India’s Top Diplomat Visits Russia

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s trip to Russia, Israel’s expansion of its ground campaign in central Gaza, and deadly storms in Australia.

Russia Hails Relationship With India as Jaishankar Visits

Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday. Despite Western attempts to isolate Russia in response to its war in Ukraine, India has dramatically increased its purchase of Russian oil since the conflict began.

“Everything is in your hands,” Putin said, according to the New York Times, “and I can say that we are successful because of your direct support.” Putin also invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia. Ahead of the meeting, Jaishankar said the officials would “focus on bilateral cooperation in different spheres,” while Lavrov said that both countries are invested in “building an international political and economic system that would be open and fair for everyone.”

Following the discussions, Lavrov hailed India’s “responsible approach” to world affairs, including the war in Ukraine. Jaishankar, for his part, called Russia a “valued and time-tested” partner. New Delhi has historic diplomatic ties with Moscow and has long relied on imports of Russian arms. (During Jaishankar’s visit, the two countries reportedly made “tangible progress” on plans for the joint production of military equipment.)

On Tuesday, India and Russia also discussed the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, which is being built in southern India with assistance from Russia. The two countries came to an agreement on the future construction of power-generating units for the plant, which is expected to become fully operational in 2027 after years of construction.

Since the outset of Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India has walked a tightrope with its partners, striving to keep Russia close while also bolstering its relationship with the United States. In 2023, this seemed to work: Modi was feted with a state visit at the White House in June and is ending the year with an invitation to visit the Kremlin.

However, the United States has also accused India of involvement in an assassination plot of a U.S. and Canadian citizen; the charges followed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September that India was behind the assassination of a Sikh activist in Canada. Modi has tried to downplay what this will mean for U.S.-India relations, telling the Financial Times that a “few incidents” would not derail the partnership.

Modi will be focused on something else in the new year in addition to the United States and Russia: India has a general election in 2024, when voters will decide whether they’re impressed by Modi’s balancing act abroad and his political performance at home.

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What We’re Following

Israel expands campaign in central Gaza. Israeli forces have expanded their ground campaign into central Gaza, including into urban refugee camps. The ground expansion follows heavy bombardment of the area. Meanwhile, Gaza’s main telecommunications provider has described a “complete interruption” of services in the territory.

The United States said on Tuesday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan were meeting with Ron Dermer, Israel’s minister for strategic affairs and the former Israeli ambassador to the United States, to discuss the possibility of shifting focus to particular Hamas targets and improving humanitarian conditions in Gaza, among other things.

The meetings come as Israel insists that the war will continue for months. Israel also announced Tuesday that it would no longer grant automatic visas to United Nations workers, saying that applications will be processed case-by-case. “For too long, international officials have been deflecting blame onto Israel to cover up the fact that they are covering up for Hamas,” said Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy.

On Wednesday, Tzivka Fohgel, a far-right Israeli lawmaker, said on an Israeli public radio station that Israel must establish settlements in northern Gaza to succeed against Hamas.

Deadly storms in Australia. At least 10 people were killed in storms that ravaged eastern Australia on Christmas and Boxing Day, including a 9-year-old child. Tens of thousands of people in the state of Queensland are still without power. The storms came more than a week after the dissipation of Cyclone Jasper, which caused major floods in parts of the state. Repairs from the cyclone and subsequent storms could cost billions of dollars.

Flooding and winds from the thunderstorms also hit the states of Victoria and New South Wales. Australia is currently experiencing an El Niño weather event, which is associated with cyclones and wildfires. Forecasts show that there will be more thunderstorms, although conditions are also expected to improve over the coming days. The U.N. has warned that environmental disasters are expected to get worse unless dramatic action is taken to tackle the climate crisis.

AstraZeneca buys Chinese firm. AstraZeneca, Britain’s biggest pharmaceutical company, is buying Gracell Biotechnologies, a Chinese cancer therapy firm, for $1.2 billion. The move reflects a push further into cancer research and treatment, which already makes up roughly one-third of AstraZeneca’s business—as well as a push into China.

AstraZeneca is also striking deals with China-based firms: Before the purchase of Gracell, there was a deal to develop a weight-loss pill with Eccogene, a Chinese biotech company, in November. Over the summer, it was reported that AstraZeneca was considering listing its local business in China on the Shanghai or Hong Kong stock exchange, which the Guardian describes as a way “to avoid being caught up in the fallout” of U.S.-China tensions. The company did not comment on the speculation.

Odds and Ends

A 21-foot bronze statue of the singer Shakira was unveiled in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, on Tuesday. The statue appears to show her shaking her hips. Shakira’s parents, William Mebarak and Nidia Ripoll, and the mayor of Barranquilla attended the unveiling on Tuesday, and Shakira posted a photo of her parents in front of the giant version of herself on her Instagram.