'Today, I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible... I have reviewed the Office's conclusions arising from the preliminary examination of the situation in Ukraine, and have confirmed that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with opening an investigation,' the ICC statement read.
US envoy Eric Garcetti on Thursday said he respects that India likes its "strategic autonomy", but in times of conflict, there is no such thing as strategic autonomy, even as he pitched for forging a stronger partnership between New Delhi and Washington.
'As long as we have such partners, Russia cannot be isolated.'
"Prime Minister Modi has a powerful, influential voice on the world stage. We know the Russian leadership respects India's voice and position on the world stage. I think Prime Minister Modi's intervention is very, very welcome. And we really hope that Vladimir Putin listens to those voices who are calling for peace and for de-escalation. So we very much welcome Prime Minister Modi's intervention," Cleverly told PTI in an interview.
A day ahead of a crucial G20 meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday evening hosted a welcome dinner for the foreign ministers attending the deliberations but the reception was missed by his counterparts from the US, China, Germany and France.
India has abstained on a draft resolution tabled in the United Nations Security Council which condemned Russia's 'illegal referenda' and annexation of four Ukrainian territories and called for an immediate cessation of violence while underlining the need to find pathways for a return to the negotiating table.
The move points to a potential escalation of fighting in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal said citing experts.
India's imports from Russia rose 64 per cent to $36.27 billion during the April-October period this fiscal on higher shipments of crude oil and fertiliser, according to the commerce ministry data. With this, Russia has become India's second-largest import source during the first seven months of this fiscal. The imports were $22.13 billion during April-October 2022.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday received a standing ovation after he addressed the European Parliament as the Russian military operation entered its sixth day.
Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels gave conflicting accounts of shelling across the front in the Donbass separatist region.
Thousands of lives have been lost, large areas in Ukraine have been destroyed, but Vladimir Putin refuses to end a cruel and senseless war.
Reserve Bank will have to constantly re-assess the "dynamic and fast changing situation" and tailor its actions accordingly, Governor Shaktikanta Das said during the recent meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) which decided to maintain status quo on key interest rate. According to the minutes of the six-member MPC meet released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday, the five other members had also expressed a similar opinion amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict's impact on the global and domestic economies. MPC, which held its meeting from April 6-8, unanimously decided to keep the borrowing costs unchanged at a record low for the 11th time in a row in a bid to continue supporting economic growth despite inflation edging higher in the aftermath of Russia-Ukraine conflict.
President Zelenskyy's telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi came hours after India abstained on a UN Security Council resolution by the United States that 'deplores in the strongest terms' Russia's 'aggression' against Ukraine.
The G20's Bali Declaration Wednesday acknowledged differences among members on the Russia-Ukraine war but said it was essential to adhere to international law, including protection of civilians caught in conflicts.
India on Saturday pulled off a big diplomatic win after the G20 summit adopted a consensus declaration overcoming major differences on the Russia-Ukraine war, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for ending "global trust deficit".
'Trump would like the war in Ukraine to be over, and that it would be weighing on his mind even before the Inauguration ceremony in January next year.'
India should watch the emergence of the situation and then see how others react, he said adding that Russia has stood by India in very difficult times.
In days of smart, networked technology and no shame over collateral damage, what will blow up next -- cars, mobile phones, TV sets, refrigerators? And where?, asks Shyam G Menon.
India is primarily focusing on evacuating its nationals from conflict zones in eastern Ukraine including Kharkiv and Sumy, and that the total number of Indians still stuck in the battle-scarred nation is roughly in the range of 2,000 to 3,000.
'Investors with foreign currency-denominated goals, such as foreign education or foreign travel, should go for US equity funds.'
An India-Japan joint statement said the two leaders expressed serious concern over the conflict and the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov briefly admitted that Russia had suffered a 'significant' loss of its troops in Ukraine, calling the casualties 'a huge tragedy' for the country in an interview with Sky News.
New Delhi
India's imports from Russia rose by about 67 per cent to $30.42 billion during the April-September period this fiscal on higher shipments of crude oil and fertiliser, according to the commerce ministry data. With this, Russia has become India's second-largest import source during the first half of this fiscal. The imports were $18.24 billion during April-September 2022.
Despite winning control of Lysychansk after savage battles on Monday, July 4, 2022, which gives Russia effective control of eastern Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has not announced a ceasefire and ordered Russian soldiers to continue fighting.
The residential building in the town of Chasiv Yar was hit on Saturday evening as Russia ramped up its assault on cities and towns in eastern Ukraine in an attempt to take control over the entire Donbas area.
It is learnt that Lavrov is expected to travel to India either on Thursday or Friday after concluding a two-day visit to China.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Polikha said, "We're suffering a lot of civilian casualties. According to official information of our ministry, already 16 children were killed from bombings, shellings and so on as a result of Russian peace-fighting operation."
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Polikha said, "We're suffering a lot of civilian casualties. According to official information of our ministry, already 16 children were killed from bombings, shellings and so on as a result of Russian peace-fighting operation."
'As we enter 2025, it must be acknowledged that there is a convergence of capital, influential people (from business and politics) and technology deciding the destiny of others in the name of pride, patriotism, nationalism, nation building, all of it thinly veiled disguises for personal profit and glory,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
Some complained of being beaten up as they tried to join the fleeing crowds, purely because of their skin colour.
The Jordanian-drafted resolution did not make any mention of the militant group Hamas, with the US expressing outrage at the "omission".
Modi noted that India has always stood for peaceful resolution of issues and direct dialogue between the two parties.
The phone conversation came days after it emerged that Modi will not be travelling to Russia for the annual India-Russia summit this year.
In the Ukraine-Russia conflict, reports from the war zone have suggested that the Ukrainians have extensively used anti-tank guided missiles to exploit the weakness of the Russian armoured vehicles and achieved significant success too.
Brazilian soccer legend Pele made a public plea on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his "wicked" and "unjustifiable" invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said all Indian nationals left Kyiv on Tuesday after the Indian embassy issued an advisory, asking them to get out of the Ukrainian capital urgently.
India as the G20 host has a 'unique role' to play in bringing about an end to the war in Ukraine due to its 'longstanding historical' ties to Russia, the United States has said, expressing hope to work closely with New Delhi to find a way to stop the conflict.
An inconclusive end to this war will pose high risk for Netanyahu of a cascading demand for a regime change in Israel, predicts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Pick up momentum and find opportunities from an intelligence-sharing standpoint.'
