India
Biden boosts Ukraine, Sri Lanka puts confidence in AKD: The week that stood in international affairs | India News – Times of India
Biden gives Ukraine a boost: After months of asking for it, Ukraine finally got what it wanted: permission to use American weapons to attack deep into Russia. The Biden administration finally gave the green light which, according to reports, will allow Ukrainian forces to use the US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems or ATACMS to direct Russian military assets far away from the active front line. The missile, which has a range of up to 300 km, is expected to be used by the Ukrainians in the Kursk Theater. In fact, Ukrainian forces are preparing for a massive attack by Russian and North Korean forces – reportedly around 50,000 troops – in Kursk, as Moscow tries to retake this area. Kiev temporarily occupied and remains intact to this day. Washington actually cited the deployment of North Korean troops Russia in Kursk as the main reason for lifting restrictions on Kiev. However, now that this is going to the press, reports are emerging that Ukraine is conducting its first ATACMS attack in Russia on military targets in the Bryansk region.
But will it change the dynamics of the war? It will certainly help Kiev. There are a range of military targets that the Ukrainian armed forces can now technically target. But that in turn will depend on how much ATACMS Kiev can actually get. Moreover, with Russia exerting pressure at multiple points along the Eastern Front – where Ukrainian forces can already make use of US systems – the new decision can only be seen in the context of leveling the field and changing the strategic dynamics of the war. In other words, Moscow now has something to think about with the long-range ATACMS, which could force the country to reevaluate its operations.
That said, the lifting of restrictions, as experts note, comes too late. This has been the pattern in US arms transfers under the Biden administration: Washington is first wary of authorizing new systems and their use for fear of Russian escalation, then agrees at the eleventh hour to requests from Kiev. As a result, Ukrainians cannot make the most of the new systems. This has also been the case with other American systems since the start of the war, such as HIMARS, Abrams tanks and F-16s. Furthermore, Russia repeatedly referred to the deployment of these weapons as a red line, but once that line was crossed, there was no major escalation from Moscow.
Will things be different for Moscow this time? Unlikely. Russia is already carrying out massive missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets and energy infrastructure. The only other escalation from Moscow could be the use of nuclear weapons. But that’s a huge slippery slope for Russia and could not only mean that even its partners distance themselves from Moscow, but could also give Ukraine a reason to take dangerous retaliatory measures. Interestingly, US President-elect Trump, who has promised to end the war, has not said anything about the Biden administration’s decision. Perhaps he is okay with Washington trying to help Ukraine before his government takes power in January.
Zelenskyy unveils ‘Resilience Plan’: On the occasion of the thousandth day of the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled a ten-point “resilience plan” to the Ukrainian parliament, which aims to strengthen Ukraine in the long term. Zelenskky stated that in order for Ukraine to achieve all the goals of this war, “someone in Moscow had to survive.” The resilience plan includes elements such as increasing support for veterans, encouraging deregulation, protecting companies from pressure from law enforcement agencies, increasing support for schoolchildren, prioritizing nuclear power generation and exporting Ukrainian culture abroad.
These are all welcome steps. However, the results will depend on the implementation. But most importantly, through the Resilience Plan, Zelenskyy is telling Ukrainians that Ukraine’s long-term security lies in its own internal armed forces. In other words, while the objectives of the war will remain, the path that military operations will follow cannot be predicted. That is why Ukraine must strengthen its economy and population in the meantime. Essentially, Ukraine now has two larger overarching objectives: to liberate the occupied territories and to encourage society to become resilient, prosperous and modern. How resources, although limited, will be allocated between these two objections remains to be seen.
Sri Lanka places confidence in AKD: In the parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power coalition won a whopping two-thirds majority. This certainly strengthens the new president’s hand – his party had only three seats in the outgoing parliament. The new parliamentary majority gives Anura the opportunity to implement constitutional changes. However, it remains to be seen whether he will address the issue of the powers of the executive presidency – something he opposed when he was in opposition. But he will most likely focus on the economic front, where he has promised to adjust the terms of the IMF bailout package to provide Sri Lankans with relief from high inflation. That could prove difficult and could deter potential foreign investment. Anura’s movements will be closely monitored.
Death of Secular Bangladesh?: Bangladesh’s top legal official, Attorney General Mohammad Asazzaman, called for the abolition of “secularism” and “socialism” as principles enshrined in that country’s constitution. Asazzaman was responding to a petition challenging the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Bangladesh, which was passed by the previous Awami League government and restored secularism as a fundamental pillar of the Bangladeshi state. It will be recalled that secularism was earlier removed from the Constitution of Bangladesh during one of the periods of martial law following the assassination of Sheikh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. However, in 2005, a Bengal Supreme Court ruling declared demolition illegal and Awami’s government restored secularism through the 15th Amendment.
But the issue represents something more fundamental: the battle for the soul of Bangladesh between secularists and Islamists. It is clear that the Islamists are in charge in Bangladesh today and they want to undo all provisions that support the vision of a secular country. This is precisely why Bengali Hindus feel threatened today. The combination of political power and the rapid Islamization of Bangladeshi society could certainly sound the death knell for secular Bangladesh.
Modi visits Nigeria: In an important but low-key visit, Prime Minister Modi visited Nigeria to strengthen India’s ties with the vital African nation. Nigeria is a powerhouse and critical to Africa’s future growth. And with its Trans-African Pipeline project with Morocco, Nigeria is poised to become a major energy supplier even to Europe. With Africa poised to emerge as the next global growth center, there is fierce competition for influence on the continent. China and Russia are already making their advance, and the US and Europe are making a renewed effort. India should therefore not lag behind and make the most of its historical connection with Africa.
