According to two recently released videos, seven more Indians stuck on the Russia-Ukraine border have sought help from the government to return to India. Five of these men are from Punjab, while the other two are from Haryana. The men said that they were forced to join the Russian Army as helpers and were later given arms training and forced to fight in the war. The Ministry of External Affairs had recently admitted that around 20 Indians stuck on the war front in Russia had reached out to the Indian Embassy seeking help in returning home.
Amid deteriorating ties between India and China, Beijing has not deployed an ambassador to New Delhi in the last 16 months. This unusual delay is the longest since 1976. The post became vacant when the earlier envoy, Sun Weidong, was promoted to a foreign vice-ministership in November 2022. As the post remains empty, with two sides continuing to be in a military standoff since the Galwan clash in June 2020, observers say that an appointment would be crucial to rebuilding trust between the two sides.
While addressing the Korean National Diplomatic Academy during his two-day visit to South Korea, Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said that India and South Korea have a growing responsibility to actively contribute to reshaping the global order. The EAM highlighted the visible benefits for both nations amidst global uncertainty and stressed the deepening bilateral ties. During the visit, Jaishankar held discussions with South Korea’s Trade Minister Ahn Dukgeun and met with representatives from South Korean think tanks. He also met the Director of National Security, Chang Ho-jin, and called on the South Korean PM Han Duck-soo.
The US will not send troops to fight in Ukraine, National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby announced, in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s demand that allies not be cowardly. “I’m not going to parse President Macron’s words. I mean, he certainly has every right and ability to speak for himself in his views. All I can do is speak for President [Joe] Biden, commander in chief,” Kirby said.
France has invited the foreign and defence ministers of Ukraine’s main allies, as well as the NATO Secretary General, to participate in a video call on Thursday to demonstrate a “united front.” This comes after President Emmanuel Macron faced considerable backlash for suggesting sending Western troops to battle in Ukraine at a Paris-based conference last week. “The debate that followed reflects only partially the reality of the discussion in Paris and should not overshadow our collective determination to support Ukraine,” the invitation urged. The meeting is set to discuss ways to accelerate the delivery of key capabilities, especially artillery ammunition supply and production.
The European Commission launched the first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) at the EU level on Tuesday, aiming to boost the competitiveness and readiness of the bloc’s defence sector. According to a press release issued by the bloc’s executive body, the EDIS addresses the challenges currently faced by the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), as well as opportunities for maximising its potential, and establishes an outline for the next decade. “To increase European defence industrial readiness, Member States need to invest more, better, together, and European,” it added.