Putin thanks Kim for North Korean troops in Kursk liberation ahead of Trump talks
Putin lauded Pyongyang's military support, describing 'the bravery, heroism and self-sacrificing spirit displayed by service personnel of the Korean People's Army' in combat. 'Their contribution to liberating the Kursk region has been invaluable,' he said, according to the Kremlin readout.South Korean intelligence estimates more than 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to western Russia, with another contingent reportedly being prepared for dispatch.KCNA quoted both leaders reaffirming their 'will to strengthen cooperation in the future,' with Putin calling the military partnership a symbol of 'shared resolve' between Moscow and Pyongyang.- EndsWith inputs from ReutersTune InMust Watch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
23 minutes ago
- Hans India
Trump Cautions of 'Serious Repercussions' if Putin Persists in Ukraine Conflict Following Summit
Trump was holding a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a number of European leaders on Wednesday via video conference. During the conference, Trump, Zelenskyy and the European leaders all made clear that any peace negotiations must be 'serious' and not come at the expense of Ukraine. Zelenskyy, who spoke to Trump before the Donald Trump Ukraine war warning, had also accused Putin of 'bluffing' about his support for a ceasefire in Ukraine. When asked what actions the United States might take if the conflict in Ukraine does not come to a resolution, Trump said he was not going to make a public announcement about potential consequences. 'I don't have to say,' Trump said when asked if he was planning to implement new sanctions on Russia. European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, German lawmaker Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also met with Trump and Zelenskyy during the video conference to reiterate that any new peace agreement must include the interests of Ukraine and must not involve any territorial concessions from Ukraine without their consent. Trump severe consequences the planned Trump Putin summit next week as a 'feeling-out meeting' to 'see where the first meeting goes.' Trump also said that after the summit, he 'could always bring President Zelenskyy back with President Putin' for another summit, though only if the Alaska summit with Putin goes 'OK.' Trump's remarks come after a week of increased diplomatic US Russia tensions to come to a peace deal in Ukraine. European leaders and Zelenskyy have been in touch with Trump about the summit, with Ukrainian and European officials all suggesting that any peace deal in Ukraine would have to be 'serious' and not one-sided. The fact that Zelenskyy is not invited to the summit in Alaska, however, has raised questions about whether Ukraine is being intentionally excluded from diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Pragmatic manoeuvres
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's visit to India, scheduled for next week, is of a piece with the ongoing efforts in Beijing and New Delhi to improve bilateral ties that had gone south after the Galwan clashes in 2020. An early sign of the thaw was the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra in April. Operation Sindoor forced a pause in the movement. But diplomatic activity suggests that both countries are ready to move ahead, especially with the proposed resumption of flights, facilitation of tourist visas for the Chinese, albeit with stringent conditions, and actions to address trade concerns, including market access. The missing piece in all this was the resumption of border talks at the political level. That is set to change with Wang poised to have discussions with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval under the Mechanism of Special Representatives for the border issue — both had met in Beijing in December. The hectic diplomatic calendar also includes PM Narendra Modi's impending visit to Tianjin, China, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. The New Delhi-Moscow-Beijing triangle is ridden with strategic contradictions, particularly since Russia has become dependent on China and the latter continues to ignore India's concerns vis-à-vis Pakistan's support for terror and now, nuclear brinkmanship. (PTI Photo) Complementing the China détente are the efforts made by Moscow and New Delhi to refurbish a legacy relationship. External affairs minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to meet Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, and President Vladimir Putin may attend the bilateral summit in India later this year. India-Russia trade, buoyed by Delhi's crude purchases since the start of the Ukraine war, reached a record high of $68.7 billion in FY 2024-25, though Indian exports accounted for only $4.88 billion. The New Delhi-Moscow-Beijing triangle is ridden with strategic contradictions, particularly since Russia has become dependent on China and the latter continues to ignore India's concerns vis-à-vis Pakistan's support for terror and now, nuclear brinkmanship. But the current geopolitical moment is such that all three countries see merit in sidestepping the contradictions and embracing common interests. It is tempting to view India's growing ties with Russia and attempts to balance relations with China as a response to the US recalibrating its stance on Pakistan and the growing dissonance in Washington-New Delhi relations. For sure, Trump's obstinacy on tariffs and claims on Operation Sindoor may have provided an impetus, but New Delhi's pivot is also in line with India's stated resolve to maintain strategic autonomy. It must pursue this path, rather than be bullied by any nation to forgo its national interests and sign on to lopsided trade deals. New Delhi's foreign policy choices need not be viewed through binaries but as an expression of enhancing ties and removing irritants based on its national needs and geopolitical priorities.
Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Reform the economy to defeat tariff threat
The world is in flux, and India is being tested. But every challenge is also an opportunity. Tariffs and global headwinds should not weaken our resolve; they must galvanise us. India must act boldly to seize this moment. This is our once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead. We must not let it slip. A decade ago, a significant push to improve ease of doing business yielded notable results. Now is the time to take it a step further and make India the easiest place to do business in. (Bloomberg) From August 27, India faces a 50% tariff, among the highest of President Donald Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs. The US accuses India of financing Russia by buying Russian oil. However, Türkiye, the largest importer of Russian oil products, faces 15% tariffs, the same as the European Union, which has paid 297 billion euros for Russian gas since January 2022. The White House also remains unaware of US imports of palladium or fertilisers from Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has heavily invested in the Indo-US economic, trade, and political relationship. However, the US's antagonistic stance will impact future cooperation. Our strong institutional memory emphasises our strategic autonomy. Let us be clear, our energy security and strategic autonomy cannot be compromised. Let us also be clear that this is not about Russia. India is rightfully refusing to bend, as we have so many times in our history. Global pressure should not intimidate us. It should galvanise us into pushing through the once-in-a-generation reforms India urgently needs. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was India's most significant tax reform. Seven years on, collections are rising, and GST has enabled formalisation of the economy. Now is the time to move forward with strong political will for GST reform. We need to move to a two-rate GST structure and overhaul the GST business processes. New companies and startups being registered must receive their GST numbers along with their PAN/TAN. Technology must be leveraged to minimise the need for physical visits for GST registration. Income tax reforms must also be brought in. A decade ago, a significant push to improve ease of doing business yielded notable results. Now is the time to take it a step further and make India the easiest place to do business in. Pending items, such as notifying the rules of the labour codes, should be completed as soon as possible. States must go beyond incremental reforms and truly embrace single-window clearances. Many of the most cumbersome processes have not been made part of the National Single Window System (NSWS). The cost of capital for private enterprise must be brought down. The statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) mandates that commercial banks hold 18% of their assets in government securities. This reduces the pool of loanable funds in the economy and raises the cost of capital for private enterprise. The SLR must be brought down to zero. This will unlock lakhs of crores of additional lending, bringing down the cost of capital. We must recognise that a liberal trade regime is crucial in building up our manufacturing ecosystem. In recent years, there has been a massive proliferation of quality control orders (QCOs). These QCOs raise the cost of crucial imports and make our manufactured goods uncompetitive in global markets. These QCOs must be scrapped. Further, our tariffs on intermediate goods are too high and must be brought down as well. We need to diversify our export markets by fast-tracking negotiations on trade deals. Tourism faces no tariffs. India, with its natural beauty, history, heritage, culture, and diversity, receives only a 1.5% share in international tourist arrivals. If the visits of non-resident Indians are excluded, this falls further. There has been no concerted branding or marketing campaign for Indian tourism in the past decade. When countries are stepping up their efforts to attract tourists, we are lagging. We need the biggest global branding and marketing campaign to unleash India's potential. Otherwise, the 1,800 planes that Indian airlines are buying will just be ferrying Indians flying abroad for holidays. We must attract global tourists. Our cities are the first impression visitors get when landing. For too long, city governance has been stuck in limbo, relying on state governments for financing, planning, and human resources. Despite the constitutional amendments that devolved powers to cities, it has not been implemented in practice. Our cities must be made autonomous and financially independent. In the Union Budget of 2021-22, a new public sector enterprise (PSE) policy was announced. The policy intended to minimise the presence of PSEs operating across the gamut of the Indian economy. This needs to be taken up in mission mode. In the last financial year, disinvestment receipts stood at ₹10,000 crore. From minority stake sales, we must move to strategic disinvestment. In the most recent budget speech, a second asset monetisation plan worth ₹10 lakh crore was announced. This needs to be operationalised at the earliest. India is far from being a 'dead economy'. We are, in fact, the world's fastest-growing large economy, driven by a decade of structural reforms, digital innovation, and investment in infrastructure. Over 250 million people have exited multidimensional poverty, and the extreme poverty rate has fallen below 3%, reflecting real improvements in quality of life. Women are increasingly participating in this transformation. 80% of Stand-Up India loans and 68% of Mudra loans have gone to women entrepreneurs. India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has revolutionised financial inclusion, while public capex on infrastructure has more than doubled, laying the foundation for long-term productivity. India has also met its 2030 green energy target five years early, and is investing heavily in AI, quantum computing, and deep tech. Challenges remain, but the direction is clear: This is an economy on the move, powered by ambition, resilience, and reform. Amitabh Kant is India's former G20 Sherpa, and former CEO of NITI Aayog. The views expressed are personal.
