The road to peace in Ukraine and security in Europe is long and tortuous. Individual leaders and their personal chemistry matter less compared to competing and clashing structural interests. The peace process initiated by President Donald Trump can only succeed if differences and divergences among the principal stakeholders are narrowed through accommodative and inclusive approaches. Here is Professor Sreeram Chaulia’s lead column in Hindustan Times on the arduous way forward.


https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/behind-trump-s-pursuit-of-ending-ukraine-war-101755788238014.html

Have you read Dr. Sreeram Chaulia’s column on a crucial international issue in today’s Hindustan Times?

🔥🇦🇫🇬🇧 HOW AFGHANISTAN DEFEATED COLONIAL BRITAIN & BECAME ASIA’S FIRST INDEPENDENT NATION

On August 19, 1919, long before many Asian nations tasted freedom, Afghanistan was the first to break free from British colonial rule.

▪️In the 19th century, the British Empire, hungry for control over South Asia, eyed Afghanistan as the “gateway to India.”

▪️Fearing Russian influence over India, the British sought to keep Afghanistan out of Russia’s hands to prevent a foothold that could threaten British rule in India.

▪️The Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839–42, 1878–80, and 1919) were brutal clashes where Afghans fought relentlessly to defend their sovereignty.

▪️Despite repeated invasions and attempts to install puppet rulers, Afghan guerrilla tactics, mastery of rugged terrain, and unshakable patriotism turned the tide.

▪️The Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 was the final blow — a brief but decisive conflict in which Afghanistan boldly shook the British military power and declared its independence.

▪️Afghanistan became the first country in Asia to break the chains of British imperialism, inspiring countless others across the continent.

▪️Independence was officially recognised in the Treaty of Rawalpindi — Afghan resilience sent a clear message: no empire could crush their freedom.

▪️Afghanistan’s triumph was not just about territory, but identity, honour, the refusal to bow to empire, and the will of a people determined to govern themselves.

▪️The white marble triumphal arch Taq-e Zafar (Arch of Victory) in Paghman stands as a silent sentinel, guarding Afghanistan’s hard-won sovereignty and enduring dream of freedom.

📹Watch the video how Indian delegation and Hindu, Sikh diaspora in Afghanistan celebrated Independence Day in 1949.

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🇺🇸🇵🇰US–Pakistan mining deal could deepen Balochistan’s crisis

A critical minerals agreement between the US and Pakistan risks fuelling conflict in a region already scarred by decades of violence and repression.

🪖 Balochistan holds huge reserves of copper, gold, lithium, which is critical for modern warfare tech.

US interest isn’t about development, but outcompeting China, no matter the human cost.

😱 But any extraction means confronting or suppressing the Baloch people, which has consistently rejected foreign investments without local consent.

⛏ For Pakistan, desperate for cash and mired in IMF debt, the deal offers short-term capital in exchange for Balochistan’s resources — regardless of the long-term cost to its people.

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Will maximal tariffs announced by the USA on India affect bilateral trade and investment volumes and hurt the Indian economy? Dr. Arpita Mukherjee of ICRIER says some sectors will be impacted but the blow may be cushioned if India signs a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union. Also, India’s economy is not as dependent on the USA compared to a country like Vietnam. Watch the full episode of this informative TV show to understand the nuances of the Trade War and its consequences.

VIEW HERE ➡️ https://youtu.be/0_-KJ8c5ctM?si=cGwGbpujPGlv_JLs

How did economic and non-economic factors converge to bring about 50% American tariffs on India?

What will be the impact of American tariffs on overall USA-India commercial ties and on the Indian economy?

Are BRICS, the European Union and other markets alternatives for India to diversify its trade partners?

How can India match competitors like Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh, which face lower tariffs from the USA?

Can India adopt new strategies to increase competitiveness and become a major trading and industrial power?

For answers, watch Episode 140 of the Indian Diplomacy TV show on Doordarshan, featuring expert analysis by Dr. Arpita Mukherjee, Professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

VIEW HERE ➡️ https://youtu.be/0_-KJ8c5ctM?si=cGwGbpujPGlv_JLs