Pushing back: The Statesman
It reflects the shifting terrain of global influence ~ and a hardening consensus within the Global South. At the heart of the statement lies a principled rejection of coercive economic measures ~ particularly those imposed without United Nations authorisation. These so-called 'secondary sanctions,' once limited in scope, have grown into tools of extraterritorial pressure with serious implications for development and human rights. India, though a partner to the West in many areas, has consistently resisted such onesided diktats. Its continued purchase of Russian energy, even amid Western sanctions, underscores this position. Equally significant is India's decision to co-sign the condemnation of the US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites ~ acts labelled as violations of international law. This is a departure from New Delhi's usual reluctance to name powerful actors in multilateral settings. By not distancing itself from the statement ~ as it did with a similar Shanghai Cooperation Organisation draft ~India is signalling a maturing confidence in its independent worldview.
In an era of transactional geopolitics, this is not about choosing sides, but asserting autonomy. The statement's concern over Gaza ~ especially its reference to starvation as a method of warfare ~ places BRICS on a moral high ground. India's inclusion in this consensus is notable, given its past hesitation in UN forums calling for ceasefires. That Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the humanitarian crisis directly at the summit signals that India is willing to speak on tough issues, even if it complicates its bilateral equations. A two-state solution may remain the official line, but the evolving nature of conflict demands moral clarity ~ something the BRICS platform appears ready to embrace. US President Donald Trump's retaliatory threat to impose additional tariffs on countries 'aligning with anti-American policies' reveals how high the stakes have become. Economic coercion, once veiled in policy language, is now openly political. But such pressure tactics may only deepen the resolve of emerging powers.
The BRICS bloc is no longer just an economic grouping ~ it is becoming a political counterweight. India's foreign policy has long been guided by strategic autonomy. What is new is the comfort with aligning that autonomy with a collective voice ~ especially when that voice calls out global imbalances. As the BRICS platform grows in relevance, so too does India's opportunity to shape its future ~ not in opposition to the West, but on terms rooted in sovereignty, legality, and a shared vision for a more balanced global order.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
10 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Head of UN rights office urges accountability for killings in Syria's Sweida
GENEVA - The head of the United Nations human rights office called on Friday for Syria's interim authorities to ensure accountability and justice for killings and rights violations in the southern city of Sweida. Syria's government sent troops this week to the predominantly Druze city to quell fighting between Bedouins and Druze, but the violence grew until a ceasefire was declared. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it had received credible reports of widespread rights violations during the fighting. These included reports of summary executions, kidnappings and destruction of private property by security forces and individuals linked to Syria's interim authorities, as well as other armed elements including Druze and Bedouins. "This bloodshed and the violence must stop, and the protection of all people must be the utmost priority, in line with international human rights law," OHCHR High Commissioner Volker Turk said in a statement. At least 13 people were unlawfully killed in one recorded incident on July 15 when affiliates of the interim authorities opened fire at a family gathering, the OHCHR said. Six men were summarily executed near their homes the same day. "My Office has received accounts of distressed Syrians who are living in fear for their lives and those of their loved ones," Turk said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 30% of aviation jobs could be redesigned due to AI, automation; $200m fund to support workers: CAAS Singapore HSA looking to get anti-vape cyber surveillance tool with AI capabilities Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Singapore Residents in South West District get help to improve employability, find career opportunities Singapore Jail for contraband cigarette syndicate member over conspiracy to give bribes to security officer Life Kinokuniya opens third bookstore in Raffles City, weeks ahead of schedule Business DBS shares rally to a new record as STI clocks yet another high Singapore 5 foreigners charged over scheme to deliberately get arrested in S'pore to sell sex drugs Israel carried out airstrikes on Damascus on Wednesday and also hit government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying it aimed to protect Syrian Druze - part of a small but influential minority with followers in Lebanon and Israel. Turk shared his concern following reports of civilian casualties following Israeli airstrikes on Sweida, Daraa in the southwest, and on the centre of Damascus. REUTERS
Straits Times
10 minutes ago
- Straits Times
EU approves new Russia sanctions with lower oil price cap
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas arrives at the 5th EU-Southern Neighbourhood Ministerial meeting in Brussels, Belgium, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo BRUSSELS - The European Union on Friday agreed an 18th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, including measures aimed at dealing further blows to the Russian oil and energy industry. The package aims to lower the G7's price cap for buying Russian crude oil to $47.6 per barrel, diplomats told Reuters. "The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X. "We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow." G7 PRICE CAP INEFFECTIVE SO FAR Yet Russia has so far managed to sell most of its oil above the previous price cap as the current mechanism makes it unclear who must police its implementation, and traders doubt the new EU sanctions will significantly disrupt Russian oil trade. The package also has a ban on transactions related to Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea and on Russia's financial sector. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 30% of aviation jobs could be redesigned due to AI, automation; $200m fund to support workers: CAAS Singapore HSA looking to get anti-vape cyber surveillance tool with AI capabilities Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Singapore Residents in South West District get help to improve employability, find career opportunities Singapore Jail for contraband cigarette syndicate member over conspiracy to give bribes to security officer Life Kinokuniya opens third bookstore in Raffles City, weeks ahead of schedule Business DBS shares rally to a new record as STI clocks yet another high Singapore 5 foreigners charged over scheme to deliberately get arrested in S'pore to sell sex drugs Kallas said the sanctions also targeted 105 ships in Russia's "shadow fleet", the term used by Western officials for ships that Moscow uses to circumvent oil sanctions, and "Chinese banks that enable sanctions evasion". She did not name the banks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the decision "essential and timely" as Russia intensifies its air war on Ukrainian cities and villages. And Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said: "Depriving Russia of its oil revenues is critical for putting an end to its aggression." The Group of Seven Western economic powers have tried to impose a price cap on purchases of Russian oil price since December 2022. It aims to ban trade in Russian crude bought at a higher price by prohibiting shipping, insurance and re-insurance companies from handling tankers carrying such crude. US DECLINES TO BACK EUROPE ON PRICE CAP The European Union and Britain have been pushing to lower the cap for the last two months after a fall in oil futures made the current level of $60 a barrel largely irrelevant. [O/R] But the United States has resisted, leaving the EU to move forward on its own, but without real power to enforce the measure, analysts and oil traders say. As the dollar dominates global oil transactions, and U.S. financial institutions play the central role in clearing payments, the EU has no means to block trades by denying access to dollar clearing. Agreement on the new EU package was held up for weeks as Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico demanded concessions on a separate plan to phase out EU dependence on Russian oil and gas. Fico announced on Thursday night that he was ending his opposition. Countries such as Greece, Cyprus and Malta had expressed concerns about the effect of the oil price cap on their shipping industries. But Malta, the last of the trio to hold out, also came on board on Thursday. REUTERS
AsiaOne
10 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Russia says Trump's new weapons pledge a signal for Ukraine to abandon peace efforts, World News
MOSCOW — US President Donald Trump's decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said on Thursday (July 17), vowing it would not accept the "blackmail" of Washington's new sanctions ultimatum. Trump announced a toughened stance on Russia's war in Ukraine on Monday, setting a 50-day deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions. The US also promised more missiles and other weaponry for Kyiv. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, condemned the move. "It is obvious that the Kyiv regime consistently perceives such decisions by the collective West as a signal to continue the slaughter and abandon the peace process," Zakharova told a news briefing in Moscow. Russia's all-out war against Ukraine in February, 2022, has led to Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War Two, with the United States estimating that 1.2 million people have been injured or killed. Moscow says it was forced to launch the war to protect itself from an expanding Nato. Ukraine and most Western governments call Russia's war a colonial-style land grab. [[nid:720322]] Russian forces now control around one fifth of Ukrainian territory and are slowly but steadily advancing across a vast frontline, sustaining what the US believes are heavy losses along the way. Trump, who has made ending the conflict a priority of his administration, is threatening "100 per cent tariffs on Russia" and secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire deal by his 50-day deadline. "An unprecedented number of sanctions and restrictions have been imposed on our country and our international partners. There are so many of them that we view the threat of new sanctions as mundane," Zakharova said. "The language of ultimatums, blackmail, and threats is unacceptable to us. We will take all necessary steps to ensure the security and protect the interests of our country." 'Proxy war' Both Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Trump have repeatedly cautioned over the escalatory risks of the conflict, which they cast as a proxy war between the world's two biggest nuclear powers. US efforts to broker peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, however, have faced repeated setbacks. Russia says it is ready to hold further talks, but has made it clear it wants all of the territory of four Ukrainian regions it has claimed as its own — terms which Ukraine say are unacceptable and would amount to a capitulation. [[nid:720294]] Moscow is also keen to revive its battered bilateral relationship with the United States if possible, though Trump's latest moves on Ukraine have soured the atmosphere. Trump said on Monday that he was "very unhappy" and "disappointed" with Putin and cast his decision to send more arms to Ukraine as intended to jolt Russia towards peace. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by threats of tougher sanctions, and that his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance. Earlier on Thursday, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia had no plans to attack Nato or Europe. But he said it should respond and, if necessary, launch preemptive strikes if it believed the West was escalating what he cast as its full-scale war against Russia. "We need to act accordingly. To respond in full. And if necessary, launch preemptive strikes," Medvedev was quoted as saying. The remarks by Medvedev, reported in full by the TASS state news agency, indicate that Moscow sees the confrontation with the West over Ukraine escalating after Trump's latest decisions. "What is happening today is a proxy war, but in essence it is a full-scale war (launches of Western missiles, satellite intelligence, etc.), sanctions packages, loud statements about the militarisation of Europe," Medvedev said, according to TASS. [[nid:720338]]
