logo
Australia delivers Abrams tanks to Ukraine for war with Russia

Australia delivers Abrams tanks to Ukraine for war with Russia

Japan Today5 days ago
FILE PHOTO: General view of the delivery of the first company of U.S.-made Abrams M1A1 tanks to arrive in the country under a deal finalised in 2022, at the port in Szczecin, Poland, June 28, 2023. Cezary Aszkielowicz/ Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS/File Photo
Australia's government said on Saturday it had delivered M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of a A$245 million ($160 million) package to help the country defend itself against Russia in their ongoing war.
Australia, one of the largest non-NATO contributors to Ukraine, has been supplying aid, ammunition and defense equipment since Moscow invaded its neighbor in February 2022.
Ukraine has taken possession of most of the 49 tanks given by Australia, and the rest will be delivered in coming months, said Defense Minister Richard Marles.
'The M1A1 Abrams tanks will make a significant contribution to Ukraine's ongoing fight against Russia's illegal and immoral invasion," Marles said in a statement.
The tanks formed part of the A$1.5 billion ($980 million) that Canberra has provided Ukraine in the conflict, the government said.
Australia has also banned exports of alumina and aluminium ores, including bauxite, to Russia, and has sanctioned about 1,000 Russian individuals and entities.
Australia's center-left Labor government this year labeled Russia as the aggressor in the conflict and called for the war to be resolved on Kyiv's terms.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Biopharma supply chain plans must navigate contradictory US policies
Biopharma supply chain plans must navigate contradictory US policies

Nikkei Asia

time37 minutes ago

  • Nikkei Asia

Biopharma supply chain plans must navigate contradictory US policies

An employee checks capsules inside a Cadila Pharmaceutical company manufacturing unit in Ahmedabad, India. Not all countries and segments of the biopharmaceutical supply chain will be impacted equally by geopolitical uncertainties. © Reuters Gopal Nadadur is senior vice president for South Asia, Sam Ide is vice president for China, and Alex Melillo is associate vice president for Japan at The Asia Group, a strategic advisory firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. Gopal is based in New Delhi and Sam and Alex are based in Washington, D.C. Asia-based biopharmaceutical supply chains are facing a peak period of geopolitically induced uncertainty. Washington is the key source of this upheaval, with industry strategies simultaneously upended by President Donald Trump's tariffs and onshoring policies, national security-focused regulations and pharmaceutical pricing pressure.

Is the Russia-India-China Troika Making a Comeback?
Is the Russia-India-China Troika Making a Comeback?

The Diplomat

time3 hours ago

  • The Diplomat

Is the Russia-India-China Troika Making a Comeback?

In May, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow was interested in reviving the Russia-India-China (RIC) troika. Speaking at a security conference on May 29, Russia's top diplomat said 'I would like to confirm our genuine interest in the earliest resumption of the work within the format of troika – Russia, India, China,' noting that the format, since its launch had 'organized meetings more than 20 times at the ministerial level… not only at the level of foreign policy chiefs, but also the heads of other economic, trade, and financial agencies of three countries.' The idea of triliteral cooperation was first floated in the 1990s and was institutionalized in 2002, which Lavrov credited to Yevgeny Primakov, the late chair of the Russian International Affairs Council. Since then, as the Russian foreign minister pointed out, the RIC had convened nearly two dozen times – but not in the recent past. The last meeting of the RIC leaders took place in 2019 on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. Before that, the leaders of three countries held an informal summit on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The RIC troika has been inactive since November 2021, following a virtual meeting of the RIC foreign ministers. Initially, the format was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was further stalled by the military standoff between China and India in Eastern Ladakh in 2020. However, with China-India relations undergoing a relative thaw, Russia now appears to be keen on reviving the trilateral grouping. In this context, last week, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko stated that he was in negotiations with both Beijing and New Delhi on the revival of the RIC troika. 'This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them,' Rudenko said. 'We are interested in making this format work because these three countries are important partners. The absence of this format, in my opinion, looks inappropriate.' This manifests the clear Russian push to revive the troika, which could provide Moscow with a platform to advance and secure its national interests. Besides Russia, China has also shown interest in the RIC's return. Responding to a question regarding Russia's intentions to revive the bloc, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said that 'China is willing to maintain communication with Russia and India to advance trilateral cooperation.' He added, 'The cooperation among China, Russia, and India not only aligns with the respective interests of the three countries, but also contributes to regional and global peace, security, stability, and progress.' In light of Beijing's regional rivalry with New Delhi, Moscow believes that India is being drawn into the West's anti-Chinese strategies. Reviving the troika format would enable Beijing to have more direct contact with New Delhi and potentially allay concerns about India joining the 'China containment' bloc. India, on the other hand, as of now, seems non-committal on the revival of the RIC format. When asked about the group's revival, Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, gave a bland answer: 'This consultative format is a mechanism where the three countries come and discuss global issues and regional issues of interest to them.' He continued: 'As to when this particular RIC format meeting is going to be held, it is something that will be worked out among the three countries in a mutually convenient manner, and we will let you know as and when that happens at an appropriate time when the meeting is to take place.' Indian media sources report that no RIC troika meeting has been agreed upon, and there are currently no discussions about scheduling a meeting in this format. Still, given the slow but steady progress on normalizing relations between China and India in recent months, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's recent visit to Beijing, the revival of the RIC troika is quite plausible. Russia, struggling with sanctions over its war in Ukraine, would go to any length to revive this bloc. China's support would certainly provide a boost to Russian ambitions and interests. Russia's strategic relations with both China and India can play an important role vis-à-vis the format's revival and Moscow will hope to successfully bring both countries to the table. However, the role of the U.S., particularly under President Donald Trump, may be the most significant factor for the revival of the RIC troika. Since his return to the White House, Trump has resumed his strategy of imposing tariffs, which has sparked a trade war, particularly with China. His protectionist ideals do not align with those of India, as ongoing tariff uncertainties could harm New Delhi's economic and political interests. The last meeting among the RIC leaders in Osaka in 2019 took place under a similar context. Back then, India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, stated, 'All three leaders have agreed that in an era of economic and global change, it is important to uphold the trend of globalization. Maintaining the liberalization of trade, a free trading system, an open trading system, and a rules-based trading system is essential to counter the tendency toward protectionism.' While the situation and circumstances may not be exactly the same as they were in 2019, Trump's trade strategy remains unchanged, which could lead to the revival of the RIC troika. Together, China, India, and Russia could form a Eurasian power that balances Western dominance. These three countries are already part of organizations like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which are also seen as efforts to counter Western influence. The RIC troika could certainly contribute to the promotion of a multipolar world with multiple centers of power, potentially undermining Western dominance. But for this to occur, all three countries must discuss their global and regional priorities. Until that happens, the RIC troika will remain in a state of uncertainty.

What does Trump's AI action plan mean for Asia?
What does Trump's AI action plan mean for Asia?

Nikkei Asia

time3 hours ago

  • Nikkei Asia

What does Trump's AI action plan mean for Asia?

The Trump administration's new AI governance plan aims to ensure the U.S. sustains its technological and economic advantage globally. © Reuters YIFAN YU PALO ALTO, California -- U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his administration's long-awaited "action plan" for artificial intelligence on Wednesday, laying out a largely hands-off, pro-innovation approach to governing the rapidly evolving technology and related industries. The 28-page plan, titled "Winning the Race: America's AI Action Plan," has three major themes: cutting red tape and potentially blocking state-level regulations on AI; overhauling permitting rules and energy supply for AI data centers and semiconductor manufacturing; and calling for other countries to adopt AI models and technology infrastructure from the U.S. rather than China.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store