US pursuing 'neocolonial' policy to maintain hegemony: Russia
The comments by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova came days after US President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs on dozens of countries.
Calling sanctions and restrictions a "regrettable reality" of today's historical stage that affects the entire world, Zakharova said that the US cannot come to terms with the "loss of hegemony in the emerging world order."
She accused Washington of continuing to "pursue a neocolonial policy in an attempt to maintain its position, using politicised levers of economic pressure against those who refuse to follow in its wake in the international arena."
Commenting on Trump's tariff policy against Russia's partners in the Global South, Zakharova called it a "direct encroachment" on the national sovereignty of nations and an "attempt to interfere in their internal affairs".
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Economic Times
12 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Trump tariffs aren't scaring India's new businesses
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Urban consumption will "stabilise" on aspects like RBI's rate cuts, USD 10 billion of policy stimulus through personal income tax changes and improved availability of credit, it of Indian Industry (CII) President, Rajiv Memani, has countered prevailing market sentiment about private capital expenditure, asserting that while there's a perception of a slowdown, private capex is actually taking place across various industry sectors in the country. "There's an atmosphere suggesting that private capex is not happening, but actually capex is happening," Memani said last month, citing data showing consistent private investment over the past three years. The CII President pointed to robust corporate fundamentals as evidence of ongoing investment activity. "If you look at listed companies and attend their AGMs, you'll find that CII members are looking to increase capex. 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First Post
15 minutes ago
- First Post
80 years after Hiroshima: Nuclear threat still looms over global security
History, with its grim cycles and painful lessons, has every reason to indict humanity. In the week marking the 80th anniversary of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Russia announced it no longer considers itself bound by the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, blaming 'the actions of Western countries' for creating a 'direct threat' to its security. Last Friday, US President Donald Trump said he had ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines 'in appropriate regions' following what he described as 'highly provocative comments' by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It is ironic that nuclear weapons still exist, despite the well-known devastation they cause to the planet—and the threat of nuclear sabre-rattling remains as constant as the air we breathe. 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The light superheats the surrounding air to a millions of degrees, creating a massive fireball that expands at millions of miles per hour. Within a few seconds, this fireball increases to a diameter of a little more than a mile (5,700 feet across), its light and heat so intense that concrete surfaces explode, metal objects melt or evaporate, stone shatters, humans instantaneously convert into combusting carbon.' This, of course, is Jacobsen's speculative scenario of what might happen if a nuclear bomb were to strike the Pentagon outside Washington. But if such an event were to occur, her imagined horror would become exact, unbearable reality. In the 653-page book The Effects of Nuclear War, authored along with Philip J Dolan, Samuel Galsstone writes, 'There are inherent difficulties in making exact measurements of weapons effects. The results are often dependent upon circumstances, which are difficult, and sometimes impossible, to control even in tests and would certainly be unpredictable in the event of an attack.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Then, after the immediate destruction there is the curse of a nuclear winter which is inevitable. A legacy of devastation, a present of peril Eighty years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed more than 200,000 people and left haunting reminders of nuclear warfare, the world remains on edge. Far from fading into the pages of history, nuclear weapons continue to cast a long, ominous shadow over global peace and security. While the world has avoided another nuclear strike since 1945, today's risks may be even more acute driven by geopolitical volatility, advancing technologies and the slow unravelling of disarmament frameworks. A world still armed to the teeth As of early 2025, the global stockpile of nuclear warheads stands at approximately 12,241, with the vast majority—over 90 per cent—held by United States and Russia. This massive arsenal is not just a relic of the Cold War but a continually modernised force, featuring increasingly sophisticated delivery systems and warhead designs, Andrew Hammond writes in The Business Times. While global treaties have aimed to curb proliferation, they have done little to dismantle the core of existing nuclear forces. Slowing clock of disarmament The post-Cold War era witnessed a surge of hope for nuclear disarmament. Treaties such as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) and initiatives like the Nuclear Security Summits led to tangible reductions and enhanced controls over nuclear materials. However, this progress has since slowed, if not reversed. Today, the momentum has shifted towards rearmament. 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Recent exchanges between Medvedev and Trump over nuclear threats serve as stark reminders of how easily diplomatic tensions can veer into dangerous territory. Medvedev's reference to Russia's 'Dead Hand' nuclear retaliation system and Trump's counter by repositioning submarines closer to Russia are not just posturing, they reflect the peril of miscalculation in today's hyper-charged political climate. Other hotspots, including the enduring India-Pakistan conflict and North Korea's relentless nuclear testing, add layers of complexity. These regions combine deep-seated historical animosities with nuclear capabilities, making them particularly susceptible to escalation. Iran, for its part, remains a significant concern. Reeling from attacks on its nuclear facilities, Tehran may further accelerate its nuclear programme, potentially pushing other regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Turkey toward similar ambitions. Technology: The new wildcard While nuclear weapons have always embodied existential danger, emerging technologies are making the nuclear scenario even more unpredictable. Artificial intelligence, cyber warfare and advanced missile defence systems are disrupting the traditional logic of nuclear deterrence. According to Hammond, AI-driven systems, if poorly managed, could make decisions faster than human operators can verify, increasing the likelihood of misjudgements. Meanwhile, cyberattacks on nuclear command and control systems could trigger false alarms or disable safeguards. The potential for accidental launches or misinterpreted threats has grown significantly in an era of digital warfare and machine decision-making. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD During the Cold War and into the 1990s, several false alarms nearly triggered nuclear war due to technical errors and misinterpretations. In the 1950s, a flock of Canadian geese was mistaken for a Soviet bomber attack by radar systems. 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Such a weapon would use conventional explosives to spread radioactive material, potentially causing mass panic, economic chaos and long-term contamination of urban centres.. Hammond mentions former US defence secretary Robert Gates who once remarked that the thought of a terrorist obtaining a nuclear weapon was what kept him awake at night. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Treaties undermined, norms at risk International treaties and arms control frameworks that once served as guardrails are now fraying. The Doomsday Clock, maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, was set just one second from midnight earlier this year, the closest it has ever been to global catastrophe. Eighty years after Hiroshima, the world faces a dual nuclear threat: that of state-led warfare and non-state terrorism. While the horrors of 1945 forged a powerful global aversion to nuclear war, that consensus is under threat. 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Mint
15 minutes ago
- Mint
Trump's U-turn: After accusing Zelensky of ‘starting war', how US is using Ukraine to justify tariff on ‘friend' India
The day was February 28, 2025 and the White House prepared to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. When the two leaders met, they shook hands and politely discussed diplomatic matters among other things. Minutes later, the meeting turned into a shouting match between Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president emphasised the need for 'security guarantees for Ukraine' for any deal to happen. That started the clash, with the United States accusing Ukraine of being ungrateful for American support and of 'stalling' peace talks with Russia – warning, 'You're either going to make a deal, or we're out.' 'You see the hatred he's got for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. That's tough to make a deal with that kind of hate,' Trump said as the whole world watched on LIVE television. Accused of 'starting the war', Zelensky left and the deal, that would have given the US rights to rare earth minerals in Ukraine, was not signed that day. Cut to July 2025 – Ukraine has now become the flashpoint in Donald Trump's trade war with India. In a stunning shift, Donald Trump, who once pointed the finger at Zelensky for starting the Russia-Ukraine war, has now trained his guns on India – imposing 25 per cent tariffs and additional penalties for New Delhi's business ties with Moscow, accusing New Delhi of bankrolling Vladimir Putin's war machine by buying Russian oil. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have spoken over the phone, but not met since Trump returned to the White House in January, despite both leaders expressing their desire for face-to-face talks. After one of the calls that happened in May, the US president said his call with Vladimir Putin went very well and that Moscow and Kyiv 'will immediately start negotiations' toward a ceasefire and end to the war. As Trump sounded hopeful, the Russian president said more 'compromises' were needed. By the end of the month, Trump – sensing no end to the Ukraine war – had started threatening sanctions on Russian products, warning Vladimir Putin that he was 'playing with fire'. Trump even admitted that Putin was not looking to stop Russia's war against Ukraine. 'I'm very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don't think he's there, and I'm very disappointed. I'm just saying I don't think he's looking to stop, and that's too bad,' he said. Donald Trump has often portrayed himself as a dealmaker and global peacemaker, but as Russia refused to fall in line with his expectations, the US president began to show signs of frustration. Buoyed by his own expectations and frustrated over not being able to bring the Ukraine conflict to an end, Trump shifted blame outward. He slapped 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods and announced additional penalties for India's business ties with Russia. But Trump didn't stop there. He threatened even more tariffs for India's purchase of Russian oil, accusing the country of 'fueling' the Ukraine war. What could be called a striking twist, Ukraine, a country Trump had once accused of 'starting the war,' is now at the centre of his trade war with India, which he has used as a geopolitical weapon to justify the tariffs on 'friend' India.
