UPSC Key: India-UK trade talks, train to Kashmir and India-Bangladesh ties

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: TRADE TALKS with Western countries, particularly, the United States and the United Kingdom, have gathered pace with a negotiating team headed to Washington DC next week to push through an interim deal, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal set to visit the UK to iron out the remaining differences. 

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the history of India-US relations?

• What are the areas of cooperation between India and the US?

• What are the key developments in India-US relations in the various sectors?

• Read about the recent development associated with Trump’s announcement of reciprocal tariff and its 90 days pause. 

• What are tariffs? Why are tariffs imposed?

• What do you understand by the ‘Rules of origin’?

• What are the challenges of the rule of origin?

• What can be the implications of protectionist trade policies, such as tariffs, on emerging economies like India.

• What strategies should India employ to navigate potential trade negotiations with the U.S.?

• Read about the bilateral trade agreement between India and the USA.

Key Takeaways:

• The visit, scheduled to commence on April 23, is significant with the trade war escalating between the US and China and both powers pursuing their own set of trade deals. While the US is negotiating with India, Japan, and South Korea, China is pushing ahead with agreements involving Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia — all countries that have received significant investment from China in the last few years.

• With the ‘rules of origin’ featuring early in the negotiations with India, the US could be addressing its concerns emerging from the last trade war launched under US President Donald Trump’s first administration. Chinese goods had landed on US shores despite tariffs on China since products got rerouted via Vietnam, Mexico and other countries, making US tariffs on China counterproductive.

• ‘Rules of origin’ are the criteria needed to determine the national source of a product and has been a tough area of negotiations for India too with other trade partners such as those in the ASEAN region primarily because of the risk of Chinese products getting re-routed to India, and benefiting from the concessions given to the ASEAN countries under the free trade agreement.

• Notably, agriculture has also emerged as a key focus area following comments last month by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who said India must “open up” its agriculture sector to US products. He said the US would be open to “accepting quotas and limits” where sensitivities exist.

• The Indian Express reported last month that India and the US will discuss market access for goods and digital trade in the first tranche of negotiations. Key US demands—particularly in the automobile, whisky, and agriculture sectors—will be addressed. Labour, environment, and government procurement are expected to feature in the second tranche.

• Meanwhile, Indian industry is urging the government to fast-track a deal, as tariff uncertainty is already impacting manufacturing and services.

• The Trump tariffs, and the radical changes in US trade policy, have prompted India to push through trade agreements with not just the US, but also with the UK and the European Union. The 90-day tariff pause is being used to at least conclude an interim deal with the US.

Do You Know:

• As the US is India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in 2023 crossing $117 billion. India is also vulnerable to changes in American trade policy, as the US market is India’s largest export market for both goods and services. Most importantly, the US is the only country with which India has a trade surplus, making it a crucial source of US dollar earnings. 

• In this context, India’s strategy of initiating talks for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US, along with its restraint in not retaliating against US tariffs, appears to have paid off, as US President Donald Trump Wednesday (April 9) paused reciprocal tariffs on 75 countries, including India. 

• India and the US are currently negotiating a bilateral trade agreement aimed at more than doubling trade – from the current $191 billion to $500 billion by 2023. The first phase of the deal is expected to be concluded by autumn this year.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Tariff war: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | PM Modi’s US Visit: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | From Trump’s reciprocal tariffs announcement to 90-day pause: Everything in between

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Consider the following statements:

1. Tariffs are taxes or duties imposed by a government on imported goods and services.

2. Objective of tariffs is to make foreign products more expensive compared to domestically produced goods

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

‘What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s National self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. (UPSC CSE 2019)

Trade talks with UK in final stages, no new round

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Within a month of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visiting the UK, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to meet his counterpart in London next month, as trade talks are progressing “well”, a senior government official said on Saturday. 

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the history of India-UK ties?

• What are the areas of cooperation between India and the UK?

• What steps has India taken to strengthen trade ties with the United Kingdom?

• What is a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement?

• Read about the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

• What is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)? How many countries has India signed FTAs with?

• What is the significance of the India-UK FTA?

• What are the challenges for India in finalising an FTA with the UK?

• Why is India revisiting its 2016 model of the Bilateral Investment Treaty?

• What is India’s strategy amid the shifting global trade order post US–China tensions?

Key Takeaways:

• This comes as radical changes in US trade policy are rapidly resetting the global trading order, with countries seeking to secure market access in as many nations as possible. For India, negotiations with the UK and the European Union — stuck for decades — have gained momentum.

• While negotiations with the US are expected to conclude before the end of the year, New Delhi and Brussels have also agreed to sign a trade deal within the year. However, talks with developed countries have yet to conclude due to stringent labour and environmental standards sought by Western nations.

• A government official said that, in a bid to secure a deal, India is considering an early harvest agreement with various trade partners that would include “core trade issues” such as market access, leaving labour and environmental matters for subsequent discussions.

• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds announced the resumption of negotiations for the proposed FTA between the two countries in February this year. The negotiations resumed after a gap of over eight months. The talks were launched in January 2022.

• The two countries are actively negotiating on three fronts — the FTA, a bilateral investment treaty (BIT), and a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement. The BIT talks are being led by the Finance Ministry and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the UK earlier this month.

• Amid an anticipated shift in global trade and investment away from China following the ongoing US–China trade tensions, India, during the Union Budget announcement, signalled stronger protections for foreign investors. The government announced a revamp of the conservative 2016 model Bilateral Investment Treaty, which had favoured the state over investors in dispute resolution.

Do You Know:

• The UK is the 16th-biggest trading partner of India. India is currently in talks with both the UK and the European Union for an investment treaty and is also expected to negotiate a BIT with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) region, which has committed to investing $100 billion in India over a 15-year period.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India, UK step up trade talks amid global tariff uncertainty, aim to double trade in a decade

📍India signs trade agreement with EFTA: What is the significance of the deal?

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(2) Which among the following is a joint military exercise between India and the United Kingdom 

(a) Ajeya Warrior

(b) Mitra Shakti

(c) Indra

(4) Varua

(3) We adopted parliamentary democracy based on the British model, but how does our model differ from that model? (UPSC CSE 2021)

1. As regards legislation, the British Parliament is supreme or sovereign but in India, the power of the Parliament to legislate is limited.

2. In India, matters related to the constitutionality of Amendment of an Act of the Parliament are  referred to the Constitution Bench by the Supreme Court.

Select the correct answer using the code given below. 

(a) 1 only  

(b) 2 only 

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 

After latest murder, Delhi slams Dhaka: ‘Persecution of Hindu minorities’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations,  Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Days after a Hindu community leader in Bangladesh was killed, the Ministry of External Affairs Saturday strongly condemned his alleged abduction and murder and said it follows a “pattern of systematic persecution” of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the history of India-Bangladesh bilateral relations?

• What are the areas of cooperation between India and Bangladesh?

• What are the challenges in India and Bangladesh ties?

• What is the significance of Bangladesh for India?

• How does growing Chinese influence in Bangladesh pose a new challenge for India?

• How does the political transition in Bangladesh and its impact on India’s foreign policy underscores the importance of neighbourhood diplomacy?

• Map work: Location of Bangladesh and Indian states sharing boundaries with Bangladesh.

Key Takeaways:

• MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged the interim government in Dhaka to “live up to its responsibility” of protecting minorities without “inventing excuses.”

• According to Bangladesh media reports, the man has been identified as Bhabesh Chandra Roy, 58, and he was the vice-president of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and a prominent leader of the Hindu community in the area.

• The Parishad mobilises members of the community across Bangladesh for religious festivals. The incident happened in the Dinajpur area near the border between northern Bangladesh and north Bengal, more than 300 km away from Dhaka.

• Dhaka-based newspaper The Daily Star reported that Roy was allegedly abducted from his home and beaten to death Thursday afternoon, according to police and family members.

• “This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity,” MEA’s Jaiswal said.

• The ties between the two countries have been adversely impacted after India has consistently raised the issue of the safety and security of minorities, including Hindus, since August last year, when the Sheikh Hasina government collapsed in the face of protests led by students and activists from opposition political groups.

• Indeed, on April 4, in their first meeting since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised these concerns with Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.

• During the talks, said to be a sharp 40-minute meeting on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok, Modi flagged the safety of Hindus and other minorities who have been targeted in Bangladesh.

• According to the Bangladesh government’s statement, while responding to Modi’s concern over the condition of minorities in Bangladesh, Yunus had said “the reports of attacks on the minorities were hugely inflated” and “the bulk of them were fake news”. He asked the Prime Minister to send reporters to Bangladesh to investigate the alleged attacks themselves.

Do You Know:

• The turmoil in Bangladesh in August last year resulted in the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the establishment of an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. This event is considered a significant turning point in Bangladesh’s history and has introduced new dynamics in regional politics. As a neighbouring country of India, Bangladesh has always played a crucial role in India’s “neighbourhood first” policy.

• Notably, India recently revoked Bangladesh’s ability to use Indian ports and airports for third-country exports, despite an agreement reached in 2020. India offered this facility to Bangladesh at a time when the entire South Asian region was severely hit by Covid-19. Bangladesh was also decimated by the pandemic, and the country’s textile makers were receiving orders for health equipment such as masks, medical fabric, and hand gloves, among other things. Due to air and shipping limitations, Bangladesh approached India. 

• Assam, West Bengal, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Tripura share borders with Bangladesh.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Bangladesh Crisis and India: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

📍Avoid rhetoric that vitiates environment, PM Modi tells Yunus after his remarks on N-E

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.

2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.

3. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Prelims/Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Analyze internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (UPSC CSE 2018)

ECONOMY

RBI to remain ‘agile & proactive’ in policy action: Guv

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: Amid the ongoing tariff war, Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra has said that the central bank will continuously monitor the rapidly evolving global situation and remain ‘agile and proactive’ in its policy actions. 

Key Points to Ponder:

• Read about the Reserve Bank of India, its functions and powers in detail.

• What is monetary policy?

• What is the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)? What are its roles and responsibilities?

• What are the various instruments used by the RBI to control inflation in the economy?

(Know about these terms – Bank Rate, Reverse Repo Rate, Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF), etc.)

• What are the different policy stances of the RBI?

• What is headline inflation?

• How is the inflation measured in India?

• What is a tariff war?

• How do tariff wars impact the Indian economy?

Key Takeaways:

• Observing that the Indian economy and the financial markets have demonstrated remarkable resilience, Malhotra cautioned that “they are not immune to the vagaries of an uncertain and volatile global environment.”

• “In view of the rapidly evolving situation, especially on the global front, we are continuously monitoring and assessing the economic outlook. We will be agile and proactive in our actions on the policy front, as always,” he said, while addressing the 24th FIMMDA-PDAI Annual Conference in Bali on Friday.

• He said the growth-inflation balance has improved significantly and there has been a decisive improvement in headline inflation which is projected to remain aligned to the target of 4 per cent in FY26. Global uncertainties and weather disturbances, however, pose risks to the inflation outlook.

• “Even though we have projected a somewhat lower real GDP growth for FY26 at 6.5 per cent, India is still the fastest growing economy. Yet, it is much below what we aspire for. We have reduced repo rates twice and provided sufficient liquidity,” he said.

• On the Indian financial markets, the Governor said all market segments including FX, G-sec, Money Markets, have largely remained stable. While the rupee came under a bit of pressure a few months ago, it has fared better thereafter and regained some lost ground, he noted.

• Equity markets experienced significant correction, as capital outflows accelerated, a trend seen in most emerging markets. The government securities market has, however, remained rock-steady throughout the year.

Do You Know:

• The Monetary Policy Committee, headed by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, announced on 7th February 2025 a reduction in the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25 per cent, after keeping it unchanged for two years. This is the first rate cut initiated by the RBI in five years, the last one being in May 2020. Until now, the repo rate stood at 6.5 per cent. The move comes barely a week after the Centre cut personal income tax to boost consumption.

• Under Section 45ZB of the amended RBI Act, 1934, the central government is empowered to constitute a six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to determine the policy interest rate required to achieve the inflation target. The first such MPC was constituted on September 29, 2016.

• Section 45ZB lays down that “the Monetary Policy Committee shall determine the Policy Rate required to achieve the inflation target”, and that “the decision of the Monetary Policy Committee shall be binding on the Bank”.

• Section 45ZB says the MPC shall consist of the RBI Governor as its ex officio chairperson, the Deputy Governor in charge of monetary policy, an officer of the Bank to be nominated by the Central Board and three persons to be appointed by the central government. The last category of appointments must be from “persons of ability, integrity, and standing, having knowledge and experience in the field of economics or banking or finance or monetary policy”. (Section 45ZC)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge nugget of the day: RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

📍RBI policy: Why is the MPC likely to cut the repo rate?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) If the RBI decides to adopt an expansionist monetary policy, which of the following would it not do? (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. Cut and optimize the Statutory Liquidity Ratio

2. Increase the Marginal Standing Facility Rate

3. Cut the Bank Rate and Repo Rate

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

(6) With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. If the inflation is too high, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to buy government securities.

2. If the rupee is rapidly depreciating, RBI is likely to sell dollars in the market.

3. If interest rates in the USA or European Union were to fall, that is likely to induce RBI to buy dollars.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Among several factors for India’s potential growth, savings rate is the most effective one. Do you agree? What are the other factors available for growth potential? (UPSC CSE 2017)

OPINION

The train to Kashmir: 100 years of paving the path

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and Economic Development

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions for development,  Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

What’s the ongoing story: Dheeraj Mishra writes- “A rail line to Jammu & Kashmir is more than just a tale of tracks, bridges and tunnels. The saga to connect one of the country’s most picturesque regions by rail link with the rest of India spans over a century. That saga is expected to culminate later this month, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the remaining 63-km Katra-Sangaldan section of the 272-km Kashmir line, also called Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).”

Key Points to Ponder:

• Know in detail about the history of Jammu and Kashmir.

• Read about the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL). 

• What is the significance of connecting Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India through Railline?

• What were the geographical and logistical challenges faced in the construction of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project?

• How are infrastructure projects like USBRL a game-changer in fostering regional integration and development in Jammu and Kashmir?

• Highlight the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation in implementing large-scale infrastructure projects like the USBRL.

• How will the USBRL project in Jammu and Kashmir contribute to tourism, trade, and employment?

Key Takeaways:

• “The importance of connecting Jammu & Kashmir with the rest of India by rail was recognised back in the 1890s. As part of his Punjab-Kashmir Project, in 1889, Raoul De Bourbel, a Major-General in the Royal Engineers of the British army, conducted the first survey for a rail line from Jammu to Akhnoor, located on the banks of the Chenab. Eight years on, the state would get its first rail line, from Jammu to Sialkot (in present-day Pakistan). However, a rail line to the Valley was still a distant dream.”

• “In 1898, Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu & Kashmir proposed the idea of a rail link to the Valley. The British administration saw strategic merit in his suggestion despite the challenges. The Maharaja commissioned a detailed survey in 1902, which threw up four potential rail pathways.”

• “The other routes suggested by the surveyors included the Banihal route from Jammu (which involved crossing the Pir Panjal range via the Banihal Pass), the Poonch route along Jhelum valley; the Pajar Route (which would start from Rawalpindi, located in present-day Pakistan);and the Abbottabad route (in present-day Pakistan, which would start from Kalako Serai and pass through Hazara in the Upper Jhelum Valley, also called the Kashmir Valley). Despite these suggestions, the ambitious project did not materialise.”

• “Buoyed by the survey results, the colonial government in 1905 once again proposed a rail link between Rawalpindi and Srinagar. However, Maharaja Pratap Singh approved a rail line between Jammu and Srinagar via Reasi through the Mughal Road.”

• “A series of events in the early 20th century would derail the Kashmir rail project for a while. Besides World Wars I and II, which consumed the resources and attention of the colonial government, the Partition sounded the death knell for the Jammu-Sialkot rail link.”

• “Despite these setbacks, the Indian Railways kept pushing its boundaries to reach the Valley. The very first effort was made after Independence, when the Jalandhar-Mukerian line in Punjab was extended to Pathankot and made operational in 1952. Two surveys by Indian Railways engineers in 1961 and 1962 did not result in major discoveries.”

• “In 1964, prompted by the Defence Ministry, a potential rail link to Udhampur was explored…By 1966, marking an incremental yet largely symbolic progress, the railhead (the point at which a railway ends) advanced from Pathankot to Punjab’s Madhopur and then to Kathua. The significant breakthrough came in 1969 — when a project to extend the rail line beyond Kathua to Jammu was initiated.”

• “In 1971, the final survey for a metre-gauge electrified line from Qazigund to Baramulla was carried out. On October 2, 1972, the Kathua-Jammu section was opened for goods traffic, marking a major milestone. Two months later, on December 2, the Srinagar Express, now called the Jhelum Express, made its first run from Pathankot to Jammu.”

• “In 2002, then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared the Kashmir Rail Link as a “national project” and termed it as an ambitious vision to connect the Kashmir Valley with the country’s rail network. On October 11, 2008, a 68-km section from Anantnag to Mazhom was opened by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.”

• “Two sections were inaugurated in 2009 — a 32-km section from Mazhom to Baramulla and a 18-km section from Qazigund to Anantnag — followed by the 18-km Qazigund-Banihal section in 2013. In 2014, PM Modi inaugurated the 25-km Udhampur-Katra stretch. The last stretch of the USBRL — the 48-km Sangaldan-Banihal section — was commissioned in February 2024.”

Do You Know:

• While trains are operational between the Jammu and Kashmir sections separately, the stretch that will be inaugurated by PM Modi will not only connect the Valley with the rest of the country, it will also reduce the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar, and make disruptions in travel by road due to uncertainties of climate a thing of the past.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍PM Modi to flag off first Vande Bharat train between Katra and Srinagar

THE WORLD

Putin declares Easter ceasefire as Russia, Ukraine swap prisoners

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine starting Saturday, citing humanitarian reasons, as Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds of captured soldiers in the largest exchange since Moscow’s full-scale invasion started over three years ago. 

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Russia-Ukraine war all about, and what have been the key events?

• How was Ukraine created?

• How has the global support for Ukraine been, and what peace efforts have been made so far?

• India has maintained a balanced diplomatic stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict—Comment on India’s approach, its strategic interests, and the implications of its neutrality in global geopolitics.

• What is the significance of the recent ceasefire?

• Map work: Important places in the news with reference to Russia and Ukraine

Key Takeaways:

• According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday. “We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions,” Putin said at a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, in a video shared by the Kremlin’s Press Service.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the ceasefire “another attempt by Putin to play with human lives.” He wrote on X that “air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine,” and “Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true attitude toward Easter and toward human life.” 

• In response to the ceasefire announcement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andri Sybiha said that Kyiv had in March “agreed unconditionally to the U.S. proposal of a full interim ceasefire for 30 days,” which Russia rejected.

• “Putin has now made statements about his alleged readiness for a ceasefire. 30 hours instead of 30 days,” Sybiha continued, writing on X. “Unfortunately, we have had a long history of his statements not matching his actions.” 

• The two sides, meanwhile, exchanged hundreds of POWs on Saturday. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that 246 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv,  and that “as a gesture of goodwill” 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.

• Zelenskyy said that 277 Ukrainian “warriors” have returned home from Russian captivity. Both sides thanked the United Arab Emirates for its mediation.

• Putin’s ceasefire announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the grinding three-year war.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Russia declares ceasefire in Ukraine, asks troops to ‘stay on high alert just in case’

📍Russia, Ukraine swap hundreds of prisoners in largest exchange since the war began

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(7) Consider the following countries: (UPSC CSE 2023)

1. Bulgaria

2. Czech Republic

3. Hungary

4. Latvia

5. Lithuania

6. Romania

How many of the above-mentioned countries share a land border with Ukraine?

(a) Only two

(b) Only three

(c) Only four

(d) Only five

 

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