Buffeted by Trump and vote-rigging charges, India's Modi starts to push back
While he needs to deal with these headwinds, Modi also has to answer opposition charges of vote-rigging in the 2024 general election. The challenges are coming to a head just before a difficult electoral battle in Bihar, one of India's most politically significant states.
A defeat in the vote to the state assembly would not affect Modi's position in the national parliament, but it would be a hammer blow to the reputation of a leader who has maintained a vice-like grip on power since he was elected prime minister more than a decade ago.
This week Trump's administration announced a 50% tariff on imports from India, among the highest of any country in the world, throwing the bilateral relationship into deep disarray. Yet until just six months ago, Trump and Modi were exchanging bear hugs and describing each other as close friends.
'The Indo-US relation revolved around the personalities of Trump and Modi,' New Delhi-based political commentator Arati Jerath said.
'So now when it's souring, Modi has no buffer. There is a fair amount of disappointment that this strong leader has not been able to show the sort of strength and muscularity that he said to have.'
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IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Trump's Economic Coercion Failing to Intimidate BRICS Countries
Demonstrators burn a US flag and a picture of US President Donald Trump during a protest in defence of national sovereignty following the US government trade taxes and sanctions on Brazil, near the US consulate, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 1, 2025. Image: AFP Kanwal Sibal US President Trump has rattled Washington's ties with New Delhi to an unexpected degree. Countries, including India, were prepared for rough diplomatic weather after Trump won his second term, but did not anticipate the kind of onslaught he has unleashed on the global system and diplomatic norms. Trump's latest attack on India and the BRICS countries explains this underlying dynamic. The BRICS aspire to play a greater political, economic and financial role in global affairs. This aspiration is based on shifts of economic and concomitant political and financial power towards the so-called emerging powers or middle-income countries. BRICS countries have already begun to use their national currencies in trading with each other as much as possible. The use of draconian financial sanctions on Russia by the West has accelerated this process. Today, almost all trade operations between Russia and China are conducted in rubles and yuan. India, too, is encouraging the use of its national currency in payment transactions with select countries. A significant portion of the trade between India and Russia is now settled using a rupee-ruble mechanism. Washington cannot use secondary sanctions to prevent countries, including India, from using the US dollar to trade with Russia and then oppose de-dollarisation if these countries are compelled to use alternative payment mechanisms. If the US continues to weaponise the dollar, it will inevitably lead to the very 'de-dollarisation' that Trump is concerned about. India has officially disowned any de-dollarisation agenda, not the least because the US is its biggest trade partner in goods and services. India seeks more investments and technology transfers from the US. In many ways, New Delhi's ties with Washington are the most important for achieving its growth and developmental goals. But that does not preclude India from establishing other partnerships to reduce over-dependence on one country, balance its external relations and hedge against the excesses of US foreign policy. Trump has exacerbated the disruptions caused by Washington's frequent use of sanctions as a political weapon by also weaponising tariffs. He is convinced that by imposing arbitrarily determined tariffs on imports from other countries, he will compel them to enter into negotiations with the US to obtain relief by lowering their high tariffs on American products. But India on Wednesday sent a clear message: it is determined to protect the interests of its businesses, farmers and people. Trump's use of tariffs as a lever, like in the case of Brazil, where he has cited President Lula's treatment of his predecessor Bolsonaro as a reason for imposing 50% levies, is being closely monitored by the world's governments. Trump has repeatedly targeted BRICS since his return to the Oval Office. He had threatened the countries with tariffs if they continued to pledge to create a new common currency or support any alternative to the US dollar. Trump appeared to harbour the illusion that BRICS was 'dead' following his threats, which have now materialised into action. In reality, the BRICS summit held in Brazil this July showed no visible signs of intimidation. On the contrary, such overt displays of American economic coercion may well drive more countries toward alliances that seek to challenge the dominance of any single global power. The administration in Washington appears to lack realism in its assessment of global trends. Trump positions himself as a peacemaker and openly aspires to win a Nobel Peace Prize, while at the same time bombing Iran and assisting Israel in perpetuating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Similarly, threatening China as a BRICS member with 100% tariffs so casually – along with talk of bombing Beijing if the People's Republic were to invade Taiwan – makes little sense, especially given that an interim trade deal has already been reached and further negotiations are imminent. The US cannot reasonably claim that forums like BRICS have no right to determine their agenda in pursuit of their shared interests. At the same time, the US has walked out of or subverted key international agreements and institutions. It has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Change agreement, the WHO, the UN Human Rights Commission and UNESCO. Trump seems to believe that these organisations cannot function or survive without the presence of the US and its financial contributions. In reality, the US will lose its voice and its leadership in these international forums. The space it vacates will be filled by others, especially China. Beijing has already carved out enormous influence in the UN institutions, as it is now the second largest contributor to the UN. With Washington also bullying Europe and thereby damaging Western solidarity, the US's absence from these organisations will have even less impact. The more the world learns to manage without the US in these international bodies, the more America's international influence will erode. These US decisions will also accelerate the dispersal of influence at the global level, as other centres of influence develop. * Kanwal Sibal is a retired Indian foreign secretary and a former Ambassador to Russia between 2004 and 2007. This article was originally published at ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
What to expect at upcoming Trump-Putin summit in Alaska?
Russian President Vladimir Putin with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, August 6, 2025. Image: Kremlin Press Office / Handout via Xinhua US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet on August 15 in Alaska to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, marking the first talks between the leaders of the two countries since 2021. On the campaign trail in 2023 and 2024, Trump made repeated claims that he would end the Ukraine crisis within 24 hours of winning presidency. The summit, Trump's latest push for peace in the region, has been billed by the White House as a high-stakes push to end the Ukraine crisis. But the prospects for a breakthrough appear uncertain, with the two leaders approaching the talks from sharply different positions and many of America's allies warning that any deal struck without Kiev's participation will lack legitimacy. The plans for the face-to-face meeting between the two leaders surfaced after Putin's three-hour working meeting with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff during the latter's visit to Moscow on Wednesday. Putin this week offered the Trump administration a broad ceasefire proposal that requires significant territorial concessions from Kiev and seeks international acceptance of Russia's claims in return for stopping the fighting, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing European and Ukrainian officials. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a press conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, May 11, 2025. Image: Xinhua / Liu Kai Trump said Friday that he intended to secure a ceasefire, even suggesting that "swapping of territories" could be part of the deal. While he has not specified what that would entail, the phrase has drawn immediate pushback from Ukraine and its allies. Ukraine has repeatedly said it will not accept any arrangement that cedes its territory. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday criticised the Alaska talks for excluding his government and warned that lasting peace cannot be achieved without Ukraine at the table. "Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace," Zelenskyy said in a video address. "They will bring nothing. These are dead decisions; they will never work." European capitals reacted swiftly to Trump's suggestion of a land swap. Leaders from the European Commission, France, Italy, Britain, Germany, Poland and Finland issued a joint statement on Saturday affirming that Ukraine's borders, as recognised internationally, cannot be changed by force. The statement underscored that Ukraine must be directly involved in any negotiations regarding its sovereignty. The last round of Russia-Ukraine talks held in Istanbul on July 23 concluded with no breakthrough towards a ceasefire but an agreement on another prisoner swap with civilian detainees included. Russia and Ukraine remain quite apart from each other while exchanges of drone and missile attacks continue to inflict heavy casualties and infrastructure damage. Analysts say that even if Trump and Putin agree on broad principles, achieving a workable ceasefire will be far from simple, as Russia controls significant territory, including areas it has fortified heavily over the past year, while Ukraine remains committed to regaining its land. A halt to fighting would require agreement on troop withdrawals, security guarantees and the future status of disputed regions – issues that have defied resolution since the conflict began in 2022. Without clear enforcement mechanisms, experts warn, any truce could unravel quickly. Whether the Alaska summit moves the Ukraine crisis toward resolution or entrenches a fragile stalemate will depend on whether the leaders can bridge deep divides. With positions hardened and trust in short supply, a ceasefire, if it comes at all, will not be easy. Xinhua
Eyewitness News
9 hours ago
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European leaders urge more 'pressure' on Russia ahead of Trump-Putin summit
KYIV - European leaders urged more "pressure" on Russia overnight Saturday, after the announcement of a Trump-Putin summit to end the war in Ukraine raised concern that an agreement would require Kyiv to cede swathes of territory. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in the US state of Alaska this Friday to try to resolve the three-year conflict, despite warnings from Ukraine and Europe that Kyiv must be part of negotiations. Announcing the summit last week, Trump said that "there'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both" sides, without elaborating. But President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Saturday that Ukraine won't surrender land to Russia to buy peace. "Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier," he said on social media. "Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace," he added. Zelensky urged Ukraine's allies to take "clear steps" towards achieving a sustainable peace during a call with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer. European leaders issued a joint statement overnight Saturday to Sunday saying that "only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on the Russian Federation to end their illegal war can succeed". They welcomed Trump's efforts, saying they were ready to help diplomatically - by maintaining support to Ukraine, as well as by upholding and imposing restrictive measures against Russia. "The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations", said the statement, signed by leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Britain, Finland and EU Commission chief Ursula Von Der Leyen, without giving more details. They also said a resolution "must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests", including "the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity". "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," they said. National security advisors from Kyiv's allies - including the United States, EU nations and the UK - gathered in Britain Saturday to align their views ahead of the Putin-Trump summit. French President Emmanuel Macron, following phone calls with Zelensky, Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said "the future of Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukrainians" and that Europe also had to be involved in the negotiations. In his evening address Saturday, Zelensky stressed: "There must be an honest end to this war, and it is up to Russia to end the war it started." A 'DIGNIFIED PEACE' Three rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine this year have failed to bear fruit. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with millions forced to flee their homes. Putin, a former KGB officer in power in Russia for over 25 years, has ruled out holding talks with Zelensky at this stage. Ukraine's leader has been pushing for a three-way summit and argues that meeting Putin is the only way to make progress towards peace. The summit in Alaska, the far-north territory which Russia sold to the United States in 1867, would be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021. Nine months later, Moscow sent troops into Ukraine. Zelensky said of the location that it was "very far away from this war, which is raging on our land, against our people". The Kremlin said the choice was "logical" because the state close to the Arctic is on the border between the two countries, and this is where their "economic interests intersect". Moscow has also invited Trump to pay a reciprocal visit to Russia later. Trump and Putin last sat together in 2019 at a G20 summit meeting in Japan during Trump's first term. They have spoken by telephone several times since January, but Trump has failed to broker peace in Ukraine as he promised he could. FIGHTING GOES ON Russia and Ukraine continued pouring dozens of drones onto each other's positions in an exchange of attacks in the early hours of Saturday. A bus carrying civilians was hit in Ukraine's frontline city of Kherson, killing two people and wounding 16. The Russian army claimed to have taken Yablonovka, another village in the Donetsk region, the site of the most intense fighting in the east and one of the five regions Putin says is part of Russia. In 2022, the Kremlin announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - despite not having full control over them. As a prerequisite to any peace settlement, Moscow demanded Kyiv pull its forces out of the regions and commit to being a neutral state, shun Western military support and be excluded from joining NATO. Kyiv said it would never recognise Russian control over its sovereign territory, though it acknowledged that getting land captured by Russia back would have to come through diplomacy, not on the battlefield.
