Latest news with #Rudenko
New York Post
24-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Russia is sending kidnapped Ukrainian teens to the frontlines, Kyiv says: ‘Fighting against their own people'
Russia is forcing the children that it's kidnapped from Ukraine to fight against their own country once they turn 18 as part of a direct order from President Vladimir Putin, Kyiv officials said. Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, said soldiers on the battlefield are coming face-to-face with the young men, with one rescued 19-year-old recounting the Kremlin's re-education process that he was made to endure for three years, the Times of London reported. 'We were made to sing the Russian anthem every morning, then physical training — jumps, squats, running, crawling — and we also learned how to shoot,' Vlad Rudenko told the outlet. Advertisement 6 Moscow is deploying Ukrainian teens to the frontlines along with Russian conscripts, Kyiv alleges. Sputnik via AP 6 Moscow has touted its re-education camps, where children taken from Ukraine are brought up as Russian citizens, with older kids undergoing military training. Newsflare 'The 16- and 17-year-olds were given dummy rifles and the older ones used live ammunition,' he added. Rudenko was one of the many children who were taken from their homes when Russian soldiers stormed through the southern town of Kherson in October 2022. Advertisement He was only 16 when the foreign troops found him hiding in his mother's apartment, taking the boy by gunpoint and transferring him to a re-education camp in occupied Crimea, where he and other children underwent combat training. Rudenko, who was smuggled over the frontlines with the help of his mother last year, considered himself lucky when compared to some of the other 35,000 children Russia has kidnapped. 6 Andriy Yermak confirmed that the bodies of young Ukrainians were discovered on the opposing side of the battlefield. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement 6 Ukraine estimates that some 35,000 children have been kidnapped from their parents and homes since Russia began its invasion in 2022. AP 'The Russians didn't manage to take anything from me though, they just deprived me of my childhood,' he said. 'I am lucky, because there are Ukrainians now who are fighting against their own people.' Yermak, who slammed Moscow as a 'terroristic regime,' said the kidnapping and re-education of countless Ukrainian children serves two goals. The first is for Russia to fill its ranks with expendable soldiers as Moscow continues to beef up its military numbers in the face of hundreds of deaths a week along the frontlines. Advertisement 6 Kyiv says part of Moscow's plan is to bolster its frontline forces amid the hundreds of deaths and injuries that occur every week. REUTERS The second is far more sinister: to force Ukrainian soldiers to fight against their own children, Yermak said. The top Ukrainian official confirmed that soldiers have already begun identifying the bodies of their own countrymen on the opposing side of the battlefields. 'The Russians want to destroy the new generation of the Ukrainians, and they are building new soldiers against the country where they were born. It is terrible,' he said. 'Putin's goal is [that] he doesn't want Ukraine to exist.' 6 Demonstrators place the toys of missing Ukrainian children on the streets of Brussels, condemning the mass kidnappings by Russian soldiers. Getty Images Experts at the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab helped Kyiv raise the alarms of Russia's mass kidnapping and re-education ploy last month. The US research team has been working to keep track of Ukrainian children that have disappeared since the start of Russia's 2022 war on Kyiv and has identified dozens of 'Russification' camps — at least 13 in Belarus and 43 in Russian-annexed Crimea and across mainland Russia. There, the kids are indoctrinated into Putin's ideal citizens and raised to speak Russian and not their native Ukrainian. Advertisement Some of the children have been shown on Russian state TV being paraded around Moscow, with even the Kremlin's Children's Rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, publicly bragging about adopting a boy from the city of Mariupol, which was seized in 2022 following a bloody, months-long siege. The mass kidnappings are among the charges that led the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Putin back in 2023.
News18
20-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Can India Sail In Both RIC With Quad Boats, Balancing US, China And Russia?
Last Updated: While Russia and China are keen to wean India away from the US, is India ready to spoil relations with America? The US is India's biggest trade partner. There are unexpected friendly noises from India's otherwise hostile and mighty neighbour's house. And a gentle invitation to do an almost impossible trapeze: resuscitate the RIC (Russia-India-China) axis. Nevermind India is still in the Quad with the US, Australia, and Japan. It started mid-July with Russian media quoting their deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko as saying that Moscow expects the resumption of the RIC format and is deliberating on it with Beijing and New Delhi. 'This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides being the founders of BRICS," Rudenko reportedly said. Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, is also eager to restart the RIC dialogue. 'I would like to confirm our genuine interest in the earliest resumption of the work within the format of the troika — Russia, India, China — which was established many years ago on the initiative of Yevgeny Primakov (former Russian Prime Minister)," Lavrov is quoted as saying. Beijing immediately seemed to warm up to the idea. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: 'China-Russia-India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of the three countries but also helps uphold peace, security, stability and progress in the region and the world." Should it hasten into RIC's embrace and upset its biggest trade partner and fellow democracy, America? Or should it fritter away the opportunity to forge a powerful global alliance that mellows China's hostility towards it and hedges against America's hegemony and Trump's mercurial politics? India has wisely chosen to buy time, mull, and act in its own best interest. 'This consultative format is a mechanism where the three countries come and discuss global issues and regional issues of interest to them," India's external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing. '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." Meanwhile, a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity, threat) analysis of reactivating the RIC must undoubtedly be on in the foreign office. Let us first examine the potential weaknesses and threats. The obvious one is whether India can balance the Quad and RIC. It is immensely tricky because, notwithstanding public utterances, the central idea of the Quad is to contain China's influence in the Indian Ocean. By being part of RIC, India will risk the most acute conflict of interest in today's geopolitics. While Russia and China are keen to wean India away from the US, is India ready to spoil relations with America? The US is India's biggest trade partner. Also, ideologically and culturally, India fits more comfortably with a liberal democracy like the US than a Communist dictatorship or a one-man rule. Besides, given China's track record of backstabbing and waiting for the right moment to strike, it is inadvisable to trust the Dragon or take it at face value. And lastly, it seems unlikely that China will stop using Pakistan and its jihad factory as a strategic tool against India. It is also fattening the worst Islamist elements in Bangladesh with money and junkets, knowing fully well they will create trouble for India. Indian agencies believe Chinese money is widely used in manufacturing so-called 'dissent' and internal security challenges for India. But there are considerable positives linked to RIC. If the three massive economies and militaries of China, India, and Russia come together, they can easily rival NATO. Recently, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte threatened India and China with sanctions if they continue to buy Russian oil, seeing no irony in the fact that the European Union bought USD 22 billion worth of Russian oil in a year and sent just USD 19 billion of aid to Ukraine. Even NATO member Turkey, by Rutte's logic, stands to be sanctioned. Also, the world's two most populous countries form a vast talent pool as well as massive domestic markets. RIC may work as a bulwark against US President Donald Trump's whimsical and disruptive policies like retaliatory tariffs and meddling uninvited in regional conflicts. The US also fears that BRICS, which has all three as its founding members, may challenge the dollar hegemony with its own currency. But ending the monopoly of the dollar may actually be good for a multipolar world. China, India, and Russia working more closely could be a massive regional stabilising force in Asia, Middle East, and Africa. Also, a India-China strategic alliance with common friend Russia in the middle may make China less bent on using Pakistan and other irritants against India. The positives might sound fanciful, but RIC is definitely worth giving a long thought. If India can convince the US and Europe that cooperation with its adversaries does not mean hostility and that its huge market and talent pool is available for mutual trade and growth, it can pull off the near-impossible. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 20, 2025, 10:01 IST News india Can India Sail In Both RIC With Quad Boats, Balancing US, China And Russia? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
19-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
RIC vs reality: Why India is cautious of a troika with China and Russia
Perhaps India should privately share its concerns with the Russian leadership and tell them that for the moment, Delhi sees Brics and the SCO as providing enough scope for trilateral cooperation between Russia, India, and China read more 'If a diplomat says yes, he means maybe. If he says maybe, he means no. If he says no, he's not a diplomat.' I was reminded of this old saying by the remarks made by the Official Spokesperson of India's Ministry of External Affairs in the context of the revival of the Russia-India-China (RIC) troika. Russia's deputy foreign minister, Andrei Rudenko, had said recently that Moscow wants the resumption of the RIC format and is negotiating on this issue with Beijing and New Delhi. He said, 'We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides being the founders of Brics.' He added that 'in this regard, we expect that these countries will agree to resume work within the framework of the RIC'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Asked for his reaction to Rudenko's comments, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian expressed support for Russia's initiative and said, 'China-Russia-India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of the three countries but also helps uphold peace, security, stability, and progress in the region and the world.' On the other hand, India responded to the Russian proposal in a cautious manner. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said that the RIC is considered a valuable platform for discussing global and regional issues of shared interest, and India's decision to resume the dialogue hinges on finding a 'mutually convenient manner' for all three nations involved. Thus, without responding negatively to the Russian proposal, India's response is akin to saying 'maybe' in a skilful and diplomatic manner. It is important to note that the RIC framework has been largely inactive in recent years, primarily due to the military tensions between India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While Russia and China have publicly expressed strong support for revitalising the group, India's stance reflects the need to navigate the delicate balance of its relationships with both countries, particularly in light of unresolved border disputes with China. It would be recalled that speaking at a Conference on Security and Cooperation in Eurasia in the city of Perm in the Ural Mountains on May 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had also conveyed Russia's interest in reviving the Russia-India-China Troika (RIC). Lavrov had said, 'I would like to confirm our genuine interest in the earliest resumption of the work within the format of the troika—Russia, India, and China—which was established many years ago on the initiative of (ex-Russian prime minister) Yevgeny Primakov and which has organised meetings more than 20 times at the ministerial level since then, not only at the level of foreign policy chiefs but also the heads of other economic, trade, and financial agencies of the three countries.' He also said, 'Now that, as I understand, an understanding has been reached between India and China on how to calm the situation on the border, it seems to me that the time has come to revive this RIC troika.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Contrary to what Lavrov had said, tensions remain high along the India-China border, particularly in eastern Ladakh, despite recent agreements and de-escalation efforts. While both sides have shown a willingness to engage in dialogue and reduce the potential for clashes, the underlying territorial disputes and the buildup of military forces continue to fuel concerns about potential escalation. In essence, while there have been some positive steps towards de-escalation, the India-China border situation remains complex and potentially volatile, with the risk of future clashes and escalation as long as the underlying territorial and strategic issues remain unresolved. Increased infrastructure development and troop deployments along the border by China in recent years have further exacerbated tensions. The 2020 Galwan Valley clashes and ongoing border disputes have continued to strain the relationship between India and China. As General Upendra Dwivedi, the Indian Army Chief, said earlier this year, India will not reduce the number of its troops deployed along the Line of Actual Control with China anytime soon, asserting there is still 'a degree of standoff' persisting between the rival armies and the two countries need to rebuild trust to de-escalate overall tensions. General Dwivedi's statement makes it quite clear that there is a lack of trust for China. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The India-China territorial dispute stems from differing interpretations of the border, with China continuing to dispute India's claims over regions like Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh. China has issued maps showing Aksai Chin—an area of India's state of Jammu and Kashmir mostly controlled by China since the 1962 war—and the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh within Chinese territory. As recently as May 14 this year, China has reasserted its territorial claims in Arunachal Pradesh. Despite professed claims about efforts to improve diplomatic ties with India, the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs published its latest names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls Zangnan and says is part of the Tibetan autonomous region. The renaming of 27 places covered an array of geographical features: 15 mountains, five residential areas, four mountain passes, two rivers, and one lake. India rejected the new Chinese names for places in Arunachal Pradesh as a 'preposterous' attempt to alter the 'undeniable' reality that the state 'was, is, and will' always be an integral part of India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It is, in fact, an old Chinese habit to periodically issue lists of new names for locations in Arunachal Pradesh. India describes the names as 'inventions' by China and has consistently and unequivocally dismissed them. China's renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh is a strategic move to assert unilateral claims, which India firmly rejects, emphasising Arunachal's integral status. Strengthening infrastructure, military deterrence, and global alliances is crucial for India to counter China's tactics and safeguard sovereignty. There are important geopolitical considerations that also need to be taken into account. China supports Pakistan against India through various means, including providing military equipment, intelligence, and economic assistance. This support is often seen as part of a strategic alliance aimed at countering India's influence in the region. Consequently, India feels that the China-Pakistan axis, characterised by strong military and economic ties, poses a strategic challenge for India. This axis is working against Indian interests, particularly due to China's support for Pakistan in regional disputes. China is a major supplier of military equipment and technology to Pakistan, further strengthening their relationship but escalating mistrust with India. China has emerged as Pakistan's largest arms supplier, accounting for almost 81 per cent of Islamabad's weapon systems inventory. Among the weapons supplied by China to Pakistan are fighter jets, missiles, drones, radar systems, warships, and submarines. China has also been implicated in assisting Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Following the Pahalgam terror attack, China moved swiftly to arm Pakistan. Reports suggest Beijing delivered advanced PL-15 air-to-air missiles to Pakistan's air force within days. Debris from one such missile, found undetonated in India's Punjab, points to Chinese involvement in Pakistan's latest assault. Pakistani jets used in combat were also Chinese-made. During the recent clashes with India, China reportedly provided Pakistan with air defence and satellite support, including adjusting satellite passes to monitor Indian troop movements. China's support for Pakistan, particularly in the context of terrorist groups, further fuels India's concerns. China and Pakistan reportedly objected to the inclusion of The Resistance Front (TRF) and its parent organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in a UN Security Council statement condemning the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack. This aligns with a past pattern where China has blocked India's attempts to designate Pakistan-based terrorists and outfits under the UN's 1267 sanctions regime. China had blocked India's proposal at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to ban five Pakistan-based terrorists who carried out terrorist acts against India. These five terrorists are Abdul Rauf Asghar, Sajid Mir, Abdur Rehman Makki, Talha Saeed, and Shahid Mehmood Rehmatullah, who have been involved in several terror attacks in India, including the 26/11 attacks, the 2019 Pulwama attacks, the 2016 Pathankot attack, the 2001 Parliament attack, and the IC 814 hijack. India wanted to get them designated by the UN Security Council as global terrorists, but China blocked this effort. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In conclusion, it needs to be said that the state of the bilateral relationship is not yet such that we should let ourselves be drawn into a closer embrace of China, whose policies are harmful to us beyond doubt. India's approach towards China needs to be a cautious blend of security, economic, and geopolitical considerations. While both countries recognise the benefits of economic engagement, India must remain wary of China's intentions and its policies aimed at undermining India's strategic interests and regional standing. Perhaps we should privately share our concerns with the Russian leadership and tell them that for the moment, we see Brics and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as providing enough scope for trilateral cooperation between Russia, India, and China. The writer is a retired Indian diplomat and had previously served as Consul General in New York. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hans India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Beijing ready to revive RIC troika
New Delhi/Moscow: China on Thursday expressed its support for Russia's initiative to revive the dormant Russia-India-China (RIC) troika, saying the trilateral cooperation not only serves the interest of the three countries but also the security and stability of the region and the world. Russian news portal Izvestia has earlier quoted Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying that Moscow expects the resumption of the RIC format and is negotiating on this issue with Beijing and New Delhi. "This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides the founders of BRICS," Rudenko said. "Therefore, the absence of this format, in my opinion, looks inappropriate. In this regard, we expect that the countries will agree to resume work within the framework of the RIC -- of course, when relations between these states reach a level that allows them to work in a trilateral format," he said. Asked for his reaction to Rudenko's comments at a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday said, "China-Russia-India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of the three countries but also helps uphold peace, security, stability and progress in the region and the world." China stands ready to maintain communication with Russia and India on advancing the trilateral cooperation, he said. The Russian and Chinese interests in the revival of the RIC followed the recent visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to China to take part in the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting, during which he held talks with top Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Joint work in the RIC format was stalled, first because of the coronavirus and later by the India-China military standoff at Eastern Ladakh in 2020, Lavrov said last year. The Ladakh standoff resulted in the freeze of India-China relations for over four years. The bilateral ties revived after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Kazan last year on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. Since then, there has been a steady dialogue process between the two countries to normalise relations. Jaishankar's recent trip came after the visits of NSA Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to China. Lavrov said in May that Russia, which shares close ties with India and China, is 'genuinely interested' in the revival of the RIC format. He said the trilateral mechanism initiated by Russia's former prime minister Yevgeny Primakov resulted in 20 meetings between the three countries at various levels. The three countries were the prime movers of the formation of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and the New Development Bank (NDB) of the grouping, which now includes 10 members. A host of issues, including the growing rivalry between India and China and Beijing's persistent backing of its all-weather ally Pakistan in its anti-India acts, diluted the RIC's relevance and importance. Of late, there is increasing Russian and Chinese interest in the revival of RIC as India has become a member of Quad -- the emerging alliance of the US, India, Japan and Australia, which is seen by Beijing as a grouping aimed at containing its rise. For its part, Russia is concerned over the emerging closer ties between India and the European Union in the backdrop of its continued war against Ukraine, according to the Russian analysts. Lidia Kulik, a senior researcher at the Centre for Indian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes that any format of cooperation in Eurasia is useful because the continent has long been tired of endless conflicts. For India, relations with Russia traditionally play an important role, given that New Delhi and Beijing have problems. Moscow's involvement creates prospects for cooperation in the RIC format, Lidia told Izvestia.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Now, Beijing supports revival of Russia-India-China troika
File photo BEIJING/NEW DELHI: China on Thursday expressed its support for Russia's initiative to revive the dormant Russia-India-China (RIC) troika. Russian news portal Izvestia on Thursday quoted Russia's deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko as saying that Moscow expects the resumption of the RIC format and is negotiating on this issue with Beijing and New Delhi. 'This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides being the founders of BRICS,' Rudenko said. 'Therefore, the absence of this format, in my opinion, looks inappropriate. In this regard, we expect that the countries will agree to resume work within the framework of the RIC — of course, when relations between these states reach a level that allows them to work in a trilateral format,' he said. In India, the ministry of external affairs said RIC is a consultative format where the three countries discuss global issues and regional issues of interest to them. '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,' said the spokesperson. Asked for his reaction to Rudenko's comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday said, 'China-Russia-India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of the three countries but also helps uphold peace, security, stability and progress in the region and the world.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo China stands ready to maintain communication with Russia and India on advancing the trilateral cooperation, he said. The Russian and Chinese interests in the revival of RIC followed the recent visit of foreign minister S Jaishankar to China to take part in the SCO foreign ministers meeting, during which he held talks with his Chinese and Russian counterpaerts Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov. Joint work in the RIC format was stalled, first because of the Covid pandemic and then by the India-China military standoff at eastern Ladakh in 2020.
