Global Outlook

  In a surprising turn of events, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced his decision not to attend the upcoming G20 Summit in Delhi, India. The Kremlin has indicated that the move is a deliberate shift in focus toward the ongoing Ukraine crisis, reflecting Russia's heightened concerns in the region. The G20 Summit , a platform for world leaders to discuss and collaborate on global economic issues, was anticipated to bring together heads of state from the world's major economies. However, Putin's absence has cast a shadow over the event, redirecting international attention to the unfolding developments in Eastern Europe. The decision comes as tensions between Russia and Ukraine have escalated, with renewed clashes in disputed territories and concerns about the potential for a large-scale conflict. The international community has been closely watching the situation, urging diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation. The Kremlin's announcement underscores t...

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over war crime allegations, including his suspected involvement in the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. The crimes were committed in occupied areas of Ukraine at least from 24 February 2022, when the Russian leader launched a so-called special military operation in the neighboring nation, the Hague-based court said in a statement on Friday. Nevertheless, Moscow has repeatedly rejected allegations of war crimes during the invasion. Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia 's commissioner for children's rights, is also wanted by the court over similar allegations. The ICC says it has reasonable grounds to believe Putin committed the unlawful acts directly as well as working with others, adding the president even failed to exercise his rights to stop others involved in the deportation. Despite the arrest warrants, the court has no powers to arre...

 Russia said on Wednesday it would try to retrieve the remnants of a large US MQ-9 Reaper drone that plunged into the Black Sea on Tuesday. There are conflicting statements on the aircraft downing. In claims Moscow has strongly denied, Washington said it had to bring down the drone after it became "unflyable and uncontrollable" when a Russian jet clipped its propeller. Russian security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev confirmed on state television that Moscow was trying to trace the aircraft, adding its presence in the Black Sea confirmed that the US had direct involvement in the war. Meanwhile, the US is also attempting to find the downed drone. Although Washington and London have previously gone to great lengths in order to recover their technology after crashes, the Pentagon seems more relaxed about losing the aircraft. It's an older technology and a number of them have been lost before. Moreover, attempts to retrieve the remnants next to a war zone, with Russian sh...

 Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened him with a missile strike in an "extraordinary" phone call just ahead of launching the 'special military operation' in Ukraine on 24 February, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed, according to a new BBC documentary to be broadcast on Monday. "I don't want to hurt you, but with a missile, it would only take a minute," Johnson quoted Putin as saying, adding the conversation took place in February after he had visited Kyiv to show Western support for Ukraine amid looming fears of a Russian assault. The prime minister and other Western leaders had been hurrying to the Ukrainian capital in an attempt to show support for the country and deter a Russian attack. Johnson, who was compelled to leave Downing Street last September, has emerged as one of the most impassioned Western supporters of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In the new BBC Two series, that charts the growing divide between Putin ...

 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday voiced confidence that India's presidencies of the SCO and G20 will build multi-dimensional cooperation between the two countries and will strengthen the stability and security in Asia and the entire world. While India formally assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1, it took over the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on September 16. In his New Year messages to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin noted that Russia and India marked the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2022 and, relying on positive traditions of friendship and mutual respect, the countries continue to develop their specially privileged strategic partnership, the Kremlin said in a statement. Putin said the two countries carried out large-scale trade and economic projects in addition to energy, military technology, and other areas of cooperation, and coordinated efforts in addressing important m...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday held a telephone conversation and reviewed bilateral cooperation in areas of energy, trade and defence and security. Following up on their meeting in Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, the two leaders reviewed several aspects of the bilateral relationship, including energy cooperation, trade and investments, defence and security cooperation, and other key areas, Prime Minister's Office (PMO) informed. PM Modi also briefed President Putin on India’s ongoing Presidency of G-20, highlighting its key priorities. "He also looked forward to both countries working together during India’s Chairship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. They agreed to remain in regular touch with each other," the PMO added. In the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Prime Minister Modi reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy as the only way forward, in his...

The meeting between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Vladimir Putin, presidents of the UAE and Russia, which took place on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, marked the start of Emirati mediation in the Ukraine war. The immediate objective of this mediation is to ensure that the conflict de-escalates as the first step toward a long-term diplomatic solution. According to analysts, Emirati mediation is likely to be perceived as sincere because Abu Dhabi has so far refrained from pledging loyalty to any of the opposing parties. They emphasise how fascinating this situation is made the more so by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed's ongoing cordial relationships with the combatants and desire to actively take part in the mediation process. As the conflict threatens civilians and nuclear installations and seems to be getting out of hand, the world's capitals are likely to back the Emirati strategy. Following his meeting with Putin, Sheikh Mohammed posted on Twitter, "We discussed numero...