries with whom we are talking,” he said.

  • Stuck in war-torn Ukraine, wheels of Vande Bharat trains reach Romania, to be airlifted to India 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India’s import orders to a Ukrainian firm for thousands of wheel sets for Vande Bharat trains have been hit by the war, but 128 wheels have been taken to neighbouring Romania by road and these will be airlifted by the railways for trials next month, sources said.

    They also said that to meet its target of launching 75 semi-high speed trains on prominent routes across the country by the end of this year, India has now placed orders for wheels with Czech Republic, Poland and the United States.

    The sources also said that India may look at China too as it supplies wheels.

    The sources indicated that Ukraine, which is one of the world’s largest suppliers of such wheels, has virtually stopped new production with most staffers joining the war effort against Russia.

    ALSO READ | 75 Vande Bharat trains to ply by the end of 2022: Indian Railways

    With this, they said, the Railways’ plan of launching dozens of new Vande Bharat train this years ran into troubles as the entire order given to a Ukraine-based firm — 36,000 wheels at a cost of $16 million — looked undeliverable.

    The sources said the payment was to be made through a Letter of Credit.

    The wheels were planned to be shipped from the Ukrainian Black Sea Port to Maharashtra’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), which has not happened due to the war.

    However, the sources said told PTI this has not delayed trials in India scheduled for next month.

    “With the efforts of the Railway Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs, 128 wheels required for the trial of two trains were sent to Romania by road on trucks from the wheel factory in Dniepropetrovsk, Ukraine,” a source said.

    V K Tripathi, Chairman and CEO Railway Board, told PTI, “There is no delay in the manufacturing of Vande Bharat Trains. All the required items like wheels and axles will be delivered in time.”

    The axles needed for the wheels have been manufactured at the Railway Wheel Factory in Bengaluru.

    The sources also said that the move to place orders with other countries will substantially raise the cost of procurement “because the demand is high and supply constrained”.

    “Also, Ukraine is the cheapest option,” a source said.

    Sudhanshu Mani, a former general manager of the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai and the brain behind the Vande Bharat trains, told PTI that supplies hit by the Russia-Ukraine war will not be a severe setback for the Railways’ efforts.

    “The first rake was not going to be out before May anyway and it would still be out in June/July. Last time the wheels were ordered from a Czech company, this time it has been ordered from Ukraine. If they get the minimum requirement of 128 wheels for the first rake, they can begin the trials and then perhaps try to further expedite deliveries from Ukraine through Romania or some other neighbouring country or as an emergency measure, even procure quickly from some other company,” Mani said.

    While the Railways is focused on getting the Vande Bharat trains running on time, more than 70 other trains have to wait for the wheels to arrive from their new destinations to hit the tracks, the sources said.

    “We have a two-month window from when the trials of the two Vande Bharat trains begin and the procurement of the wheels. We should be able to get them for all the trains. It is not just India, but the problem is across the world. Ukraine is one of the largest suppliers of wheels so there is bound to be a global shortage,” a senior official told PTI.

    The sources indicate that there is a fear of a major shortage of wheel in the global market with Ukraine holding 70 per cent of orders of the European Union of wheels for freight railcars.

    This also means that there will be a huge price escalation for India, which, the sources said, depends on the war-ravaged country for wheels for its other premium trains as well.

    The officials said that the supply of railway wheels is a highly concentrated market with just about 20 factories worldwide.

    In her 2022 Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that 400 Vande Bharat trains will be manufactured in the next three years, which are expected to cost between Rs 40,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore.

  • Government issues advisory to TV channels on coverage of Ukraine conflict, Delhi riots

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Taking exception to television coverage of the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the Delhi riots, the government on Saturday issued a strong advisory to news channels asking them to abide by the programme code laid down by the relevant laws.

    The government cited specific instances of “hyperbolic” statements by news anchors and “scandalous headlines/taglines” while reporting on the Ukraine-Russia conflict and disrupting the investigation process into the “incidents” in north-west Delhi by airing “unverified CCTV footages”.

    It also said that certain debates on television channels on the incidents in north-west Delhi had “unparliamentary, provocative and socially unacceptable language”.

    Last week, clashes broke out between two communities in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri during an Hanuman Jayanti procession.

    “Having regard to the above, the government expresses serious concern about the manner in which the television channels have gone about their operations in the manner of transmitting content,” read the advisory issued by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

    It “strongly advised” the television channels to “immediately refrain from publishing and transmitting any content which is violative of the aforementioned provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and the rules thereunder.”

  • Despite political differences, Priyanka Chaturvedi supported govt stand on oil purchasing from Russia

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Despite political differences, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi came out in support of India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar’s remark on the issue of oil purchasing from Russia given during the 2+2 ministerial talks at Washington.

    Jaishankar had categorically said, “If you are looking at (India’s) energy purchases from Russia, I would suggest your attention should be on Europe. We buy some energy necessary for our energy security. But I suspect, looking at figures, purchase for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon.”

    Sharing these lines of Jaishankar’s remark through her Twitter handle, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi described the remark as ‘superb’ from External Affair Minister putting an emoji of applause.

    Jaishankar’s remarks came at a time when many countries including the US, have imposed multiple sanctions on Russia for being in a war against Ukraine.

    Speaking to this newspaper, Chaturvedi on late Tuesday evening said, “Party (Shiv Sena) stands by India at international forums. Country’s interest comes first for us in politics.” Giving thumbs-up to EAM for his brilliant remarks, she further said that the opposition has come together on this issue. “Remember, the opposition has come together on this issue as was obvious in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha discussions on the Ukraine crisis,” she added.

    She also said, “Our differences were with regards to the evacuation of the students stranded in war-hit Ukraine, but as far as the policy for energy security is needed, we are all aligned on the issue.”