Berlin has decided to send 14 Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine in its first batch. , photo credit: AFP
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the end of a week-long drama, America and Germany decided last week to send their main battle tanks (MBT) to Ukraine. While Germany will send 14 of its Leopard 2, considered one of the most advanced MBTs, the US will send 31 M1 Abrams. Earlier, the UK had decided to supply Ukraine with its 14 MBT, Challenger 2. Germany initially resisted calls from Kyiv and its NATO allies to export Leopard 2s to Ukraine, saying such a move would escalate conflict with Russia. But he also said he would consider sending the tank if the US decides to give Kyiv the Abrams. On 25 January both countries announced their decisions. Germany has given the go-ahead to allies to re-export Leopard 2 to Ukraine. NATO members plan to send two battalions of MBTs—about 80 tanks. By spring, Ukraine will have more than 100 Western-supplied advanced tanks. Why is Leopard 2 being seen as important for Ukraine in the war? And will the arrival of the MBT change the dynamics of the battlefield? This profile of Leopard 2, “Fire on the Wheels”provides some answers.
In recent weeks, Western countries have decided to send more weapons to Ukraine, including armored vehicles, advanced munitions and tank killers. His move comes at a time when Russia is slowly advancing in the east and south of Ukraine. In the east, Russia captured Soledar earlier this month and is advancing towards Bakhmut, a town in Donetsk. And in the south, they have penetrated the front line in Zaporizhia and attacked Ukrainian positions in Kherson. Ukraine is also suffering corruption scandals And the military has recently tightened rules against desertion. Ukrainian officials say Moscow is planning a major offensive and they need heavy weapons to counter the enemy. Russia has warned that arms supplies to Ukraine would lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict. As the war enters its second year, escalation seems to be the only way out. In this explainer, Stanley Johnny looks at the next phase of the war.
Indus Water Treaty
Border Roads Organization staff and local volunteers work to stop overflowing water from the Indus River, which was damaging a highway, at Taru Thang near Leh. , Photo Credit: PTI
India announced this on Friday It wanted to revise the 62-year-old Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, calling it Pakistan’s “dogmatic attitude” in resolving disputes over the Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in both Jammu and Kashmir. India also protested Pakistan’s “unilateral” decision to approach the Court of Arbitration in The Hague – New Delhi is boycotting the hearing. sources told Hindu Pakistan’s move to the Court of Arbitration by the World Bank was contrary to the already existing channel of dispute resolution through a “neutral expert” appointed by the World Bank. India has not made public what changes it wants. in this lecturerDeeksha Munjal Writes about the treaty, its key provisions and Pakistan’s objections to Indian power projects.
violence in the West Bank
Palestinians celebrate in Gaza City after a shooting attack near a synagogue in Jerusalem, Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. , Photo Credit: AP
The West Bank, the Palestinian territory under Israel’s illegal occupation, is once again on edge. On January 26, At least 10 Palestinians were killed, including a 61-year-old woman In an Israeli raid on the West Bank flashpoint city of Jenin. next day, A Palestinian gunman killed seven Israelis in a Jewish neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. In Gaza, a small strip of land controlled by Hamas on the Mediterranean coast, militants fired rockets into Israel and later retaliated with airstrikes under Israel’s years-long illegal blockade. Hundreds of Palestinians and dozens of Israelis have been killed in the West Bank since the beginning of 2022. The Jenin attack was the deadliest Israeli operation in the West Bank in months and points to the hardline approach to the Palestinians by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government. , In the absence of any peace talks, violence is likely to continue in the occupied territories.
top five
- Abdel Fatah al-Sisi | iron grip general: The chief guest of India’s Republic Day parade, who came to power through a coup in Egypt in 2013, is trying to strike a careful balance between West and East while keeping the country under her tight control, Suhasini Haider Writes in The Hindu profile.
- countering the hegemony of the dollarNew supply chains and alternative currency chains are enabling dual/multiplatform systems, writes Anuradha Chinoy.
- Hindenburg Research | fraudulently: The short seller at the center of the storm over its report on the corporate practices of the Adani group is a small firm that ‘specialises in forensic financial research’, writes Suresh Seshadri in The Hindu profile.
- Why is Japan planning to discharge Fukushima’s waste water into the sea?Japan plans to drain 1.2 million tonnes of water from its troubled nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean this year. Vasudevan Mukuntha explains in The Hindu Text and Context.
- India’s timely help ensured Sri Lanka’s economic survival during the crisisSri Lankan envoy Moragoda told The Hindu in an interview that External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s visit to Colombo last week has opened a new chapter in India-Sri Lanka ties.