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During the 1971 War, as the Indian Army launched its blitzkrieg into East Pakistan – present day Bangladesh – US President Richard Nixon had a terrible idea. Under the pretext of evacuating American citizens from the warzone, Nixon ordered the US Seventh Fleet’s Task Force 74, led by the nuclear powered aircraft carrier Enterprise, to proceed towards the Bay of Bengal. He was spurred on by Henry Kissinger, his National Security Advisor.
Nixon’s rash move – which became America’s greatest PR disaster in India – was dictated by the condition of the Pakistani military, which was taking a hammering in East Pakistan. More than 100,000 Pakistani soldiers were trapped between the Bay of Bengal and the rampaging Indian Army. Of these 97,000 would soon surrender, making it the largest capitulation since World War II.
Russia has emerged, all of a sudden, as a key diplomatic player amid the tension between India and China.
* On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hosts the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting, which will be the first opportunity for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for face-time with each other over videoconference. Jaishankar and Wang, who is also Chinese State Councillor, had an angry phone call on June 17 over the June 15 border clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
* On Wednesday, Moscow will host Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, who will attend the Victory Day parade on June 24, along with Indian and Chinese marching contingents.
Written by Shubhajit Roy | New Delhi | Published: June 23, 2020 4:30:46 am
India China border dispute, Rajnath Singh in Russia, India China Russia, Galwan faceoff
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Russia President Vladimir Putin with China’s Xi Jinping (then Vice President) in Beijing in 2012. The two countries have grown closer over the past few decades. (Express Archive)
Russia has emerged, all of a sudden, as a key diplomatic player amid the tension between India and China.
* On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hosts the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting, which will be the first opportunity for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for face-time with each other over videoconference. Jaishankar and Wang, who is also Chinese State Councillor, had an angry phone call on June 17 over the June 15 border clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
* On Wednesday, Moscow will host Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, who will attend the Victory Day parade on June 24, along with Indian and Chinese marching contingents.
While these are ministerial-level engagements, there have been at least two outreaches between India and Russia through diplomatic channels.
* Early this month, before the June 6 Lieutenant General-level talks between India and China, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla “updated” Russian Ambassador Nikolay Kudashev on the “recent developments” on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
* After the June 15 clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, Indian Ambassador to Russia D Bala Venkatesh Varma had a conversation with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov on June 17. “The officials discussed regional security, including developments on the Line of Actual Control on the border between India and China in the Himalayas,” a brief statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The Indian government did not issue a statement on this.
Written by Shubhajit Roy | New Delhi | Published: June 23, 2020 4:30:46 am
India China border dispute, Rajnath Singh in Russia, India China Russia, Galwan faceoff
X
Russia President Vladimir Putin with China’s Xi Jinping (then Vice President) in Beijing in 2012. The two countries have grown closer over the past few decades. (Express Archive)
Russia has emerged, all of a sudden, as a key diplomatic player amid the tension between India and China.
* On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hosts the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting, which will be the first opportunity for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for face-time with each other over videoconference. Jaishankar and Wang, who is also Chinese State Councillor, had an angry phone call on June 17 over the June 15 border clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
* On Wednesday, Moscow will host Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, who will attend the Victory Day parade on June 24, along with Indian and Chinese marching contingents.
While these are ministerial-level engagements, there have been at least two outreaches between India and Russia through diplomatic channels. sbH3WrucDBU |