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India Today
26-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
How India is iron-cladding defences in a rapidly volatile world
India's geopolitical strategy in 2025 reflects a complex balancing act as it navigates its primary rivalry with China, manages cross-border tensions with Pakistan and maintains a critical partnership with Russia, according to the US Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Worldwide Threat a volatile military standoff with Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, India continues to prioritise its economic and defence objectives through ties with Russia, viewing the relationship as a counterweight to the deepening Russia-China DIA notes that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has scaled back procurement of Russian-origin military equipment but remains reliant on Russian spare parts to sustain its extensive inventory of tanks and fighter aircraft. These systems form the backbone of India's military, essential for countering threats from both China and dependence on Russian technology was underscored by its enthusiasm for the S-400 air defence system, dubbed the 'Sudarshan Chakra'. Following a $5.43 billion deal in 2018 for five units, the first S-400 system was deployed in Punjab in 2021 to counter aerial threats from both neighbours. With three units delivered, India is expected to press Russia for the final two. Tensions with Pakistan flared up after the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam. India responded with missile strikes on terrorism-related infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), triggering a 100-hour military face-off over three days. Both sides exchanged missiles, drones, loitering munitions and heavy artillery fire before agreeing to a ceasefire on May Pakistan's military response relied heavily on Chinese-supplied platforms, raising concerns about Beijing's proxy involvement in the conflict. Major General Ashok Kumar, director general at the defence ministry-affiliated think-tank Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, says that China offered Pakistan air defence and satellite support during the recent clash. He said that while China has supported Pakistan in all conflicts with India after 1963, when it got Shaksgam Valley from Pakistan, the support had been marginal.'It was a total turnaround since the Pahalgam terrorist strike, wherein the Chinese establishment has outright supported Pakistan. Support in terms of air defence radars, imageries and such other resources was made available,' Maj. Gen. Kumar to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Pakistan, despite a defence budget one-tenth the size of India's, ranked as the world's fifth-largest arms importer from 2020-2024, sourcing 81 per cent of its arms from China, including fighter aircraft, frigates and air defence which directs 63 per cent of its arms exports to Pakistan, also supports its ally through technology transfers, co-development and co-production. However, military experts warn that Pakistan's growing reliance on Chinese systems raises concerns about their reliability in high-intensity conflicts and the risks of over-dependence on a single Worldwide Threat Assessment for 2025 has underlined that India is sharply focused on countering China as its primary adversary while treating Pakistan as a secondary even as both adversaries indirectly collaborated in the May the China front, India reached an agreement last October to disengage forces from two contested positions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. While this reduced tensions lingering since the deadly 2020 clash in Galwan Valley, the longstanding border demarcation dispute remains counter Chinese influence and bolster its global leadership, India is intensifying defence partnerships in the Indian Ocean region through joint exercises, training, arms sales and information sharing. It has also ramped up trilateral engagement in the Indo-Pacific and remains active in multilateral forums like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and New Delhi's Make in India initiative continues to drive modernisation of its defence industry, aiming to mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities and enhance military capabilities. In 2024, India tested the nuclear-capable Agni-I Prime medium-range ballistic missile and the Agni-V with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles. It also commissioned its second nuclear-powered submarine, strengthening its nuclear triad and deterrence capabilities against India navigates this intricate strategic landscape, its focus remains clear: balancing regional threats, deepening global partnerships, and building a self-reliant defence ecosystem to secure its place as a leading power in an increasingly volatile to India Today MagazineTune InMust Watch
Mint
26-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
India views China, not Pakistan, as ‘primary adversary', says DIA report
A new report released by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested that India views China, and not Pakistan, "as its primary adversary". It said India considers "Pakistan more an ancillary security problem." Meanwhile, "Pakistan regards India as an existential threat," the report noted. The analysis was mentioned in the '2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment' report published by the DIA. DIA director Lieutenant General (Lt) Gen Jeffrey Kruse prepared this report, using information available as of May 11, 2025. Here are 10 key things to know from the report: 'India views China as its primary adversary' India sees 'Pakistan more an ancillary security problem to be managed, despite cross-border attacks in mid-May by both India's and Pakistan's militaries' 'India will maintain its relationship with Russia through 2025 because it views its ties to Russia as important for achieving its economic and defense objectives and sees value in the relationship as a means to offset deepening Russia-China relations.' The DIA report noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 'India has reduced its procurement of Russian-origin military equipment but still relies on Russian spare parts to maintain and sustain its large inventory of Russian-origin tanks and fighter aircraft that form the backbone of its military's ability to counter perceived threats from China and Pakistan.' The report said that for Pakistan, India is "an existential threat". It noted that Pakistan "will continue to pursue its military modernization effort, including the development of battlefield nuclear weapons, to offset India's conventional military advantage."
Asia Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Asia Times
Russia-China ties not as healthy as Putin is making out
Chinese troops participating in Russia's Victory Day parade in Red Square, Moscow, on May 9, is a clear indication that President Xi Jinping is fully committed to his 'no-limits' partnership with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Xi's own attendance of the parade, which came as part of a state visit to Russia, underlines that China is not only supporting Russia. It signified that Beijing wants this support to be understood clearly in Kyiv, Washington and European capitals. Traveling to Moscow and having his troops goose-step down Red Square was not a last-minute decision by Xi. Nor was the multitude of agreements signed by the two leaders and their joint declaration anything but part of a well-established pattern of deepening relations between Russia and China. This trend has accelerated since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But the breadth and depth of China's commitment to Russia at this particular moment is undoubtedly related to the broader upheaval in the international order that has been worsened since Donald Trump's return to the White House. The Trump administration, possibly spooked by market wobbles, has taken steps to restore stability. China and the US have agreed a deal to slash the import tariffs they have imposed on each other. But uncertainty remains – above all about how the complex relationships in the triangle of Washington, Beijing and Moscow will work out and where this will leave the rest of the world. On May 8, in the wake of Xi and Putin's meetings in Moscow, Russia and China released a joint statement. It stressed the intention of the two leaders to 'enhance the coordination of their approaches and to deepen the practical cooperation on maintaining and strengthening global strategic stability, as well as to jointly address common challenges and threats in this sphere'. They reiterated this determination in their press statements afterwards. Putin emphasised that he and Xi 'personally control all aspects of [the] Russia-China partnership and do all we can to expand the cooperation on bilateral issues and the international agenda alike'. A Chinese read-out from the talks was similarly clear on the alignment between the countries. Xi reportedly said that 'in the face of unilateralist countercurrents, bullying and acts of power politics, China is working with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities of major countries and permanent members of the UN Security Council'. This unequivocal display of how close Moscow and Beijing are – as well as Putin and Xi personally – is important for both nations. For Russia, it remains important to demonstrate that western attempts at international isolation have not succeeded. For China, the very public consolidation of ties with Russia is above all a signal to the US. China is keen to stress that Trump's efforts to engineer a split between Moscow and Beijing, which the American president described as necessary to 'un-unite' the two nations during an interview with US talk show host Tucker Carlson in November 2024, have largely failed. However, beyond the glossy surface of the celebrations in Moscow, all is not as well for Russia as Putin is trying to make out. For all the public displays of friendship between Xi and Putin, the relationship between the two countries remains highly asymmetrical. Russia would not be able to continue to wage its war against Ukraine without Chinese support. Trade between Russia and China is critical to propping up the Russian war economy, reaching a record high of nearly US$250 billion in 2024. Their trade has increased by more than 60% since 2021, yet it is only marginally up since 2023. China's diplomatic clout is also helpful for Russia. If Beijing had taken an unequivocal stance opposing Moscow's aggression, fewer leaders in the developing world would have sided with Putin. In this case, Russia would probably have lost organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS group of emerging economies as platforms to further its broader agenda of restoring its erstwhile status as a great power. In that agenda, Putin has been moderately successful. But with South Africa and India's leaders absent from Russia's Victory Day commemorations, the list of attendees was shorter than at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. Notably absent from the celebrations in Moscow was high-level representation from North Korea and Iran. These are two key allies of Russia with whom Moscow signed strategic partnership agreements in June 2024 and January 2025, respectively. Tehran simply sent its ambassador to Moscow to attend. However, it may have compensated Putin in a different and materially more significant way. According to reports, Iran is readying a delivery of launchers to enable Russia to use the short-range ballistic missiles already delivered last year. This would further add to Russia's reliance on Iranian hardware in Ukraine, which has so far been most visible in the use of Iranian-made Shahed drones. North Korea dispatched a military delegation led by three-star general Kim Yong-bok. Kim is widely considered the commander of North Korean forces fighting alongside Russian troops in the Kursk region of western Russia, where Ukrainian forces seized territory in August 2024 as a possible bargaining chip in future negotiations with Russia. Putin officially acknowledged the participation of North Korean troops in this operation in a statement on April 28. This acknowledgment came two days after he had announced the defeat of Ukrainian forces there in a highly choreographed and televised meeting with his chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov. The demonstration of Russia's close relationships with its three core allies – China, Iran and North Korea – is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it clearly indicates that Putin is far from isolated on the international stage. But it also signals that Russia has become a lot more dependent on these relationships than would befit Putin's dreams of restoring Russia's great-power status. Neither can be much comfort to Ukraine and its allies, unfortunately. Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
France 24
09-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Pope Leo XIV celebrates his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel
49:27 09/05/2025 Victory Day highlights the warming of relations between China and Russia 09/05/2025 War in Ukraine: Donald Trump calls for a 30-day ceasefire 09/05/2025 World leaders congratulate Pope Leo XIV on his designation 09/05/2025 Putin-Xi alliance: The ripple effect on life in China 09/05/2025 Pope Leo XIV: Donald Trump praises Robert Prevost's election 09/05/2025 What challenges await Pope Leo XIV? 09/05/2025 Leo XIV elected as the first US pope 09/05/2025 Unity, a major challenge for the new US Pope Leo XIV 09/05/2025 Russia-China unity on display as Putin hosts leaders at Victory Day parade
France 24
09-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
World leaders congratulate Pope Leo XIV on his designation
01:45 09/05/2025 Putin-Xi alliance: The ripple effect on life in China 09/05/2025 Pope Leo XIV: Donald Trump praises Robert Prevost's election 09/05/2025 What challenges await Pope Leo XIV? 09/05/2025 Leo XIV elected as the first US pope 09/05/2025 Unity, a major challenge for the new US Pope Leo XIV 09/05/2025 Russia-China unity on display as Putin hosts leaders at Victory Day parade 09/05/2025 Bill Gates plans to give away most of his fortune by 2045, blasts Musk 09/05/2025 Putin and Xi vow to protect shared version of 'historical truth' in Kremlin talks 09/05/2025 Pakistan and India exchange fire as fears of a wider military confrontation rise
