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U.S. President Trump is prioritising strategic competition with China and seeking stability with Russia. This approach involves sanctions relief, sidelining Ukraine, and fostering economic ties with Moscow to weaken its reliance on China and reshape global power dynamics. Europe is divided on the outreach to Russia, but the U.S. wants to leverage energy markets and investment opportunities to expand its influence over Moscow.
Courtesy: President of Russia-Events website
Europe has reduced its reliance on Russian gas following the war in Ukraine, and its chief supplier Russia is mired in western sanctions. What does it mean for Russia? It has certainly changed the fortunes for American gas to be sold to Europe: as of 2023, the US had become the world’s top exporter of gas.
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The 16th BRICS Summit, held in Russia’s Kazan in October, was the first summit of the expanded grouping. With 13 new partner states invited, it revealed how increased membership has the potential to enhance the grouping’s influence. For India, BRICS serves as a bridge between the west, the east, the north and the south, making New Delhi the geopolitical sweet spot.
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The 22nd India-Russia summit, held in Moscow on July 9 during Prime Minister Modi’s official visit, focused on expanding bilateral economic, energy, cultural and defense cooperation. It indicates the two nations’ commitment to adding substance and new momentum to their relationship. The long-delayed summit, which coincided with the NATO summit in Washington, should be viewed through the wider lens of a multipolar world.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping's three-nation tour to France, Serbia and Hungary in early May highlighted China's aim to bolster ties and navigate shifting global power dynamics. The trip's implications are significant for all major powers, including India, which must inject more creativity and energy in building up its strategic partnerships with G7 nations after the elections.
Courtesy: The Economist
After a year affected by a sustained polycrisis, global geopolitics in 2024 remains a delicate dance between hope and realism. Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza cast uncertain shadows, while Taiwan and the South China Sea present potential flashpoints. Indian diplomacy will have to navigate old and new challenges, while promoting India’s expertise in digital technology, as also managing its own upcoming parliamentary elections.
Courtesy: Fox News
The decision to invite six countries — Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — to join BRICS as full members has opened the grouping to a new geopolitical era. India can now play a seminal but challenging role in this evolved dynamic, given its growing cooperation with the West on the one hand and its active pursuit of the interests of the Global South on the other.
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The BRICS Summit in Johannesburg has drawn international attention to the grouping’s past record of achievements and failures, its strained internal dynamics, and new challenges. As BRICS heads into its 18th year, its success and way forward will depend on the members’ ability to tackle the principal challenge of retaining its internal solidarity while balancing expansion and its impact and influence in the world.
Courtesy: Lowy Institute
The 15th BRICS summit is set to take place on August 22-24 in Johannesburg. Against a backdrop of escalating global tensions, the summit's agenda encompasses crucial topics including greater representation of the Global South, reform of MDBs, and geopolitical flashpoints like the Ukraine crisis. The summit's outcomes will extend beyond the grouping and redefine the landscape of international cooperation among emerging economies.
Courtesy: Asia Times
After many early achievements, BRICS is now in gridlock, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, India-China border tensions, and the Ukraine conflict. Despite its apparent diplomatic bankruptcy, 19 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America are eagerly waiting in line to join the grouping.