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Kremlin slams Biden’s comments on Putin

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Thursday condemned the remarks and said it was “unlikely to infringe on our president”….reports Asian Lite News

The Kremlin has lashed out at United States President Joe Biden, saying his comments about his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, were a poor attempt to appear like a “Hollywood cowboy”.

Biden on Wednesday called Putin a “crazy SOB [son of a b****]” during a fundraiser for his re-election campaign in San Francisco as he spoke about threats to the world, including “that guy Putin and others”, the risk of nuclear conflict and the existential threat to humanity from climate change.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Thursday condemned the remarks and said it was “unlikely to infringe on our president”.

“But it debases those who use such vocabulary,” he said.

It is not the first time Biden has used the offensive term. In 2022, he was heard on a hot mic calling a Fox News journalist an SOB. And he has in the past also described Putin as a “butcher” and a “war criminal”.

Peskov added that the remark was “probably some kind of attempt to look like a Hollywood cowboy. But honestly, I don’t think it’s possible”.

“Has Putin ever used one crude word to address you? This has never happened. Therefore, I think that such a vocabulary debases America itself,” he said.

He later told a state television reporter: “This is a disgrace for the country itself, I mean the United States.”

Former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally, also slammed Biden’s comments and said the existential threat to the world came from “useless old geezers like Biden himself”.

Medvedev added that the US leader was “senile” and “ready to start a war with Russia”.

In an interview with Russian TV last week, Putin said he would rather Biden win the presidency in November than Donald Trump.

“He’s more experienced, he’s predictable, he’s an old-style politician,” Putin said.

Relations between Russia and the US have been strained in recent years because of the war in Ukraine and US claims that Moscow is planning to put a nuclear weapon in space.

In a speech in 2022 in Poland, Biden said Putin “cannot remain in power”. While the White House played down the remark, hardliners in Russia saw it as evidence that the US wanted to topple Putin.

Some Russian and US diplomats said they do not remember a time when relations between the world’s two biggest nuclear powers were worse, including during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.

The death of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny in prison last week has intensified the divisions between the two countries. After news of his death, Biden said it was a “consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did”.

Navalny had previously accused Putin of trying to kill him, an allegation the Kremlin denied.

Russian officials have argued that Western countries have been quick to blame Putin for Navalny’s death without waiting for evidence. The Kremlin said their reaction is unacceptable and unjustified.

Washington is set to announce new sanctions against Russia over the death of Navalny and the two-year war in Ukraine on Friday.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the “major sanctions package” would hold Russia “accountable” for what happened to Navalny and respond to the “vicious and brutal war that has now raged on for two years”.

ALSO READ: US to impose 500 new sanctions on Russia

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-Top News Technology USA

Major cellular outage after AT&T, other networks go down

AT&T acknowledged that it had a widespread outage but did not provide a reason for the system failure…reports Asian Lite News

A massive outage was reported in the United States on Thursday, after AT&T’s network went down for many of its customers across the country, leaving customers unable to place calls, text or access the internet, CNN reported.

Later in the day, AT&T said that three-quarters of its disrupted network had been restored and it is working to quickly restore the services of all remaining users.

Although Verizon and T-Mobile customers also reported some network outages, those appeared far less widespread. These two firms said their networks were unaffected by AT&T’s service outage and customers reporting outages may have been unable to reach customers who use AT&T.

On Thursday morning, more than 74,000 AT&T customers reported outages on digital-service tracking site DownDetector, with service disruptions beginning around 4 am ET (local time), as reported by CNN.

AT&T acknowledged that it had a widespread outage but did not provide a reason for the system failure.

“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to them,” AT&T said in a statement. “We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored.”

By late morning, AT&T said most of its network was back online.

“Our network teams took immediate action and so far, three-quarters of our network has been restored,” the company said. “We are working as quickly as possible to restore service to remaining customers.”

Although AT&T provided no official reason for the outage, the issue appears to be related to how cellular services hand off calls from one network to the next, a process known as ‘peering’, CNN reported, citing an industry source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

But, there is no indication that Thursday’s outage was the result of a cyberattack or other malicious activity, the industry source said.

As a result of this massive outage, AT&T’s stock fell more than 2 per cent on Thursday, on a day when the market was rocketing higher.

AT&T has encountered sporadic outages over the past few days, including a temporary 911 outage in some parts of the south-eastern United States. Although outages happen from time to time, nationwide, prolonged outages are exceedingly rare.

However, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is “working closely with AT&T to understand the cause of the outage and its impacts, and stand[s] ready to offer any assistance needed,” says Eric Goldstein, the agency’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity.

Several local governments also said that AT&T’s outage was disrupting their services.

San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management said in a statement on X Thursday morning that its 911 centre remained operational, but many AT&T customers were unable to reach the emergency line because of the outage. It suggested people call from a landline or find someone with a rival’s service to dial 911.

The Fire Department in Upper Arlington, Ohio, said the AT&T outage was affecting its fire alarms. St. Joseph County, Michigan, advised residents to use Wi-Fi to place 911 calls if they can’t reach 911 on AT&T’s network

New York Police Department officials told CNN that they were not able to make calls or utilise emails on AT&T phones Thursday morning unless they were connected to Wi-Fi.

Meanwhile, around 1,000 outages were reported by both Verizon and T-Mobile customers, according to DownDetectot website, the two telecom firms said that they are “unaffected.”

“We did not experience an outage,” T-Mobile said in a statement. “Our network is operating normally.”

“Verizon’s network is operating normally,” Verizon said. “Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier. We are continuing to monitor the situation.”

According to CNN, it is almost certain, that the Federal Communications Commission will investigate this week’s incident, multiple experts said.

The FCC requires carriers to report information linked to network disruptions. Fines may be possible in connection with 911 outages, although they aren’t a certainty, said Blair Levin, a telecom policy analyst and another former FCC official. (ANI)

ALSO READ: US to impose 500 new sanctions on Russia

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-Top News Europe USA

US to impose 500 new sanctions on Russia

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet at the Villa La Grange in Geneva, Switzerland, June 16, 2021. (Denis Balibouse/Pool via Xinhua/IANS)

The Biden administration is seeking to demonstrate its unwavering support for Ukraine, even though Republican lawmakers are blocking vital additional US military aid…reports Asian Lite News

The Treasury Department plans to impose more than 500 new sanctions on Russia and its war machine on Friday as the US vows to keep up its financial pressure on Moscow with the war entering its third gruelling year.

The sanctions represent the largest single tranche of penalties since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. They come on the heels of a series of new arrests and indictments announced by the Justice Department on Thursday that target Russian businessmen, including the head of Russia’s second-largest bank, and their middlemen in five separate federal cases.

The Biden administration is seeking to demonstrate its unwavering support for Ukraine, even though Republican lawmakers allied with former President Donald Trump are blocking vital additional US military aid.

The White House had promised major sanctions in response to the death last week of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in an Arctic penal colony. Biden said Thursday after meeting with Navalny’s wife and daughter that the sanctions would be “against Putin, who is responsible for his death.”

The planned sanctions were previewed by two administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity before their release on Friday. Additional sanctions are expected from the State Department as well.

Thousands of sanctions have already been imposed on Russian officials, businessmen, banks, companies and entire industries since the start of the war.

Out of the Justice Department, the cases announced Thursday include charges unsealed in New York against sanctioned Russian banker Andrei Kostin and “two of his US-based facilitators.” The facilitators, Vadim Wolfson and Gannon Bond, were arrested Thursday.

Russia flag(twitter)

Kostin, the longtime president of state-owned VTB Bank, is charged with engaging in a scheme to evade sanctions and launder money to support two superyachts. He, along with the two others, is also accused of trying to evade sanctions by concealing his ownership of a home in Aspen, Colorado. The indictment says Wolfson and Bond arranged to sell the house and provide Kostin with about $12 million from the sale.

Michael Khoo, a co-director of the department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, said on a call with reporters that the announcement was meant to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “we’re not going away” and “we can play the long game as well” so long as the war continues.

The KleptoCapture task force enforces the economic restrictions within the US imposed on Russia and its billionaires.

The Justice Department says over the past two years it has secured court orders for the restraint, seizure, and forfeiture of nearly USD 700 million in assets and has charged more than 70 people with violating sanctions and export controls.

The United States has been able to transfer more than $5 million of seized Russian assets to Europe in support of Ukraine’s defense, US officials said Thursday. But the process of justifying each confiscation of alleged illicit assets in court is a painstaking one by law, playing out over years.

“The Justice Department is more committed than ever to cutting off the flow of illegal funds that are fueling Putin’s war and to holding accountable those who continue to enable it,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.

The US and other allies of Ukraine had hoped to cripple and isolate Russia’s economy with a succession of sanctions targeting its financial sector and sources of revenue, including oil sales. But Putin has worked with Iran and others to blunt the impact of the international sanctions, so that the International Monetary Fund reports Russia’s economy growing at an unexpectedly healthy pace.

Also Thursday, an indictment was unsealed in Washington, DC, charging Vladislav Osipov with bank fraud connected to operating a 255-foot luxury yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Osipov, a Russian national, lives in Switzerland. The State Department has offered a reward of up to USD 1 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

The indictment identifies the superyacht as the Tango, the first belonging to a sanctioned Russian with close ties to the Kremlin to be seized at the request of the US government following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In Florida, Serhiy Kurchenko, a sanctioned pro-Russian Ukrainian metals magnate, was indicted for trying to evade sanctions that prevent him from doing business in the United States. He and Kostin are believed to be in Moscow and thus unlikely to face US justice.

Also in Florida, a civil forfeiture complaint was filed against two luxury condos in Bal Harbour owned by sanctioned Russian businessman Viktor Perevalov, the co-owner of a Russia-based construction company that was sanctioned for building a highway in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula that Russia seized in 2014.

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-Top News PAKISTAN USA

US Urges Pakistan to Restore Access to X

On irregularities in election process in Pakistan, Matthew Miller said the US wants full investigation into the matter…reports Asian Lite News

 The US has asked Pakistan to respect freedom of expression and restore access to X and social media platforms.

On disruptions on social media in Pakistan, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller, in a media briefing, said: “So we are concerned by any report of restrictions on the exercise of the freedom of expression and association in Pakistan, including the partial or complete government-imposed internet shutdowns, which includes, of course, on social media platforms.

“We continue to call on Pakistan to respect freedom of expression and restore access to any social media that has been restricted, including Twitter, I think now known as X,” the spokesperson added.

On irregularities in election process in Pakistan, Matthew Miller said the US wants full investigation into the matter.

Mobile internet was suspended on February 8, the polling day after which the country’s caretaker government had said that the step was taken as a security measure.

As per NetBlocks, a global internet monitor, X services have been restricted in the country since February 17, Geo news reported.

ALSO READ-Restore Freedom of Expression, US Urges Pakistan

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-Top News Politics USA

Biden Calls Putin A ‘Crazy ***’

President Biden’s verbal assaults on President Putin have intensified, with the former directly implicating Putin and “his thugs” in the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, a claim the Kremlin vehemently denies….reports Asian Lite News

At a San Francisco fundraiser, US President Joe Biden characterised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “crazy ***,” emphasising climate change as the paramount existential threat.

In January 2022, Biden was caught using “***” expletive toward a Fox News White House reporter.

Known for off-script moments, Biden has criticised the Chinese government, the Republican Party, and Israel’s actions in Gaza during recent fundraisers.

His verbal assaults on Putin have intensified, with Biden directly implicating Putin and “his thugs” in the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, a claim the Kremlin vehemently denies.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin rebuked Joe Biden’s characterization, denouncing it as a debasement of the United States and resorting to Hollywood-style antics. Biden’s remark, made during a fundraiser in San Francisco, drew swift condemnation from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who labelled it as an attempt to emulate a “Hollywood cowboy.”

Peskov expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of such language, highlighting Putin’s dignified conduct in diplomatic discourse. He criticized the use of crude vocabulary by American leaders and deemed it a disgrace to the nation.

Tensions between Russia and the West have escalated due to various issues, including the conflict in Ukraine, the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and allegations of Russia’s plans for space-based nuclear weapons.

This tumultuous period marks one of the most strained phases in US-Russia relations since the Cold War, with some diplomats likening it to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Biden’s blunt condemnation of Putin’s regime, particularly in response to Navalny’s death, has intensified the rift. Navalny, a vocal critic of Putin, had accused the Kremlin of attempting to assassinate him, an allegation Russia vehemently denies.

The Kremlin contends that the West’s rush to blame Putin without evidence is unwarranted and unjust. Biden’s declaration in Warsaw that Putin “cannot remain in power” further exacerbated tensions, with Russian hardliners interpreting it as a veiled attempt at regime change.

This animosity between the two leaders is not new. In 2021, Biden labelled Putin a “killer,” prompting a phone call between the two leaders where Biden offered an explanation for his choice of words.

Despite diplomatic efforts to mitigate tensions, the verbal sparring between the United States and Russia continues, exacerbating an already precarious relationship.

Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump broke his silence on the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny but avoided condemning Moscow or President Vladimir Putin in his cryptic post, CNN reported.

Trump drew comparisons between Navalny’s mysterious death and his alleged “political persecution” and accused Joe Biden of “destroying” America.

The lack of a direct response from the GOP presidential frontrunner is likely to fuel fresh questions about how he would approach Russia in a potential second term, as it follows his comments earlier this month, that he would encourage the country to invade a NATO ally that was not spending enough on defence, as reported by CNN.

Notably, Trump faces 91 criminal charges but has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which span four separate cases against him.

Taking to his social media platform ‘Truth Social’, Trump said, “The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country. It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction.”

“Open Borders, Rigged Elections, and Grossly Unfair Courtroom Decisions are DESTROYING AMERICA. WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE, A FAILING NATION!” he added.

The news of Navalny’s death, which happened while he was incarcerated in Russia, drew swift and forceful reactions from Western leaders, including President Joe Biden, who blamed Putin and said, “What has happened to Navalny is yet more proof of Putin’s brutality.”

The first time Trump mentioned Navalny’s name in the wake of his death was when he shared a piece by the Tippinsights editorial board on Sunday with the headline “Biden:Trump::Putin:Navalny,” claiming that there are some parallels between Navalny’s treatment in Russia and that of Trump’s in the US

On the other hand, former South Carolina Governor and Trump’s last remaining major GOP rival, Nikki Haley has repeatedly called out Trump for avoiding addressing Navalny’s death. Haley has called Navalny a “hero” and blamed Putin for his death.

“Trump needs to answer to that. Does he think Putin killed him? Does he think Putin was right to kill him? And does he think Navalny was a hero?” she told reporters Saturday at an event in South Carolina.

ALSO READ: Brazil Slams UNSC’s ‘Paralysis’ on Gaza, Ukraine

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-Top News Health USA

US Launches Network to Assess Cancer Screening Tech

The Cancer Screening Research Network will investigate on how to identify cancers earlier, when they may be easier to treat….reports Asian Lite News

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a clinical trials network to evaluate emerging technologies for cancer screening, the agency said.

The Cancer Screening Research Network will investigate on how to identify cancers earlier, when they may be easier to treat. Eight groups have received funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of NIH, to carry out the initial activities of the network, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Emerging technologies such as multi-cancer detection tests could transform cancer screening and help to extend the lives of many more people. We need to be sure that these technologies work and understand how to use them so they benefit everyone,” said W. Kimryn Rathmell, director of NCI, on Wednesday.

In 2024, the network will launch a pilot study, known as the Vanguard Study on Multi-Cancer Detection, to address the feasibility of using multi-cancer detection tests in future randomised controlled trials, according to NIH.

“Our goal is to systematically evaluate cancer screening technologies to understand how best to use them to ultimately save lives. Data collected through these clinical trials can be used to develop evidence-based guidelines for cancer screening,” said Lori M. Minasian, deputy director of the Division of Cancer Prevention at NCI.

ALSO READ: ‘Embryos Are babies’: Haley Sides With Alabama Court Ruling

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-Top News Legal USA

‘Embryos Are babies’: Haley Sides With Alabama Court Ruling

The court’s decision, which deemed such embryos as children, has stirred debate within the medical and legal communities….reports Asian Lite News

Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley supported a controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday, asserting that she considers frozen embryos created through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) as babies.

The court’s decision, which deemed such embryos as children, has stirred debate within the medical and legal communities.

In an interview with NBC News, Haley defended the court’s stance, stating, “Embryos, to me, are babies.” Although she conceived her son via artificial insemination, a different procedure, she aligned with the court’s perspective on IVF embryos.

Haley, a key contender in the 2024 Republican presidential race, is set to confront frontrunner Donald Trump for the third time.

Trump has remained silent on the Alabama ruling, prompting speculation on his stance. The decision has caused confusion and concern in Alabama, leading to the suspension of in-vitro fertilization procedures at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the ruling, linking it to the broader repercussions of overturning Roe v. Wade.

With reproductive rights at the forefront, Republican candidates have largely avoided the abortion debate, potentially impacting their electoral performance.

Haley, the lone female Republican candidate, advocates for finding common ground on this contentious issue.

While Trump takes credit for appointing conservative Supreme Court justices, his stance on a national abortion ban remains undisclosed.

Meanwhile, Haley has said that she is not dropping out of the presidential race despite badly trailing former US president Donald Trump.

Haley made the remarks on Tuesday in a “State of the Race” address in Greenville, South Carolina, just days ahead of the Republican primary in the southeastern state, where she served as the first female Governor from 2011 to 2017, Xinhua news agency reported.

“When the country’s future is on the line, you don’t drop out. You keep fighting. In fact, you fight harder than ever. That’s why I refuse to quit,” she said in the speech delivered at Clemson University at Greenville ONE.

“South Carolina will vote on Saturday. But on Sunday, I’ll still be running for President. I’m not going anywhere,” she added.

ALSO READ: US Destroys Missile Launcher in Yemen

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Restore Freedom of Expression, US Urges Pakistan

On irregularities in election process in Pakistan, Matthew Miller said the US wants full investigation into the matter….reports Asian Lite News

The US has asked Pakistan to respect freedom of expression and restore access to X and social media platforms.

On disruptions on social media in Pakistan, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller, in a media briefing, said: “So we are concerned by any report of restrictions on the exercise of the freedom of expression and association in Pakistan, including the partial or complete government-imposed internet shutdowns, which includes, of course, on social media platforms.

“We continue to call on Pakistan to respect freedom of expression and restore access to any social media that has been restricted, including Twitter, I think now known as X,” the spokesperson added.

On irregularities in election process in Pakistan, Matthew Miller said the US wants full investigation into the matter.

Mobile internet was suspended on February 8, the polling day after which the country’s caretaker government had said that the step was taken as a security measure.

As per NetBlocks, a global internet monitor, X services have been restricted in the country since February 17, Geo news reported.

ALSO READ: 23,000 Pakistanis Held in Foreign Prisons, Reveals Shocking Report

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-Top News USA

Houthi Forces Target Commercial Ship Carrying Food Aid for Yemen

The attack was carried out using two ballistic missiles, according to a Houthi announcement…reports Asian Lite News

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has expressed strong condemnation for the Houthi group’s assault on a commercial ship carrying 40,000 ton of grain intended for the war-ravaged Yemen.

In a statement released by the state-run Saba news agency, the government said on Wednesday that the ship named the Sea Champion was fired upon by Houthi forces on Monday while sailing from Argentina to the port of Aden in southern Yemen, Xinhua news agency reported.

The attack was carried out using two ballistic missiles, according to a Houthi announcement.

The government added that the ship was carrying a cargo of 40,000 ton of grain, of which 9,229 ton of corn were destined for Aden. The rest was to be unloaded at the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah.

The Sea Champion has delivered vital food aid to Yemen 11 times over the past five years since the outbreak of the country’s civil war, according to the government.

Yemen’s Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani described the assault as “a dangerous escalation of Houthi attacks on commercial ships”.

He accused the Houthis of exacerbating Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and forcing innocent civilians to pay the price.

The Houthis have stepped up their attacks on international shipping since mid-November last year, saying they were in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza who faced Israeli attacks.

US Warplanes Launch Airstrikes Targeting Yemen’s Hodeidah Port City

US warplanes launched five airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, media reported.

The strikes hit in the area of Ras Issa in the district of al-Salif, northwest of the city, said the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV report on Wednesday, adding that there were no casualties.

Hodeidah’s residents said there were huge explosions in the Houthi-controlled military sea base in Ras Issa, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Houthis have been launching anti-ship missile attacks against international shipping vessels transiting the Red Sea since the past mid-November in what they said in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Many ships have been damaged, forcing several major shipping companies to change routes around Africa, which increased the prices of shipping and goods.

The US military, which has been hitting Houthi targets almost on a daily basis since January, has yet to comment on the alleged fresh strikes.

The armed Houthis have been controlling the strategic Hodeidah since the 2018 UN-sponsored Stockholm Agreement, which was backed by the US and Britain, forcing the internationally recognised government out.

ALSO READ-Stay Out of Red Sea Coalition, Houthis Tells EU

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-Top News India News USA

‘Shared Values Forge Unbreakable Bond in US-India Relations’

The US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources expressed confidence in the enduring bond between the two nations, founded on decades of shared values….reports Asian Lite News

United States’ former ambassador to India Richard R Verma has highlighted that the enduring strength of ties between the two countries is their “shared values,” which has transcended mere “transactional” buyer-seller relationship and formed the bedrock.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources conveyed his optimism regarding the unique and special bond between the two nations, which is rooted in shared values that have been developed over decades.

Verma, who served as the US envoy from 2014-2017, asserted that the foundation of the relationship is built on a deep history of shared ideas about post-colonial independence, justice, civil rights, equality, and democracy.

“Anyone who asserts that we don’t have shared values, I think, doesn’t actually appreciate the history… going back decades and decades. Our great writers and philosophers over 150 years have been sharing the ideas about post-colonial independence, about the struggle for justice, about civil rights, about equality, about democracy. And that is the foundation. There’s a reason why there’s nearly 5 million Americans of Indian and South Asian descent in the United States,” Verma said.

“We are not just a transactional buyer-seller relationship. This is not just about interest,” the top US official said adding, “Of course, every country has interest, and those countries pursue those interests. We are uniquely situated,” he said.

The former ambassador highlighted the historical connections, citing instances like Mahatma Gandhi’s appreciation for Henry David Thoreau’s writings and Martin Luther King Jr being influenced by Gandhi. Verma stressed that the values shared between the two nations form the bedrock and foundation of their relationship, serving as the glue that holds them together.

“I could give you dozens and dozens of examples where our values form the bedrock and the foundation of this relationship, and it’s evident today. That’s what makes this relationship special and different. And ultimately, that’s what we have to stay true to. All of the other activities on top of it are important, but we can never lose sight of that foundation. That is the glue that holds us together,” Verma added.

Addressing concerns about the impact of election cycles on bilateral relations, Verma sought to assure that efforts to strengthen the US-India relationship are being redoubled.

General elections are scheduled within a couple of months in India and the US Presidential elections slated for November this year

“We are actually redoubling our efforts on the US-India relationship and you see that in the number of activities and just the way the president talks about the relationship, of course, the state visit last year,” the US Deputy Secretary of State stated.

The top US official also pointed out an increase in bilateral dialogues in a diverse range of activities and initiatives, spanning defence, emerging technologies, clean energy, and healthcare.

“I’m here because I wanted to let people know I’ve really never seen the relationship as strong and robust, as diverse as it is today,” he said.

“I just look at the number of bilateral dialogues we have coming up, the number of really interesting initiatives coming up from different in the defence area, from emerging technologies to clean energy, health, so much more,” Verma said.

Earlier this month, the US State Department approved the sale of 31 armed drones, missiles and other equipment to India for nearly USD 4 billion. The MQ-9B Predator drones deal had been announced during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in June 2023.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on an official State visit to the US in June 2023, where he was accorded a ceremonial welcome by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

Verma noted that records in trade, defence, and people-to-people ties have been consistently broken, and expressed confidence in the durability of the India-US relationship beyond election cycles.

“We’ve broken every record that we keep in terms of trade and defence and people-to-people ties, visas issued. That will continue, election year or not an election year. We don’t have the luxury of kind of not engaging with the rest of the world. I think the world expects our leadership, And I think this relationship is too important,” Verma said.

Asked about the challenges posed by critiques on the political landscape in India, Verma acknowledged the presence of differences and emphasised the importance of addressing them through dialogue.

“I mean, look, we have… big noisy democracies in both capitals. I’ve certainly lived here and seen plenty of critiques about the United States. I’ve seen critiques in the United States about India. I And I also think when we have differences, we sit down and we address them. It is in our collective interest to support civil society,” Verma said.

He also highlighted the significance of supporting civil society, a free press, and the democratic aspirations of minority communities as shared goals that strengthen the collective interest of both nations. “It’s in our collective interest to support a free press. It is in our collective interest to support democratic aspirations of minority communities and to be more inclusive. That’s what our leaders talk about when they get together. That model helps, frankly, push back against the authoritarian and autocratic vision of the world, which does exist and is the counter-narrative.”

The former US Ambassador, who is currently on a visit to India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives underscored the need to stand together against authoritarian and autocratic visions, expressing his enthusiasm for the collaborative potential of the India-US relationship. (ANI)

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