Friday, December 26, 2025

‘Peacemaker’ Trump—will he be able to stop Russia-Ukraine war, all eyes on Monday meeting with Zelenskyy

By
Vibha Sharma
-

A day after meeting with Putin, Trump talked with Zelenskyy and NATO allies, according to reports. Zelenskyy is already talking peace and “readiness to work with maximum effort” to achieve that; His ambition to win the Nobel peace Prize is well known. Recently he also said he might “have to start liking” his political rival Hillary Clinton after she suggested she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize if he successfully brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine

File photo

A day after US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held high-level talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday talked peace and “readiness to work with maximum effort” to achieve that. Though not much information was revealed, Trump and Putin’ talks were defined as “productive”.

Also victory for Putin

Politics, particularly geopolitics, is all about optics and there were plenty of that in Alaska where the two presidents met. Analysts saw the reception Putin received as a big leg-up and return to a place of power in the world. The much-anticipated summit began with a warm welcome and a flyover by jets at a US military base in Alaska.

After about 2 1/2 hours of talks in Anchorage, the two leaders appeared before reporters but took no questions. Addressing the “joint press conference”, Trump called the meeting “productive”, adding that there were several points they both agreed on. Trump spoke of agreements on important points but did not provide details while Putin mentioned agreements that could be a starting point for a solution to the Ukraine conflict.

“I believe we had a very productive meeting. There were many, many points that we agreed on. Most were a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite got there, but we had some headway. There’s no deal until we have a deal. I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate. And I’ll, of course, call up President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and tell him about today’s meeting. It’s ultimately up to them,” Trump said.

Trump also said that thousands of lives could be saved weekly if both sides acted.

Putin, meanwhile, emphasised the need for a just balance of power in Europe and expressed hope that Kyiv and European capitals would engage constructively in the peace process.

“The situation in Ukraine poses a fundamental threat to our security. Moreover, the Ukrainian nation, and I have said it multiple times, is a brotherly nation; however strange it may sound in these conditions. We have the same roots, and everything that’s happening is a tragedy for us. And a terrible wound,” Putin said.  

A day later Zelenskyy said he supported Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia, reaffirming “readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace”

Zelenskyy said on Monday, he will meet Trump in Washington, D.C. to discuss all of the details regarding “ending the killing and the war.”

“Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.

“On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation, ” Zelenskyy said in a detailed statement

Trump’s quest for Nobel

According to reports, Trump had a lengthy phone conversation with Zelenskyy on his return flight from Alaska to Washington. He then spoke with NATO allies

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and NATO Secretary

Before the Alaska summit, the Europeans had tried to establish with Trump in joint consultations five points for possible peace talks, including a ceasefire and security guarantees.

According to Zelenskyy, it was important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America. Ahead of the meeting with Putin, Trump has repeatedly spoken about Ukraine and Russia swapping land to end the war. His ambition to win the Nobel peace Prize is well known. Recently he also said he might “have to start liking” his political rival Hillary Clinton after she suggested she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize if he successfully brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine.

Zelenskyy: ready for trilateral meeting between Ukraine, US, Russia

By
Vibha Sharma
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“On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation,” Zelenskyy said in a detailed statement a day after meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin 

File Photo

A day after meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said he supported Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia, reaffirming “readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace”

Zelenskyy said on Monday, he will meet Trump in Washington, D.C. to discuss all of the details regarding “ending the killing and the war.”

“Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.

“On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation, ” Zelenskyy said in a detailed statement 

Trump and Putin’ talks in Anchorage focused on the Russia-Ukraine war.

Zelenskyy was not present for this key meeting. 

Zelenskyy supports Trump

“We had a long and substantive conversation with @POTUS. We started with one-on-one talks before inviting European leaders to join us. This call lasted for more than an hour and a half, including about an hour of our bilateral conversation with President Trump.

“Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace. President Trump informed about his meeting with the Russian leader and the main points of their discussion. It is important that America’s strength has an impact on the development of the situation.

“We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this,” he said 

Zelenskyy said it was important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America. “We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security. We continue to coordinate our positions with all partners. I thank everyone who is helping,” he said.

Trump claims India stopped buying Russian oil amid rising Tariffs

By
Priyanka Tanwer
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US President Donald Trump has said that India has ceased purchasing crude oil from Russia following imposition of steep tariffs on New Delhi. However, Indian officials have not confirmed the suspension of imports, even as tensions over energy trade and economic pressure mount.

Speaking to Fox News before heading to Alaska for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said Moscow had lost one of its major oil buyers.

“Putin just lost India, so to speak, which was buying about 40 per cent of its oil. China’s still buying a lot. And I could hit them with what’s called secondary sanctions — if I have to. Maybe I won’t,” Trump said.

The comments come in the wake of Trump’s latest trade offensive against India, where he hiked tariffs on Indian exports — first adding a 25 per cent duty and later doubling it to 50 per cent — in response to India’s continued energy ties with Russia. The increased tariffs are set to take effect on August 27 and are expected to impact key Indian export sectors, including textiles, leather goods, and seafood.

India has pushed back strongly against the move. The Ministry of Commerce criticized the tariff hike as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” warning it could significantly harm Indian exporters.

Indian Oil Corporation Chairman AS Sahney stated on Thursday that purchases from Russia are ongoing and guided by cost-efficiency. “We continue to source oil based on commercial considerations. There’s been no official halt,” he said.

Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, reported that some state-run refiners have paused Russian oil imports in response to the escalating trade conflict. However, no formal announcement has been made by the Indian government. India emerged as the largest buyer of Russian crude in 2022, after European nations imposed sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. With discounts making Russian oil more attractive, Indian refiners ramped up imports significantly, despite pressure from the West.

NHAI’s FASTag annual pass gets massive response on launch day

By
Priyanka Tanwer
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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has rolled out a new travel convenience for highway commuters—the FASTag annual pass—and it has already seen an enthusiastic response.

Launched on August 15, the facility allows private vehicle owners to make a one-time payment of Rs 3,000 for an entire year of toll-free travel, or up to 200 toll plaza crossings, across India’s national highways and expressways.

By 7.00 pm on launch day, over 1.4 lakh users had purchased and activated the pass, with nearly as many toll transactions—1.39 lakh—being recorded. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways called the initial response “overwhelming,” citing a strong uptake from regular highway users.

The pass is available exclusively for non-commercial vehicles that are already equipped with valid FASTags. Activation is swift—taking no more than two hours—once payment is completed through either the NHAI website or the RajmargYatra App, which itself saw high traffic, with 20,000–25,000 users online at any given time on launch day.

In an effort to ensure a smooth transition, NHAI has deployed officials and nodal officers at all participating toll plazas—around 1,150 across the country. The authority has also bolstered its 1033 National Highway Helpline, adding over 100 new executives to handle queries and complaints from pass users.

Those who have successfully activated the pass are now receiving SMS alerts showing zero toll deductions at applicable plazas—a sign that the system is functioning as intended.

With FASTag adoption now covering 98 per cent of vehicles and over 8 crore users on board, the annual pass is being seen as a natural next step in the evolution of India’s Electronic Toll Collection system.

The Ministry added that the new system aims to reduce travel costs for frequent highway users while also cutting down congestion and wait times at toll booths, making highway travel smoother and faster for millions.

Publish lists of 65 lakh deleted voters, SC tells EC; ‘huge message for vote chors’ claims Congress 

By
Vibha Sharma
-

“The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Bihar SIR matter is a massive victory for democracy, and a huge message for the Vote Chors who tried to use the SIR to distort the electoral process in Bihar”: Congress

In a major decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish details of around 65 lakh deleted names from the voters list with reasons of non-inclusion to enhance transparency in Bihar’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral roll.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi passed the interim order while hearing pleas challenging the EC’s June 24 decision. 

The two-judge Bench ordered the poll body to publish a searchable list of excluded names, booth-wise, along with the reasons for non-inclusion, on district electoral officers’ websites by 5 PM on August 19. The judges also asked for wide publicity informing the people about the places where the list would be available. The list along with reasons should be displayed at the panchayat level office and the office of district level returning officers, accord

The draft roll was published on August 1.

Meanwhile, those aggrieved by the deletion of their names can approach the poll officials along with their Aadhaar card.

“Important step in the fight against disastrous SIR process”: Congress 

The Congress called the ruling on the Bihar SIR matter  a “massive victory for democracy, and a huge message for the Vote Chors who tried to use the SIR to distort the electoral process in Bihar”. 

“As one of the petitioners in this case, it is heartening that in unequivocal terms, the Court has ordered that machine-readable electoral rolls be made available – in line with one of the central demands of Rahul ji’s press conference. 

“We also welcome the insistence on swift declaration of the 65 lakh deleted names by the ECI which will no doubt go a long way in bringing much needed transparency to the SIR process.

“The Court rejecting the ECI’s decision to not accept Aadhar is also a major boost, since in a state like Bihar, Aadhaar is the most widely held document by the poor and marginalised. 

“We see this as an important first step in our fight against the draconian and disastrous SIR process. Our fight to expose the ECI’s malpractices and complicity in vote rigging,” said senior Congress leader KC Venugopal 

Reasons cited by the EC for non-inclusion of previously registered voters in the draft rolls included death (22.34 lakh), “permanently shifted/absent” (36.28 lakh) and “already enrolled (at more than one places)” (7.01 lakh).

Earlier, the top court said the expanded list of acceptable documents of identity from seven to 11 for Bihar’s SIR of voters’ list was “voter-friendly and not exclusionary.”

Leaders of opposition parties including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress and the NGO Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) have challenged the electoral roll revision drive in Bihar. 

Supreme Court seeks Centre’s response on J&K statehood plea

By
Tehelka Bureau
-

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the ground realities in Jammu and Kashmir must be considered while examining the issue of restoring statehood to the Union Territory.

“You also have to take into consideration the ground realities; you cannot ignore what has happened in Pahalgam,” a bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran observed, referring to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.

The court was hearing a plea filed by academician Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and socio-political activist Ahmad Malik seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The apex court sought a response from the Centre and posted the matter for hearing after eight weeks.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, submitted that “several considerations… go into the decision-making process.”

“It is for Parliament and the Executive to take a decision,” the CJI said when senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioners, pressed for an early hearing.

On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of Article 370 — a temporary constitutional provision granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir — and directed that assembly elections be held in the Union Territory by September 2024, with statehood to be restored “at the earliest.”

Last year, a separate plea had sought directions to the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir within two months.

Constitution Club’ results-why BJP needs to be extra vigilant now

By
Vibha Sharma
-

 Many factors, including caste, Opposition’ support and proven track record helped BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy beat party colleague Sanjeev Balyan in the high-profile elections. But are these the only reasons, Why ahead of Vice President elections the BJP needs to do a deep dive in these results.

Photo: courtesy Rajiv Pratap Rudy’s social media account

The results from a BJP versus BJP between Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy and former Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan for control over the high-profile Constitution Club of India came as a revelation for most.

Members of the club which caters to MPs and former MPs in New Delhi voted in favour of Rudy, revealing interesting political alliances and possibilities for future. 

Both the BJP leaders were contesting for the post of secretary (administration).

In total, 707 votes were polled, around 679 were cast and another 38 votes were ballots, making it 60% of the electorate, possibly the largest ever recorded for the polls which normally go uncongested. 

Rudy won by a margin of 102 votes.

“Everyone rose from their party (line) and cast their vote… My panel had people from the Congress, SP, Trinamool Congress and Independent MPs… I got the result of my efforts in the last two decades,” Rudy said after the victory.

Factors, reasons 

There are many factors, including caste equations, Opposition’ support and proven track record that helped BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy beat party colleague Sanjeev Balyan and return as the Secretary (Administration) beating 25 years of anti-incumbency.

But were these the only reasons that the results of a club election made national headlines?

Sidelined within the party, Rudy was seen beaming with joy as supporters congratulated him and raised the slogans of Jai Sanga(Rajput ruler, an icon for the  community).

So one may be the caste angle, apparently many thakur/rajput BJP MPs chose to vote for Rudy.

Any Amit Shah connection ?

Rudy with his rainbow panel comprising members of most parties was also supported by opposition leaders Additionally, many BJP MPs are said to have voted against Balyan, the Western UP Jat leader considered close to senior BJP leader Amit Shah.

Analysts say that the club’ results are proof that  all is not well within the BJP, there are divisions and unrest, especially among saffron leaders who believe they have been sidelined (like Rudy) by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah regime. 

The question is did Balyan decide to contest on his own or was he nudged, because his presence in the contest was seen as an attempt by the BJP to “gain complete control of the prestigious club,” a reason why opposition parties rallied around BJP MP Rudy 

Coming just ahead of Vice President elections, the BJP leadership needs to be careful about the results that show that the iron hand that ruled the saffron party seems to be slacking, they add

‘Vote chori’-BJP digs up old records, accuses Sonia of ‘electoral malpractice’

By
Vibha Sharma
-

Analysts say the fact that BJP went to the extent of “digging” documents so far back indicates that the opposition ‘vote chori’ campaign is creating traction and ripples at the ground level. Sonia Gandhi’s name entered the electoral rolls twice without meeting the basic citizenship requirement, first as an Italian citizen in 1980, and then again in 1983, months before she legally became a citizen of India, claims BJP

File Photo

Accused of ‘colluding’ with the Election Commission for ‘vote chori’ by opposition, the BJP today retaliated with a fierce attack against senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of illegally being added to the voter list before she became an Indian citizen.

Former Union  minister Anurag Thakur claimed Gandhi ( born Sonia Maino in Italy in 1946) was added to the list from 1980 to 1982, a year before she was an Indian citizen.

Thakur’s allegations followed BJP IT cell in charge Amit Malviya’s detailed post on X earlier.

“Her(Sonia) name first appeared on the rolls in 1980, three years before she became an Indian citizen and while she still held Italian citizenship, 

Malviya, questioning “If this isn’t blatant electoral malpractice, what is?”

“Sonia Gandhi’s tryst with India’s voters’ list is riddled with glaring violations of electoral law. This perhaps explains Rahul Gandhi’s fondness for regularising ineligible and illegal voters, and his opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

“Her name first appeared on the rolls in 1980 — three years before she became an Indian citizen and while she still held Italian citizenship. At the time, the Gandhi family lived at 1, Safdarjung Road, the official residence of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Until then, the voters registered at that address were Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, and Maneka Gandhi. In 1980, the electoral rolls of the New Delhi parliamentary constituency were revised with January 1, 1980, as the qualifying date. During this revision, Sonia Gandhi’s name was added, appearing at serial number 388 in polling station 145.

“This entry was a clear violation of the law, which requires a person to be an Indian citizen to be registered as a voter. Following an outcry in 1982, her name was deleted from the list — only to reappear in 1983.

“But even her reinstatement raised serious questions. In the fresh revision of the electoral rolls that year, Sonia Gandhi was listed at serial number 236 in polling station 140. The qualifying date for registration was January 1, 1983 — yet she was granted Indian citizenship only on April 30, 1983.

‘In other words, Sonia Gandhi’s name entered the electoral rolls twice without meeting the basic citizenship requirement — first as an Italian citizen in 1980, and then again in 1983, months before she legally became a citizen of India. We are not even asking why it took her 15 years after marrying Rajiv Gandhi to accept Indian citizenship.

“If this isn’t blatant electoral malpractice, what is?, ” he said 

Is BJP worried?

From taking out protest marches to the office of the Election Commission of India to protests in Parliament,  Congress has effectively used the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state into an issue to galvanise the INDIA bloc which fell silent after the Lok Sabha elections last year.

Led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, a united Opposition has been criticising the EC initiative as “vote-chori” (vote theft) by the government designed to cause large-scale disenfranchisement.

Analysts say the fact that BJP went to the extent of “digging” documents so far back indicates that the opposition ‘vote chori’ campaign is creating traction and ripples at the ground level 

Jaya Bachchan in Controversy After Pushing Fan Seeking Selfie in Delhi

By
Tehelka Bureau
-

Veteran actor and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan found herself at the center of a heated debate after a video surfaced showing her pushing away a man who tried to click a selfie with her outside the Constitution Club in the capital.

The footage, now widely circulated on social media, shows Bachchan walking towards the venue when a man approached with his phone. Appearing visibly annoyed, she pushed him aside and questioned his actions. The moment, though lasting only a few seconds, has ignited strong reactions online.

Social media users are sharply divided. Critics have called the gesture unnecessarily aggressive, accusing the actor-politician of disrespecting the public. 

Supporters, however, argue that celebrities are often subject to invasive behavior and that Bachchan was simply defending her personal space.

Bachchan has previously expressed her discomfort with unsolicited photographs. In a past podcast conversation with her granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda, she remarked on the constant intrusion, asking rhetorically, “Am I not a human being?”

Among the most vocal critics was actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who reposted the video on her social media, calling Bachchan “spoilt and privileged.” Ranaut claimed that such conduct is tolerated only because of Bachchan’s association with her husband, Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, and used sharp language to describe her appearance at the event.

This is not the first time the two parliamentarians have been at odds. In 2020, Bachchan had publicly rebuked Ranaut over her comments about the Hindi film industry, marking the beginning of an ongoing war of words between them.

As the video continues to spread, the incident has once again brought to the fore the tense balance between public figures’ right to privacy and the public’s enthusiasm for celebrity encounters.

Another setback to Opposition’ anti-SIR campaign, SC calls 11 docs, revision ‘voter friendly’

By
Vibha Sharma
-


On Tuesday, the SC supported that the Election Commission assertion that the Aadhaar card cannot be used as a conclusive proof of citizenship: The SC is hearing the batch of petitions challenging validity of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar

A day after the Supreme Court supported the Election Commission’s assertion that the Aadhaar card cannot be used as a conclusive proof of citizenship, on Wednesday it described the 11 documents being used for identification in Bihar SIR as “voter friendly”.

It is being read as a major blow to opposition and NGOs challenging the June 24 decision of Election Commission to conduct SIR in poll bound Bihar.

The Supreme Court maintained the 11 documents required to be submitted by an elector for Bihar’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral roll as opposed to seven documents in summary revision conducted previously showed the exercise was “voter friendly”, according to reports

 A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, which resumed hearing on a batch of pleas challenging the EC’ SIR in Bihar, said despite petitioners’ arguments that non-acceptance of Aadhaar was exclusionary, it appeared the large number of documents was “actually inclusionary”.

“The number of documents in summary revision conducted earlier in the state was seven and in SIR it is 11, which shows it is voter friendly. We understand your arguments that non-acceptance of Aadhaar is exclusionary but a high number of documents is actually inclusionary,” the Bench was quoted as saying 

11 documents

The documents required included birth certificate issued by a municipal corporation, panchayat, or any authorised government body showing date and place of birth; Passport; Matriculation or Higher Education Certificate (A school-leaving certificate or university degree that includes the applicant’s date of birth); Government Identity or Pension Document; Domicile Certificate (A permanent residence certificate issued by the district magistrate or similar competent authority); Forest Rights Certificate (Provided under the Forest Rights Act to eligible individuals, mainly from tribal communities), Caste Certificate (Valid for SC, ST, OBC issued by a competent government authority; NRC Document (documents related to the National Register of Citizens); Family Register (household register or similar record maintained by local bodies, listing family members and key details; Land or Housing Allotment Paper and Pre-1987 Government/PSU ID (Any identity document issued by a government body or PSU before 1987).

Aadhar not conclusive proof of citizenship 

The court on Tuesday said that the EC is correct in saying that the Aadhaar card cannot be used as a conclusive proof of citizenship as it has to be verified and the poll panel is within its remit to include or exclude someone from the electoral roll on the basis of the citizenship

Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi also called the entire SIR issue  nothing but “largely a trust deficit issue”.

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