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BRICS Summit against Backdrop Of Plummeting Washington-Moscow Relations

Published

9 years ago

September 1, 2017

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By: Saeed Naqvi

Two recent events will influence attitudes at the 9^th BRICS summit at Xiamen, China, from September 3 to 5 – Doklam and Trump’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Beijing and Moscow have grave anxieties about terrorist groups, in the name of militant Islam, threatening their Xinxiang and Caucasus regions. They would therefore like terrorism to be an important theme at the summit.

So would New Delhi, but the Indian focus would be on Pakistan as the source of terror. The complication is that Pakistan has looked upon China as an all weather friend in recent years. Has skillful diplomacy, on all sides, defused the Doklam standoff sufficiently to prevent divergent approaches to Pakistan on terrorism come to the fore at the summit?

Moscow is cautious. Who knows how durable is the understanding reached over Doklam between Beijing, New Delhi.

That a RIC (Russia, India, China) Foreign Ministers conference is billed in New Delhi is a good sign. It was postponed in April because of heated exchanges between China and India over Dalai Lama’s weeklong visit to Arunachal Pradesh. Also, New Delhi had refused to attend the Belt and Road conference Beijing placed great store by. Indeed, New Delhi also prevailed on Thimpu not to attend.

Moscow and Beijing view Afghanistan as the centre where terrorist groups like the Islamic State can breed and threaten countries in the neighbourhood and beyond.

Since April 2016 a group of countries under the auspices of what came to be known as the Moscow initiative began to analyze the Taleban as an Afghan, nationalist category which was not fired by transnational aspirations like the IS and Al Qaeda. The Taleban, in other words, should be brought into the tent, to borrow Lyndon Johnson’s colourful expression.

This is a transformational design because so far the government in Kabul, Afghan security Forces, US and NATO Forces have targeted the Taleban as the enemy.

The use of this massive firepower, with western troop levels waxing and waning over the past 16 years, has not brought the alliance anywhere near victory. To the contrary, the terrain under Taleban control has grown exponentially. Defence Secretary James Mattis became only the umpteenth US official to declare before the media, his face in the lower mould: “we are losing.”

This candid acceptance of defeat in the longest war (16 years) ever waged by the US, has coincided with the Moscow led initiative to bring the Taleban into the Kabul power structure.

The Moscow initiative was designed against the backdrop of Trump’s chant of walking away from previous US policies of intervention and nation building. Since the US was withdrawing, as Trump kept reminding all and sundry, it made sense for Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, Islamabad and the Central Asian Republics, to shape their Afghan policies according to their strategic requirements.

In a White House where the Deep State is demonstrably the ventriloquist and Trump the puppet, a flip-flop in Afghan policy was announced last week: there will be no withdrawal but a minimal troop surge (less than 4,000 to augment 11,000 already on the ground) to enable Kabul to recover some of the vast swathes of the country from Taleban control. Somewhere in this pursuit of a military solution, a carrot has also been inserted: a channel for talks with Taleban will also be opened.

To dignify this US initiative, the Moscow initiative has to be rubbished. Russians have been arming the Taleban, goes the allegation from Washington. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, clarified this and more at a Moscow Press conference.

When the US State Department made this accusation, he said, the Department should have known better. “Because at a news conference in the State Department, journalists asked the official spokesperson to present facts. Not a single fact was presented just like there was not a single fact to confirm our interference in the US election or breaking into sites.”

Lavrov contrasted Moscow’s policy with that of Washington on contacts with Taleban. He gives two reasons for such contacts. First, Moscow needs to resolve practical issues on which security of Russian citizens and offices in Afghanistan depend.

“Second we are striving to encourage a dialogue between the Taleban and the government on the basis of criteria (this is important, he insists) established by the UN Security Council.”

According to this “criteria” the Taleban must break ties with terrorists, end the armed struggle and respect the Constitution of Afghanistan. Washington’s abrupt policy of connecting with Taleban is without any conditions.

The fine print the Russians read in the US script on Afghanistan is not difference from what Lavrov has openly said in other theatres of conflict. The US is not out to douse fires of militancy: it intends to preserve some of it as “assets” against rivals and enemies. Breeding of the Mujahideen to evict the Soviets from Afghanistan in the 80s was not a one time trick.

Trump’s Afghan surge, despite himself, also comes at a time when he has been persuaded by his hawks to ratchet up tensions with Russia. The Russian Consulate in San Francisco has been closed and two other Russian properties in Washington and New York have been ordered to be shut by September 2.

This being the big-power play in the region, how should New Delhi respond to Trump’s cajolery in Afghanistan? To frame policy, friends in South Block have to do no more than visit Saket in South Delhi. You cannot walk into Max hospital without coming face to face with an Afghan. By universal consent of doctors and other hospital staff, they are the most gentle patients. This outreach cannot be matched.

In front of the hospital, in Hauz Rani, a row of Afghan eating places has come up.

Pakistanis stepping out of Kabul’s Serena hotel do not wear Peshawari sandals and Pathan suits. They feel safer in trousers and bush shirts, looking like Indians. Hospitals, schools, roads and, above all, Bollywood have already won Afghan hearts. Nothing should be done to upturn this low key, common sense policy. Expeditious completion of Chabahar port in Iran, linking to Central Asia by a road through Afghanistan will be brilliant for commerce and for winning hearts and minds.

What must not be overlooked is the change in US policy towards New Delhi’s role. When President Barack Obama announced troop withdrawals from July 2011, the assumption was that Afghanistan would have been reasonably stabilized by that date.

US Force Commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal created something of a flutter in New Delhi. He said New Delhi’s popularity among the Afghans – because of development works – creates complications because it distracts Pakistan from its war on terror focus.

Washington’s new blandishments make one feel good but they would be more valuable if the reliability quotient of the occupant of the White House was a shade higher.

The principals sitting around the table at the Xiamen summit likewise will carry in their minds the image of what to each one of them is a very different kind of Presidency in Washington. No one quite knows what to make of it.

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Cristiano Ronaldo announces retirement from international football

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to his 23-year career with Portugal after 234 appearances and 146 goals.

Published

2 days ago

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APNLive Desk

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, bringing his 23-year career with Portugal towards an end.

The 41-year-old Portugal captain said he would hand back the No. 7 shirt of the national team after the November international break. Ronaldo made the announcement in a video message shared on social media.

The decision marks the end of one of the most decorated international careers in men’s football. Ronaldo has made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored 146 goals, both records at international level.

Ronaldo’s Portugal career comes to an end

Ronaldo made his Portugal debut in 2003 and went on to represent the country across more than two decades.

He helped Portugal win their first major international trophy at Euro 2016. He was also part of the teams that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.

Ronaldo’s international career also included six World Cup appearances. His final World Cup came in 2026, when Portugal were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the last 16.

Ronaldo reflects on 23 years with Portugal

Announcing his decision, Ronaldo said it was not an easy choice and described his time representing Portugal as a privilege and responsibility.

He thanked his family, the Portuguese people, as well as the teammates, coaches and staff who were part of his international journey.

Ronaldo also said that Portugal would always remain a part of him.

Record-breaking international career

Ronaldo leaves the Portugal setup as the men’s all-time leading international goalscorer and the player with the most international appearances.

His 146 goals came across 234 appearances for Portugal. He also became one of only two players, alongside Lionel Messi, to feature at six World Cups.

His international career included major individual records as well as team honours, making his departure one of the biggest moments in modern international football.

What happens next

Ronaldo’s announcement comes after he said he would hand back Portugal’s No. 7 shirt following the November international break.

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Latest world news

US sanctions Indian couple over alleged support for Iran’s shadow fleet

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Published

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The United States has imposed sanctions on an India-based couple and several associated entities, accusing them of helping Iran’s shadow fleet transport petroleum while evading international restrictions.

The US Treasury identified the individuals as Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid. According to the department, the couple operated a network that provided false maritime flags and certifications to vessels involved in transporting Iranian petroleum, including ships linked to Iran’s military and its proxies.

The sanctions were announced as part of the Trump administration’s Operation Economic Outcast, a campaign aimed at disrupting Iran’s economic networks and oil revenues.

US alleges fraudulent maritime registrations

According to the US Treasury, Sharma and Shahid allegedly established fraudulent maritime registries and classification societies by creating websites that claimed to provide services on behalf of countries that had not authorised them.

The department said the couple’s activities went back to at least 2014, when they allegedly attempted to impersonate the maritime flagging authority of Dominica.

The Treasury further alleged that their network provided registration and certification services to vessels transporting Iranian petroleum, helping them circumvent international restrictions.

False ship flags and maritime certifications can allow vessels to operate while avoiding regulatory and sanctions-related scrutiny, according to the US authorities.

India-based firms also face sanctions

The US action also covers several India-based companies and entities associated with the alleged network.

Among those designated are Oceaniek Technologies India and Aryavart Ship Management Private Limited. Other entities named by the Treasury include Precept Trends Private Limited, Polynesia Maritime Private Limited, Alexarya Finserv Private Limited, Alexarya Media and Entertainment Private Limited, Viharaboating Private Limited and Aryavart Maritime and Educational Trust.

The Treasury imposed the measures under Executive Order 13902, which targets key sectors of Iran’s economy, including petroleum, petrochemicals and aviation.

US Treasury issues warning

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that Washington would continue targeting people and organisations it believes are supporting Iran.

“Under Operation Economic Outcast, you are either with us or against us,” Bessent said, adding that the US would sanction those it believes continue supporting the Iranian regime, whether by land, sea or air.

Separately, the US also sanctioned Turkey-based Fugo Ground Services Inc, accusing it of providing ground-handling and other services to US-sanctioned Iranian airlines.

The latest action therefore extends Washington’s sanctions campaign beyond Iranian entities to foreign individuals and companies that the US alleges are helping Tehran’s sanctioned oil and aviation networks.

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Mojtaba Khamenei warns against expecting US policy shift after midterms

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned against expecting a change in US policy towards Tehran following the Democratic Party’s victory in the US midterm elections. He also cautioned that any renewed American attacks on Iran would widen the ongoing Middle East war.

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned against expecting a change in US policy towards Tehran following the Democratic Party’s victory in the US midterm elections. He said those hoping that political changes in Washington would lead to a shift in America’s approach towards Iran were seriously mistaken.

His remarks came after Democrats secured control of both the US House of Representatives and the Senate, dealing a major electoral setback to President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.

In a message posted on the social media platform X on Wednesday, November 4, Khamenei said Iranians understood their position towards the United States more clearly than ever. He also said that examining the reasons behind what he described as US hostility and Iran’s resistance would provide guidance for the country’s future course.

Khamenei cautioned against viewing changes in the political balance in Washington as an indication that American policy towards Iran would become less hostile.

Khamenei Warns Of Wider Middle East War

The Iranian Supreme Leader also warned that the ongoing Middle East war could expand further if the United States resumed its attacks on Iran.

“Should such aggressions be repeated, its (the war) scope will become much wider,” he said.

His warning comes amid continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the conflict involving the two countries remaining a major issue in US politics.

Democrats Take Control Of Both Houses Of Congress

The Democratic Party secured control of both chambers of the US Congress in the midterm elections, marking a significant setback for Trump’s Republicans.

The party benefited from public dissatisfaction with Trump and gained greater power to scrutinise and challenge his administration during the final two years of his presidency.

Trump, meanwhile, struck a conciliatory tone in an interview with The New York Times, saying he was “absolutely willing to accept those results” and was prepared to work with Democrats.

Iran War Emerged As A Key Election Issue

The war involving Iran was among the major issues during the US midterm election campaign.

Democratic candidates criticised Trump over the conflict and linked it to economic difficulties that had contributed to frustration among voters across the country.

Khamenei’s remarks, however, indicated that Tehran does not expect the change in congressional control to result in a fundamental shift in Washington’s approach towards Iran.