foreign policy Archives - National Times

12 Jun

US Asked India to Buy Russian Oil in 2022 to Stabilize Markets, Says EAM S Jaishankar

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaforeign policy, global energy market, India US relations, Russian oil, S Jaishankar

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar revealed that the United States specifically requested India to purchase Russian oil in 2022 to assist in stabilizing global energy markets. Speaking during a panel discussion at the Kultaranta Talks alongside Finland Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and UAE Assistant Foreign Minister Lana Nusseibeh, Jaishankar asserted that New Delhi's energy decisions have consistently been guided by cost and market availability rather than ideology or sanctimony. He noted that prior to the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, India had never been a significant buyer of Russian crude oil. Reflecting on the fluctuating global…

19 May

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann Criticizes Union Government Over Gulf War Response and Economic Policy

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Singh Mann, central investigative agencies, foreign policy, Gulf war economic impact, Narendra Modi, Punjab politics

Sangrur (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday tore into the Narendra Modi-led Union government over its handling of the Gulf war situation, saying the Centre is using the conflict as a shield to hide the complete collapse of its foreign and economic policies while pushing the country towards an undeclared lockdown-like situation. Questioning the Centre’s repeated appeals for austerity and restraint, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said no other country affected by the global crisis has asked its citizens to stop buying petrol, diesel, gas or gold, adding that the Modi government owes the nation answers on…

05 Mar

Balancing Act: PM Mark Carney Refuses to Rule Out Canadian Involvement in Iran Conflict

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsCanada, World NewsAustralia, Canada, foreign policy, Iran war, PM Mark Carney

Canberra (Rajeev Sharma) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has signaled a potential shift in Canada’s military posture, stating on Thursday that his government cannot "categorically rule out" participation in the intensifying conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Speaking during a high-profile diplomatic visit to Australia, Carney’s remarks underscore the growing pressure on Ottawa to support traditional allies despite significant reservations regarding the legality and unilateral nature of the current military campaign. While Carney emphasized that Canada is not currently a participant in the hostilities, he acknowledged the volatile nature of the situation. "One can never categorically rule…

17 Jul

India Non-Committal on Revival of RIC Talks Despite Push from Russia and China

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, World Newsforeign policy, India-China-Russia, Randhir Jaiswal, RIC mechanism, trilateral cooperation

New Delhi, July 17, 2025 — India on Thursday signaled caution over reviving the long-dormant Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral talks, stating that any such move would only happen at a “mutually convenient” time. The government made it clear that no meeting has been scheduled yet, despite public signals from Moscow and Beijing suggesting readiness to resume dialogue.The matter surfaced after Russia’s deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko expressed hope about the RIC mechanism resuming soon, noting that Moscow is already in discussions with both India and China. “We are interested in making this format work,” he said, underlining that all three nations…