The much-hyped summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ended without a peace deal for Ukraine. Despite the lack of concrete outcomes, Putin will have returned to Moscow a much happier man. Palki Sharma gives you four reasons why the Russian leader won the first round in Alaska.
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Vantage is a ground-breaking news, opinions, and current affairs show from Firstpost. Catering to a global audience, Vantage covers the biggest news stories from a 360-degree perspective, giving viewers a chance to assess the impact of world events through a uniquely Indian lens.
The show is anchored by Palki Sharma, Managing Editor, Firstpost.
By breaking stereotypes, Vantage aims to challenge conventional wisdom and present an alternative view on global affairs, defying the norm and opening the door to new perspectives. The show goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories – making Vantage a destination for thought-provoking ideas.
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Alaska Summit | Donald Trump | Vladimir Putin | Ukraine | Russia | United States | Volodymyr Zelensky | Firstpost | World News | News Live | Vantage | Palki Sharma | News
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Vantage is a ground-breaking news, opinions, and current affairs show from Firstpost. Catering to a global audience, Vantage covers the biggest news stories from a 360-degree perspective, giving viewers a chance to assess the impact of world events through a uniquely Indian lens.
The show is anchored by Palki Sharma, Managing Editor, Firstpost.
By breaking stereotypes, Vantage aims to challenge conventional wisdom and present an alternative view on global affairs, defying the norm and opening the door to new perspectives. The show goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories – making Vantage a destination for thought-provoking ideas.
Vantage airs Monday to Friday at 9 PM IST on Firstpost across all leading platforms.
Subscribe to Firstpost channel and press the bell icon to get notified when we go live.
https://www.youtube.com/@Firstpost
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NewsTranscript
00:00:00Hello, Namaskar. This is First Post and you're watching Vantage with me, Palki Sharma.
00:00:30After the Alaska summit, action has shifted to the Oval Office. Donald Trump will meet Zelensky and European leaders. Will it be drama or diplomacy? A handshake or another shouting match? We'll be tracking that. Also, looking back at the Alaska showdown, it was Advantage Putin. We will tell you why.
00:00:50What will a Ukraine peace deal look like? And why the possibility of peace centers on the Donbass? Also tonight, the Alaska summit's top six viral videos, from a clapping president to American stealth bombers, what is the internet talking about? Back home, Putin picks up the phone, briefing Prime Minister Modi on what went down in Alaska. We'll tell you why it matters for India. Plus, decoding the art of the deal Putin style. Also in New Delhi, China's foreign minister is visiting. We will discuss what's on the agenda.
00:01:20What's the GST reform that has stock soaring in India? And what does it mean for you? And the new Gen Alpha words that have made it to the dictionary. All this and more coming up, the headlines first.
00:01:34China lashes out at Germany, warns Berlin against inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions after the German foreign minister accused China of aggression in the Asia-Pacific region.
00:01:45He cited Beijing's behavior in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seeds.
00:01:53Myanmar's junta sets 28th of December as the poll date. The announcement comes amid a raging civil war, which has put much of the country out of its control.
00:02:01The junta has offered cash rewards to opposition fighters who are willing to give up their arms ahead of the vote.
00:02:07U.S. President Donald Trump targets mail-in ballots, says he will lead a movement against it.
00:02:14Trump wants to eliminate the voting method before next year's midterm elections.
00:02:17He has spent years railing against it, even though he has voted by mail himself.
00:02:23Nearly a third of America uses mail-in ballots.
00:02:25Egypt says it is willing to join a potential international force deployed to Gaza, but only if it is backed by a U.N. Security Council resolution.
00:02:36This comes as Hamas negotiators in Cairo received a new cease-fire proposal.
00:02:40The plan calls for an initial 60-day truce and release of hostages in two batches.
00:02:45Iran's president is in Armenia to hold talks on a corridor linking Azerbaijan with its enclave near Iran's border.
00:02:55The land corridor is part of a peace deal which was signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan in the U.S. earlier this month.
00:03:01Tehran has long opposed this transit route.
00:03:15What kind of diplomacy, J.D., you are speaking about?
00:03:23What do you mean?
00:03:24You're in no position to dictate what we're going to feel.
00:03:45It was quite the Friday for Volodymyr Zelensky.
00:03:55The Ukrainian president was sitting by the phone waiting for just about any update.
00:04:00After all, thousands of kilometers away, his country's future was being decided.
00:04:05On Friday night, Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
00:04:11The meeting was in Alaska, a summit to end the war in Ukraine.
00:04:16It did not end with an immediate cease-fire, but a flurry of diplomacy followed.
00:04:21Trump dialed Zelensky.
00:04:23He called the NATO leaders.
00:04:24There were intense discussions.
00:04:26And now the Ukrainian president has landed in Washington, D.C.
00:04:29In about an hour from now, he will meet Donald Trump.
00:04:34Of course, this won't be easy for him.
00:04:36The last time he was here, things spiraled.
00:04:38Zelensky met Donald Trump at the Oval Office.
00:04:40It turned into a shouting match.
00:04:42Trump called him reckless.
00:04:43He accused Zelensky of gambling with World War III.
00:04:46The meeting had to be cut short, and Zelensky walked out in haste.
00:04:50It looked like Washington-Kyayev ties needed some desperate CPR.
00:04:54You're gambling with the lives of millions of people.
00:04:57You're gambling with World War III.
00:05:00You're gambling with World War III.
00:05:03And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that's backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.
00:05:13Have you said thank you once this entire meeting?
00:05:15And yet, here he is again.
00:05:20Zelensky will step into the White House again for another round with Donald Trump.
00:05:24But this time he's not going alone.
00:05:26With Zelensky is a parade of European leaders.
00:05:30They will all attend the meeting with him because this one is too important to fail.
00:05:35A lot hinges on this meeting, the future of Ukraine, the future of Europe, and what the post-war continent will look like.
00:05:43So let's break it down for you tonight.
00:05:45First of all, who is coming with Zelensky?
00:05:47Like I said, an entire entourage of European leaders.
00:05:50There's UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz,
00:05:55Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney, Finnish President Alexander Stoop,
00:05:59NATO Secretary General Mark Ruth, and EU President Ursula von der Leyen.
00:06:06Ultimately, our desire tomorrow is to present a united front between Europeans and Ukrainians at this moment of conflict resolution,
00:06:16reaffirming who is on the side of peace, who is on the side of international law.
00:06:22But above all, how can we collectively ensure that the international order is respected
00:06:27and that our collective security is protected?
00:06:33We've got to make sure there is peace, that it is lasting peace, and that it is fair and that it is just.
00:06:40And that's why I'm traveling to Washington with other European leaders to discuss this face-to-face
00:06:46with President Trump and President Zelensky, because it's in everyone's interests,
00:06:51it's in the UK's interests that we get this right.
00:06:54This is the first of its kind meeting, the first time such a big EU delegation is heading to Washington on such short notice.
00:07:03They all want to project unity, maybe to prevent another Oval Office ambush.
00:07:09So EU leaders are there as guardrails, not battering rams.
00:07:13They cannot directly confront Trump, but their very presence shows how much is at stake.
00:07:21However, the White House has bigger things to worry about at the moment, like is Zelensky going to wear a suit?
00:07:27Last time this was a point of contention, so this time the Trump administration is already clearing the air.
00:07:32They want him to wear a suit and tie to this meeting.
00:07:37But the Ukrainian president obviously has different priorities.
00:07:40For Zelensky, the starting line is simple.
00:07:42Stop the nightly missile barrages.
00:07:44Just yesterday, Russian strikes killed 10 people in Ukraine.
00:07:49So for Kiev, priority number one is a ceasefire.
00:07:53And Europe agrees with this.
00:07:56But again, Trump is not on board.
00:07:57He has gone cold on the ceasefire first idea.
00:08:01Instead, he is talking about a permanent peace deal, one that skips the pause button altogether.
00:08:06And for Kiev, this is a nightmare scenario.
00:08:11How do you negotiate when bombs are literally falling?
00:08:15Which brings us to what Ukraine wants.
00:08:17On paper, Ukraine's ideal peace deal is crystal clear.
00:08:21Full restoration of all occupied land.
00:08:23That's Crimea, Donbash, Yaporizhia, Kherson and all others.
00:08:27But the ground reality may not allow this.
00:08:30Remember, this is a war that has gone on for more than three years.
00:08:32As the borders have changed, Kiev may have Western weapons, but it does not have the manpower.
00:08:37It cannot win this land back in a war.
00:08:42And that would mean ceding Donbass and Crimea.
00:08:45In fact, Trump has already hinted at it.
00:08:48In a post on Truth Social, he said, and I quote,
00:08:51Remember how it started.
00:08:56No getting back Obama given Crimea and no going into NATO by Ukraine.
00:09:01Some things never change.
00:09:04So Trump is already stating the obvious, but Zelensky remains defiant, at least for now.
00:09:09Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia
00:09:17at the trilateral Ukraine, United States, Russia.
00:09:21So far, Russia gives no sign that trilateral will happen.
00:09:26And if Russia refuses, then new sanctions must follow.
00:09:29But that's not the only concession that Kiev will be making.
00:09:34Look at the second part of the post.
00:09:36No going into NATO by Ukraine.
00:09:38That's what Trump wrote.
00:09:40That's something that Zelensky has rallied for.
00:09:43Kiev joining NATO.
00:09:45Russia would say that's how the war began,
00:09:47with Ukraine's NATO ambitions and the West indulging it.
00:09:50But it looks like he will have to forget about it.
00:09:52Instead, there's talk of a makeshift security guarantee package.
00:09:56It means that the United States is potentially prepared to be able to give
00:10:02Article 5 security guarantees, but not from NATO,
00:10:07directly from the United States and other European countries.
00:10:12That is big. I mean, really big.
00:10:14Does it mean boots on the ground?
00:10:15What does it mean, logistically?
00:10:19I think part of the discussion that we're going to have on Monday throughout the day,
00:10:24because there's going to be breakout sessions there,
00:10:27is exactly the specifics of what the Ukrainians feel that they need.
00:10:32Because remember, as mediators, we were at this summit
00:10:35to advance the Ukrainian position, and we did that.
00:10:38And we did it successfully.
00:10:40And that's why today matters so much.
00:10:46If Trump can get Zelensky to swallow the Donbass loss,
00:10:50it would set a precedent.
00:10:51That land can be taken by force,
00:10:54and the West will eventually sign off.
00:10:57So while the Trump-Putin meet in Alaska grabbed the headlines,
00:11:00the Washington meeting may decide the endgame.
00:11:03If Ukraine holds its ground,
00:11:05it may emerge battered but intact.
00:11:07If not, it will walk out weaker than it walked in.
00:11:37Today's meeting is basically part two.
00:11:49Part one was on Friday.
00:11:51Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Alaska.
00:11:53All eyes were on the outcome of that summit.
00:11:56But after three hours of talks,
00:11:58who came out on top?
00:12:01The short answer, Vladimir Putin.
00:12:03It wasn't as clear on Friday, though.
00:12:07First, it seemed like the whole thing was pointless.
00:12:09That no one got anything.
00:12:12But over the weekend, more announcements came in,
00:12:14more statements on Truth Social.
00:12:16So two days later, the verdict is clear.
00:12:19Putin was the winner in Alaska.
00:12:22And I will give you four reasons why.
00:12:24Number one, the optics.
00:12:25Trump rolled out the red carpet in Alaska.
00:12:28He welcomed Vladimir Putin
00:12:29with a warm handshake and flypasts.
00:12:31This was impossible one year ago.
00:12:35The U.S. spent three years trying to isolate Putin.
00:12:38They pushed for an arrest warrant against him.
00:12:41But now look at things.
00:12:43The Russian president was welcomed like a friend,
00:12:45like an ally of the United States.
00:12:49Reason number two why it was advantage Putin.
00:12:52Trump set a trap for himself.
00:12:55His initial strategy was perfect.
00:12:57He tried to downplay the expectations.
00:12:58The White House called it a listening exercise.
00:13:02Had Trump stuck to that, it would have been fine.
00:13:05No expectations, so no losses.
00:13:07But at the last minute, Trump made a U-turn.
00:13:10He issued a threat to Russia.
00:13:11Will Russia face any consequences if Vladimir Putin does not agree to stop the war after your meeting on Friday?
00:13:20Yes, they will.
00:13:21What will the consequences be?
00:13:22There will be consequences.
00:13:23Sanctions, tariffs?
00:13:24There will be, I don't have to say, there will be very severe consequences.
00:13:27That was on Wednesday, before the meeting.
00:13:32Trump said this before the meeting.
00:13:34He warned of severe consequences if a ceasefire was not agreed.
00:13:38Obviously, there was no ceasefire in Alaska.
00:13:40What's more, Trump abandoned his call completely.
00:13:44Listen to what he said on Saturday, his message on Saturday.
00:13:49It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement,
00:13:56which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which oftentimes do not hold up.
00:14:06So Trump went into the meeting calling for a ceasefire, and he came out of the meeting saying that ceasefires do not hold up.
00:14:15This was a big concession by Trump, because this was always Russia's position.
00:14:20They have preferred a peace deal over a ceasefire.
00:14:23Then we come to reason number three, why Putin won.
00:14:28He gave no concessions.
00:14:30His demands have been clear from the start.
00:14:32No NATO membership for Ukraine, limits on Ukraine's military, and recognizing Moscow's hold over newly occupied land.
00:14:41This is what he wanted.
00:14:43And he did not shift from those positions.
00:14:45He stuck to them.
00:14:46We are convinced that for the Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable and long-term, all the root causes of the crisis, which have been discussed repeatedly, must be eliminated, all of Russia's legitimate concerns must be taken into account, and a fair balance in the security sphere in Europe and the world as a whole must be restored.
00:15:06We hope that Kiev and the European capitals will perceive all of this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles or attempt to disrupt the emerging progress through provocations or behind-the-scenes intrigues.
00:15:18So, Putin did not concede anything.
00:15:23At the same time, he secured some gains.
00:15:25For starters, no more sanctions.
00:15:27Trump had threatened crippling secondary tariffs and sanctions, but his officials have now ruled them out.
00:15:33They say sanctions have not made a difference in three years.
00:15:36And secondly, some bilateral progress was made.
00:15:41Again, this was not on the table.
00:15:43It was not part of the agenda going into the meeting.
00:15:46Trump was only interested in talking about Ukraine, but Putin squeezed in other issues, like space and tech cooperation.
00:15:54Which brings us to the fourth reason why Russia had the advantage.
00:15:59Look at Trump's flip-flop after the summit.
00:16:01Before the talks, he was focused on convincing Putin.
00:16:03He wanted the Russians to end the war.
00:16:07But after the talks, that changed.
00:16:09Trump realized that he could not sway Putin.
00:16:11He admitted that no deal was struck.
00:16:14There were many, many points that we agreed on.
00:16:18Most of them, I would say.
00:16:19A couple of big ones that we haven't quite gotten there, but we've made some headway.
00:16:25So, there's no deal until there's a deal.
00:16:28I will call up NATO in a little while.
00:16:31I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate.
00:16:36And I'll, of course, call up President Zelensky and tell him about today's meeting.
00:16:40It's ultimately up to them.
00:16:44Cut to this morning.
00:16:46Look at Trump's social media post.
00:16:48I'm quoting.
00:16:49President Zelensky of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.
00:16:55So, now Trump is putting the onus on Ukraine.
00:17:00He says it is Zelensky who must end the war, which has also been Russia's position.
00:17:06May concessions end the war.
00:17:08If you add these four factors, one thing becomes quite clear.
00:17:12Trump was outplayed in Alaska.
00:17:13And it's not a surprise.
00:17:17Every peace talk is a product of the background.
00:17:20Look at the background to this one.
00:17:22Russia is making gains on the battlefield.
00:17:24Ukraine is low on soldiers' alarms.
00:17:27The mediator, Donald Trump, clearly likes Putin more than Zelensky.
00:17:31Plus, his intentions are all over the place.
00:17:34Trump doesn't care how the war ends.
00:17:36He just wants credit when it ends.
00:17:39And since he cannot force Putin, he is turning to someone he can.
00:17:45Zelensky.
00:17:46In this background, Alaska was always going to end in one of two ways.
00:17:50With a Putin victory, or as a dud.
00:18:09Trump is ready to give concessions to Putin.
00:18:30But Zelensky and the Europeans may not be on board.
00:18:33They have their own conditions.
00:18:35And they're ready to block any deal that looks one-sided.
00:18:38Now, given this gap in expectations, is a peace deal even possible?
00:18:44And if it is, what would it look like?
00:18:47Tonight, we'll try to examine that.
00:18:49What would a peace deal look like?
00:18:51Starting with the most basic question, what are the core issues,
00:18:54the key points that a potential deal must address?
00:18:58There are basically two things here.
00:19:00First, the status of Russian-occupied territories.
00:19:03And second, Ukraine's NATO ambitions, its demand for security guarantees.
00:19:06These are the two core issues.
00:19:09Let's start with the status of occupied territories.
00:19:12As of today, Russia has occupied almost 20% of Ukrainian land.
00:19:17These are the areas we're talking about.
00:19:20And out of these, Putin wants to keep a large part.
00:19:23He does not want to return a lot of this territory to Ukraine,
00:19:26especially Donetsk and Luhansk.
00:19:29Putin wants to keep them.
00:19:30These two regions make up what is called the Donbass.
00:19:34It's a key battlefront in this war.
00:19:37Russia currently occupies most of it, almost all of Luhansk,
00:19:41and around three quarters of Donetsk.
00:19:44That's more than 46,000 square kilometers of land occupied by Russia.
00:19:48What about Ukraine?
00:19:49Well, it still controls a significant strip, around 6,600 square kilometers, mostly in Donetsk.
00:19:56And this is where the fighting is intense.
00:19:59Russia is pushing hard.
00:20:00It is trying to recapture the remaining Ukrainian strongholds.
00:20:04And Putin wants Kiev to withdraw completely from here,
00:20:07to hand over the remaining territory to Moscow.
00:20:11So that's one part.
00:20:13The second is Crimea, and he did raise the status of Crimea.
00:20:15This is a peninsula that once belonged to Ukraine.
00:20:18Moscow occupied it in 2014.
00:20:21And now Putin says Crimea is Russian territory.
00:20:23He wants formal recognition of Russian territory.
00:20:26He wants the world to accept that Crimea is indeed a part of Russia.
00:20:32In return, Moscow is ready to make a concession.
00:20:36Here's what they will do.
00:20:37They will freeze the front lines in the south,
00:20:40in regions like Kherson and Japarijia.
00:20:43But even that comes with conditions.
00:20:47Putin has refused to agree to a ceasefire,
00:20:49not until a final deal is in place.
00:20:52And that directly contradicts Ukraine's position.
00:20:56Zelenskyy wanted a ceasefire first.
00:20:58He wanted the strikes to stop.
00:20:59The daily drone attacks, the missile barrages.
00:21:01He wanted an end to all of it.
00:21:04And for a negotiation to begin only after the ceasefire.
00:21:08But Russia says no.
00:21:11It wants an all-or-nothing deal.
00:21:15And Putin seems to have Trump's support on this.
00:21:18Look at his statement on Truth Social.
00:21:21President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to,
00:21:25or he can continue to fight.
00:21:27This is what Trump has said.
00:21:28So the onus has shifted to Zelenskyy now.
00:21:31Where does he stand on Russia's demands?
00:21:34Will he cede territory to end the war?
00:21:37Here's how the Ukrainian president responded.
00:21:40Russia is still unsuccessful in Donetsk region.
00:21:44Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years.
00:21:48And the constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible, impossible to give up territory or trade land.
00:21:56Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia
00:22:04at the trilateral Ukraine, United States, Russia.
00:22:07So far, Russia gives no sign that trilateral will happen.
00:22:12And if Russia refuses, then new sanctions must follow.
00:22:16So, this word, it's important that America agrees to work with Europe to provide security guarantees for Ukraine.
00:22:24So there's no agreement on the issue of occupied territories.
00:22:28Then we come to the second core issue, that is security guarantees.
00:22:31And here's what it means.
00:22:33Ukraine wants assurances from the West.
00:22:35It wants protection in case Russia attacks again.
00:22:38But will the U.S. agree to this?
00:22:41As of today, Washington says it is willing to step up.
00:22:43And that's according to the U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
00:22:47He gave an interview yesterday where he said Trump and Putin have agreed on security guarantees.
00:22:52It means that the United States is potentially prepared to be able to give Article 5 security guarantees,
00:23:01but not from NATO, directly from the United States and other European countries.
00:23:07That is big.
00:23:08I mean, really big.
00:23:10Does it mean boots on the ground?
00:23:11What does it mean, logistically?
00:23:13I think part of the discussion that we're going to have on Monday throughout the day,
00:23:20because there's going to be breakout sessions there, is exactly the specifics of what the
00:23:25Ukrainians feel that they need.
00:23:27Because remember, as mediators, we were at this summit to advance the Ukrainian position,
00:23:33and we did that.
00:23:34And we did it successfully.
00:23:35Now it's for us to drill down on the granular details of exactly what the Ukrainians need
00:23:42to give them a sense of security in the future, and, by the way, what the Europeans need as well.
00:23:49Witkoff called them robust, but NATO won't give Ukraine any security guarantees.
00:23:55As for Kiev's bid to join NATO, that's out of the question now.
00:23:58Russia says it's a non-starter, and Western powers agree.
00:24:01So instead of NATO membership, Trump is proposing something else for Ukraine.
00:24:08He's proposing independent security guarantees.
00:24:11What does that mean?
00:24:13It means guarantees not from NATO, but independently from member states.
00:24:19So guarantees from the United States and some other European countries.
00:24:22If Russia attacks again, the U.S. would respond.
00:24:25Some Europeans would respond too, but not all of NATO.
00:24:28That's what it means.
00:24:29This is a broad understanding.
00:24:31The specifics, as you heard, are yet to be discussed.
00:24:33As you know, the leaders are meeting shortly in Washington.
00:24:36Before the talks, Brussels spelt out its expectations.
00:24:40We must have strong security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe's vital security interests.
00:24:48Ukraine must be able to uphold its sovereignty and its territorial integrity.
00:24:53There can be no limitations on Ukrainian armed forces, be it cooperation with or other third countries or assistance from other third countries.
00:25:07No limitations for the Ukrainian armed forces.
00:25:10So that's what Europe wants.
00:25:12No limits on Ukraine's defense and a steady flow of military supplies without delay or preconditions.
00:25:19Basically, Europe wants strong defenses in place.
00:25:21It wants Ukraine to be able to strike back if needed.
00:25:25But will Trump agree to that?
00:25:27What he wants is a quick deal.
00:25:30But as things stand, it's getting more complicated with more players involved and more demands on the table.
00:25:40So here are the top six viral moments from Alaska.
00:26:10Number one, Trump clapping for Putin.
00:26:14The scene was almost cinematic.
00:26:17A frigid Alaskan sky, two planes touching down on a Cold War airbase, one American-made, one Russian.
00:26:23Red carpets rolled out to perfection.
00:26:25Trump waited until Putin appeared and then it happened.
00:26:28The American president clapped as his Russian counterpart walked towards him.
00:26:33Visibly happy to see the man Trump once called a genius.
00:26:40Netizens could not decide what it was.
00:26:57Was it deference?
00:26:58Or just Trump being Trump?
00:27:00Either way, the video was replayed endlessly.
00:27:04The second video is a show of American strength.
00:27:08As Putin walked on the red carpet, a B-2 stealth bomber sliced across the Alaskan sky.
00:27:13It was flagged by F-35 jets.
00:27:16A reminder of who really owns the skies.
00:27:19After all, Putin was on American soil.
00:27:21Cameras caught him glancing upward, assessing the American air power.
00:27:26The message from Washington was clear.
00:27:27Welcome to America.
00:27:29Don't forget the hardware.
00:27:30The third video is of Putin hitching a ride with Trump.
00:27:56The two leaders were walking together.
00:27:58Both their cars were in place.
00:27:59Their security standing in guard.
00:28:01But suddenly they had a change of mind.
00:28:03The Russian president slid into the beast.
00:28:06That's the U.S. president's armored limousine.
00:28:08It's called the beast.
00:28:09And just like that, without notice, the two men shared a ride.
00:28:12They shared some laughs too and the internet exploded.
00:28:15Was this flattery?
00:28:17Or was Trump simply showing off?
00:28:20Whatever it was, it became one of the summit's defining images.
00:28:23Enemies carpooling in Alaska.
00:28:25Video number four is Putin's encounter with Western media.
00:28:47Reporters from both sides were present at the venue.
00:28:49They were shouting questions.
00:28:51But the Western media was very audible, throwing questions at the Russian president.
00:28:56One of them asked, when will you stop killing civilians?
00:29:00And what was Putin's response?
00:29:03An expression that you can see now.
00:29:07Putin smirked.
00:29:09He shrugged his shoulders.
00:29:10He raised his eyebrows.
00:29:11And at one point, he even threw an exaggerated glance.
00:29:15Number five, Putin speaks in English.
00:29:34The Russian president is famous for sticking to his language.
00:29:37He rarely speaks in English, especially in public.
00:29:39But he did on the podium beside Trump.
00:29:42The two were talking about the summit.
00:29:43Putin said, next time in Moscow.
00:29:46A suggestion for the venue of the next meet.
00:29:48The accent was thick.
00:29:49The words were simple.
00:29:50But the message was calculated.
00:29:52And it reminded everyone that Putin, even in English, knows how to own a moment.
00:29:59Again, Mr. President, I'd like to thank you very much.
00:30:02And we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.
00:30:06Thank you very much, Vladimir.
00:30:08Next time in Moscow.
00:30:10Oh, that's an interesting one.
00:30:12No, no, no, no.
00:30:12I'll get a little heat on that one.
00:30:14But I could see it possibly happening.
00:30:17Thank you very much, Vladimir.
00:30:18And thank you all.
00:30:21Thank you so much.
00:30:22What's happening on the main stage?
00:30:27There was action in the meeting rooms, too.
00:30:30At one point, the focus was on Sergei Lavrov's sweatshirt.
00:30:33It was emblazoned with CCCP.
00:30:35That stands for the USSR, the Soviet Union.
00:30:39For some, it was nostalgia.
00:30:40For others, a provocation.
00:30:42After all, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union once.
00:30:45It only got independence in 1991 when the Union fell apart.
00:30:48So the sweatshirt, too, was seen as a message.
00:30:52Either way, the cameras loved it.
00:30:53And so did Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
00:30:56Putin even joked about it, calling Lavrov an imperialist.
00:30:59In the end, the Alaska Summit produced no ceasefire,
00:31:15but it gave us an avalanche of viral moments.
00:31:18It was pageantry dressed as diplomacy.
00:31:20And maybe that was the point.
00:31:21The cameras were not just recording history.
00:31:24They were the stage itself.
00:31:29Days before meeting Putin in Alaska, Trump mentioned two words.
00:31:35Land swap.
00:31:36In real terms, it meant less swapping and more giving.
00:31:41But Trump's labels aside, the so-called land swap
00:31:44is tied to the possibility of a peace deal.
00:31:48And the land in question is the Donbass region.
00:31:51This is a mineral-rich region in eastern Ukraine.
00:31:54It is an old industrial heartland.
00:31:55Even historically, it has been fiercely contested.
00:32:01And during the ongoing war,
00:32:03Donbass has seen some of the deadliest fighting.
00:32:07But why does Putin want it so bad?
00:32:09Why doesn't Zelensky want to give it up?
00:32:12Why is this region so important?
00:32:14And what would a Donbass surrender mean for Moscow and Kiev?
00:32:18Our next report tells you.
00:32:19After the meeting in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump
00:32:26and Russian President Vladimir Putin,
00:32:29the possibility of lasting peace in Ukraine centers on one thing,
00:32:36persuading Kiev to give up Donbass.
00:32:40The region at the heart of what Putin calls the root causes of the war,
00:32:44and therefore, one of his top demands to end the conflict.
00:32:50Donbass is a mineral-rich, industrial region in eastern Ukraine.
00:32:55It includes Luhansk and Donetsk.
00:32:57Donbass runs from outside Mariupol in the south
00:33:00to the northern border with Russia.
00:33:02And this region is crucial with a history mired in conflicts.
00:33:07Donbass has been contested since Ukraine first became a state
00:33:11in the early 20th century.
00:33:12The greatest battle of all time has been fought in Syria.
00:33:15Communists and Ukrainian nationalists
00:33:17battled for the industrial region's riches.
00:33:21At the time, most of the region's population was Ukrainian.
00:33:26Until Stalin's forced industrialization brought a shift.
00:33:31It pushed Russian workers to the factories in Donbass.
00:33:35While fueling mass killings of Ukrainian farmers
00:33:38and the suppression of their language.
00:33:40By the time the Soviet Union collapsed,
00:33:43about two-thirds of residents in the region
00:33:45considered Russian their first language.
00:33:48In 2014, driven by his vision of historical unity of Russian speakers
00:33:54across the former Soviet Union,
00:33:56Putin made his move.
00:33:58Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine
00:34:00and engineered a Russian-backed separatist movement in Donbass.
00:34:05This insurgency created an anti-Russian backlash in the region.
00:34:13But a war simmered for eight years,
00:34:16until February 2022,
00:34:18when Putin launched his full-scale invasion.
00:34:20Since then,
00:34:25Donbass has been the site of the deadliest battles in the war in Ukraine.
00:34:31Cut to today,
00:34:32Kremlin has conquered about 87% of the region.
00:34:36Luhansk is almost entirely under Russian control.
00:34:39But 30% of Donetsk is still controlled by Ukraine.
00:34:42The war has cost tens of thousands of lives.
00:34:49With at least 1.5 million Ukrainians having fled the region.
00:34:56More than 3 million people are living under Russian occupation.
00:35:00Another 300,000 people are in the parts where Ukraine still has control.
00:35:04And now, Donbass is one of Putin's crucial demands.
00:35:11But Zelensky has consistently said that Ukraine will not hand over Donbass,
00:35:16fearing that it could be used as a springboard for future attacks.
00:35:21Kiev has spent millions of dollars fortifying the region.
00:35:24Giving it up could leave Kiev even more vulnerable.
00:35:27To withdraw from the Donetsk region to unfortified areas,
00:35:34and then Putin will say,
00:35:35oh, I changed my mind,
00:35:37I will advance further again when we have nothing.
00:35:41Donbass is a critical steel-producing area,
00:35:45rich in minerals and coal.
00:35:47Surrendering it comes with a heavy price.
00:35:50Plus, even if Zelensky could,
00:35:52the country's constitution makes it very difficult to give up territory.
00:35:57It requires the approval of the parliament
00:35:59and a referendum of the people.
00:36:02And despite being fatigued by war,
00:36:05about 75% of Ukrainians object to formally ceding any land to Russia.
00:36:12Our guys died for this land,
00:36:14not so that we would give them away just like that.
00:36:16These are our territories,
00:36:18our people live there.
00:36:19No matter how many Russian-speaking people there are,
00:36:22these are our Ukrainians.
00:36:27So now,
00:36:28Zelensky stands at a crossroads.
00:36:31The withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbass
00:36:34in exchange for a promise to freeze the conflict.
00:36:40It is a near-impossible dilemma
00:36:42of land versus life.
00:36:44I'm sure India was tracking Alaska closely.
00:36:55New Delhi tends to stay out of such summits,
00:36:57especially when there is no concrete outcome expected.
00:37:00But this time,
00:37:01India was not only watching,
00:37:03it also released a statement.
00:37:06India welcomed the summit between Putin and Trump.
00:37:09It also praised both leaders for their commitment to peace.
00:37:11And this was actually the second statement.
00:37:13The first one came out when the summit was announced.
00:37:17And then today,
00:37:17President Putin dialed Prime Minister Modi.
00:37:20He briefed the Indian Prime Minister
00:37:21on what happened in Alaska,
00:37:23which raises two questions.
00:37:25Number one,
00:37:26why is India so interested in the process?
00:37:27And number two,
00:37:29what do the outcomes mean for India?
00:37:32Well, the why is pretty simple.
00:37:34Right from the outset,
00:37:35India has called for talks.
00:37:36New Delhi has said that diplomacy is the answer.
00:37:38So this is vindication of India's longstanding position.
00:37:43And now we have more at stake.
00:37:45India finds itself in the middle of Trump's strategy.
00:37:48He's been using tariffs to pressure Russia.
00:37:51Not direct tariffs,
00:37:52but secondary tariffs.
00:37:54Meaning,
00:37:54these tariffs are imposed on countries that buy from Russia.
00:37:58In this case,
00:37:59countries like India.
00:38:00Trump has slapped 25% secondary tariffs on India.
00:38:04That's on top of the existing 25%.
00:38:05So the overall tariff rate is 50%.
00:38:09And the pressure is not letting up.
00:38:11If anything,
00:38:11the U.S. is doubling down.
00:38:13Trump's trade advisor has published an O-Ped.
00:38:16Listen to what he says.
00:38:17India's dependence on Russian crude is opportunistic
00:38:21and deeply corrosive of the world's efforts
00:38:24to isolate Putin's war economy.
00:38:26In effect,
00:38:27India acts as a global clearinghouse for Russian oil,
00:38:30converting embargoed crude into high-value exports
00:38:33while giving Moscow the dollars it needs.
00:38:35If India wants to be treated as a strategic partner of the U.S.,
00:38:38it needs to start acting like one.
00:38:44Two things.
00:38:45First,
00:38:46India is not desperate to be your partner.
00:38:48If we were,
00:38:49we would have cut a deal with you,
00:38:50like Japan or Europe.
00:38:52Trump's problem is that India is standing up to him.
00:38:56That it has not caved like others.
00:38:59That's the first thing to note.
00:39:00Secondly,
00:39:01he's factually wrong.
00:39:02India is not buying Russian crude to help Putin.
00:39:05India is buying it to stabilize the market.
00:39:07In fact,
00:39:08the U.S. encouraged these purchases.
00:39:10The Biden administration asked India
00:39:12to buy as much Russian crude as it wanted.
00:39:16The problem is not India.
00:39:17The problem is American foreign policy or the lack of it.
00:39:21Also,
00:39:21look inward.
00:39:23America's trade with Russia is booming.
00:39:25It is 20% up since Trump came to office.
00:39:28Says who?
00:39:29Russian President Putin.
00:39:30Incidentally,
00:39:32when the new administration came to power,
00:39:34bilateral trade started to grow.
00:39:37It's still very symbolic.
00:39:39Still,
00:39:39we have a growth of 20%.
00:39:41As I've said,
00:39:42we have a lot of dimensions for joint work.
00:39:46I'll repeat that for you.
00:39:47U.S.-Russia trade has increased by 20%
00:39:50since Trump took office.
00:39:52So will Washington be imposing tariffs on itself?
00:39:55I'm guessing not.
00:39:56The fact is,
00:39:58Trump needs a villain
00:39:58and he's decided that India will be that villain.
00:40:01Unfortunately for him,
00:40:02New Delhi is not playing ball.
00:40:04Which brings us to the second question.
00:40:06What do these talks mean for India?
00:40:09Well,
00:40:09there are three aspects to it.
00:40:10Number one,
00:40:11if the war ends,
00:40:12it's good news for the markets.
00:40:13No more supply chain issues.
00:40:14No more energy disruptions.
00:40:16India's economy will benefit from that stability.
00:40:19Number two,
00:40:20it's one less irritant with Trump.
00:40:22If the U.S. and Russia can be friends,
00:40:25it frees up India.
00:40:26New Delhi does not have to worry about offending either side.
00:40:29Just think back to 2018.
00:40:31That was also a period of Trump-Putin-Bonhomie.
00:40:34And that's when India bought the S-400 air defenses from Russia.
00:40:38As it turned out,
00:40:39it was the right call.
00:40:40Because Trump did not sanction India.
00:40:43He punished Turkey for buying the same defense system,
00:40:46but he gave India a free pass.
00:40:48Which brings us to the third aspect.
00:40:50Once the war ends,
00:40:52Russia's military complex will be free.
00:40:54Right now,
00:40:54it is focused on the war needs.
00:40:57A lot of foreign shipments have been delayed,
00:40:59including the last S-400 batch to India.
00:41:03So if there's no war,
00:41:04Russia's exports should pick up.
00:41:07Of course,
00:41:07this is all hypothetical.
00:41:08What we saw in Alaska was just the first step.
00:41:11Neither side has agreed to a peace deal.
00:41:14Like most of the world,
00:41:15that's what India will want.
00:41:16A full and comprehensive peace deal.
00:41:20Medicare.
00:41:20hos
00:41:22N estiver there,
00:41:23no capital.
00:41:24If you tenish it,
00:41:26you can have time Be your worries.
00:41:31For repeated troubles,
00:41:33you'veemat bend.
00:41:34You've got the risk benefits.
00:41:34For example,
00:41:36there's a lot of power city
00:41:40to have divisions in there,
00:41:42where there would rise and love.
00:41:44Maybe there's a lot of��...
00:41:47we've spoken about alaska we've spoken about the peace talks but at the center of it all is one
00:42:00man and no i'm not talking about donald trump he does that himself i'm talking about vladimir putin
00:42:06because this is not just a clash of countries or armies it's also a clash of personalities
00:42:12a clash of negotiating styles in alaska putin prevailed over trump and tonight we'll try to
00:42:20understand why what is putin's art of the deal for starters i'm sure experience helps putin was a
00:42:27kgb intelligence officer for 16 years he's been leading russia for 26 years that sort of experience
00:42:34gives you a lot of confidence it helps you outplay your rivals because negotiations are like any other
00:42:40skill the more you do the better you get and putin has his own playbook to achieve that
00:42:46it has three main tactics number one the delay game vladimir putin is infamous for being late to
00:42:53meetings he likes to keep his counterparts waiting and i'll give you some examples he made former
00:42:59german chancellor angela merkel wait for four hours he made japan's shinzo abe wait for three hours
00:43:05pope francis waited for 50 minutes and barack obama for 40 minutes some experts say this is a power
00:43:12move sort of like a stamp of authority you make your rival wait you make them lose their nerve you
00:43:20unsettle them and finally you make an entrance chances are this is not a punctuality issue because
00:43:27putin is never late to press conferences or interviews he's only late when meeting counterparts
00:43:33in fact he did that to trump this year in march putin and trump was supposed to have a call
00:43:39but putin was busy at a press event he delayed the call by an hour in the end someone had to
00:43:46remind him take a look at this
00:43:47tactic number two
00:44:17Stunts to unsettle the rival.
00:44:20I'll give you two examples.
00:44:21The first was in 2007.
00:44:23Putin was meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
00:44:25Out of nowhere, he decided to bring his dog into the meeting.
00:44:29Again, this could have been planned.
00:44:31Because Merkel had a fear of dogs.
00:44:35She was bitten way back in 1995.
00:44:38So did Putin weaponize that fear?
00:44:41Listen to Merkel's own words.
00:44:43I tried to ignore the dog, even though he was moving more or less right next to me.
00:44:49I interpreted Putin's facial expressions as meaning that he was enjoying the situation.
00:44:54Was this a small demonstration of power?
00:44:57I just thought, stay calm, concentrate on the photographers, it will pass.
00:45:02When it was actually over, I did not say a word to Putin about it.
00:45:07Here's another example, this time from 2022.
00:45:10Putin was hosting President Macron of France.
00:45:13Look at the table in between them.
00:45:15It's nearly 20 feet long.
00:45:17The same table was used with Germany's Olaf Scholz as well.
00:45:21The official reason was social distancing.
00:45:24But it looks more political than social.
00:45:26The table represented the gulf between the two sides.
00:45:29Putin calling for Ukraine's neutrality and Europe supporting Ukraine's NATO bid.
00:45:35We all know how that ended.
00:45:36Which brings us to the final tactic.
00:45:39Putin leaves his ego behind.
00:45:41The Russian president may rule as an autocrat, but in diplomacy, he indulges others.
00:45:46Alaska was a prime example of that.
00:45:48Before the summit, he praised Donald Trump.
00:45:51He said the U.S. president was fighting for global peace.
00:45:54And at the summit, he did the same thing.
00:45:57He supported one of Trump's biggest claims, that if he was president, if Trump was president in 2022, Putin would not have invaded.
00:46:06Listen to this.
00:46:07Today, we hear President Trump saying that if he were president, there would be no war.
00:46:14I think that would have been the case.
00:46:16I confirm that.
00:46:17Because President Trump and I have established a strong, practical and trusting relationship.
00:46:27In private, there was more praise.
00:46:29Trump later revealed it in an interview.
00:46:31Let me quote from what he said.
00:46:32Vladimir said a little while ago, he had never seen anyone do so much so fast.
00:46:38He said, your country is as hot as a pistol.
00:46:42And a year ago, he thought it was dead.
00:46:46That's what Putin told Trump.
00:46:48It reveals a key element of his strategy.
00:46:52Putin understands how to manipulate and sway the U.S. president.
00:46:56You simply praise him.
00:46:58And looks like it worked.
00:47:00Trump's heart of the deal was about overt moves.
00:47:02Borderline childish ones, like flying B-2 bombers over the summit.
00:47:07But Putin was more measured.
00:47:08His moves focused on the person in front of him, not the cameras.
00:47:13As things stand, that's what worked in Alaska.
00:47:21One year ago, this headline would have been weird.
00:47:23Chinese Foreign Minister Wong Yi touches down in Delhi.
00:47:26After all, India and China have spent the last few years in hostility, soldiers deployed along the border, flights suspended, apps banned, visas not issued, investments under scrutiny.
00:47:36The tension was palpable.
00:47:39Multiple rounds of border talks did not yield a thaw.
00:47:43But thanks to Donald Trump, there's a realignment.
00:47:45He may not have planned it, but his trade war has pushed India and China to try to work together.
00:47:54And now Wong Yi is in New Delhi.
00:47:55This evening, he met India's External Affairs Minister S.J. Shankar.
00:47:58Having seen a difficult period in our relationship, Excellency, our two nations now seek to move ahead.
00:48:08This requires a candid and constructive approach from both sides.
00:48:13In that endeavor, we must be guided by the three mutuals.
00:48:16Mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest.
00:48:21Differences must not become disputes, nor competition, conflict.
00:48:25Those are the Indian Foreign Minister's words.
00:48:26He said the India-China relationship must be guided by three mutuals.
00:48:38Mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest.
00:48:42Wong Yi also emphasized on the need for peace and better ties.
00:48:46We maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and resumed Indian pilgrimage.
00:48:52We should firm up confidence to dispel interference, expand cooperation, and to further consolidate
00:48:58the momentum of improvement and development of China-India relations, so that while pursuing
00:49:03our respective rejuvenation, we can contribute to each other's success.
00:49:08Rejuvenation, we can contribute to each other's success.
00:49:13Tomorrow, Wong Yi will meet National Security Advisor Rajit Doval.
00:49:16He will also call on Prime Minister Modi, so it is quite the packed schedule.
00:49:20Things are moving very fast, and like I said, two words explain this detente.
00:49:25Trump's tariffs.
00:49:27Donald Trump wanted to strong-arm New Delhi.
00:49:29First, he imposed 25% tariffs on India, then he doubled it to 50%, adding an extra 25% penalty
00:49:35for buying Russian oil.
00:49:37But here's the twist.
00:49:39Instead of isolating India or China, Trump managed to create a shared grievance.
00:49:44Both India and China have a Trump problem now.
00:49:46They are in the same corner of the global trade classroom, facing the same bully.
00:49:54And this set the stage for an unlikely thaw.
00:49:57Direct flights between New Delhi and Beijing are set to resume.
00:50:00Reports say airlines have been asked to prepare.
00:50:02Then we have visas.
00:50:03India has restarted tourist visas for Chinese nationals.
00:50:06Beijing is doing the same.
00:50:08The third part is fertilizers.
00:50:09First, China eased restrictions on urea exports, which is a lifeline for India's farm economy.
00:50:15Fourth, the Kailash Mansarovariyatra.
00:50:17China is allowing Indian pilgrims to visit again.
00:50:21Now, these may all look like small gestures, but together they tell a bigger story.
00:50:26The timing of Wang Yi's visit is no accident.
00:50:29On the 31st of August, the 31st of this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to Tianjin.
00:50:37This is for the SCO Summit, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.
00:50:41It will be Prime Minister Modi's first trip to China in seven years.
00:50:45And Xi Jinping will be there.
00:50:47So if Wang Yi's trip is about laying the tracks, Prime Minister Modi's will be about driving the train forward.
00:50:53Is this a complete reset?
00:50:56The answer is no.
00:50:57This is not a rekindled love story.
00:50:59This is alignment based on interests.
00:51:02You see, China's relationship with Pakistan is a fact of life.
00:51:06Plus, troops still remain at the border on either side.
00:51:09So think of it less as reconciliation and more of a tactical pause, where both sides are hedging, not hugging.
00:51:16But here's the biggest irony.
00:51:17Donald Trump wanted to isolate China.
00:51:19He wanted to discipline India.
00:51:20Instead, he has forced them into the same tent.
00:51:24Call it accidental statecraft or the law of unintended consequences.
00:51:29Here's something Trump might even claim credit for.
00:51:34For bringing Beijing and New Delhi together.
00:51:38So as they say, in geopolitics, today's rival can be tomorrow's partner and yesterday's four can be today's friend.
00:51:44What truly endures are interests.
00:51:48For now, India and China share three.
00:51:50Steady trade, quiet borders and some distance from Washington's grip.
00:51:56How long the truth lasts is anyone's guess.
00:51:59But for now, the dragon and the elephant have found a reason to march in step.
00:52:03There's buzz on Dalal Street.
00:52:09Indian stocks touched new highs today with both the Sensex and the Nifty witnessing solid gains.
00:52:13So what is driving this surge?
00:52:15An announcement from the Indian Prime Minister.
00:52:18Listen to this.
00:52:18I don't know.
00:52:48And after the eight years, the demand is that we review it once again.
00:53:18Now, this tax is set to come down. And that matters.
00:53:35To understand why this move is significant, let's look at how the system works today.
00:53:39Right now, the GST has four slabs, 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%.
00:53:45Reports say the government wants to cut this to just two slabs.
00:53:49It wants to remove the 12% and 28% brackets.
00:53:54This would leave just two slabs, 5% and 18%.
00:53:58So it's going to be a simpler structure and a big shift in India's tax system.
00:54:03This move could have a major impact on prices.
00:54:06And I'll tell you how.
00:54:08Most items currently taxed at 12% will be shifted to the 5% slab.
00:54:14And that's going to be a big drop.
00:54:16And this list from 12% to 5% includes everyday items like processed foods,
00:54:21dairy products like butter and cheese, mobile phones, and computers.
00:54:25These are things people use every day.
00:54:28Now they will be taxed less.
00:54:31Then we have the 28% slab.
00:54:33Today, that rate is reserved for luxury goods like your high-end cars, air conditioners, large television sets.
00:54:39They're all charged 28% GST.
00:54:42Now under the new plan, 90% of these products will be moved to a lower slab.
00:54:49They will be taxed at 18%.
00:54:52So that's a direct saving of 10%.
00:54:54Naturally, these lower taxes should mean savings for consumers.
00:55:00And that is why the stock market jumped today.
00:55:02Shares of car companies rallied.
00:55:04If GST is cut, they stand to gain.
00:55:06And gain in a big way.
00:55:08Small cars could get cheaper.
00:55:10They would be taxed at 18% instead of 28%.
00:55:12Fewer taxes mean more affordable cars and more sales.
00:55:18Insurance stocks also rose because they could benefit from lower GST too.
00:55:23Reports say insurance premiums could fall to 5% or even zero.
00:55:28This would apply to health and life insurance.
00:55:30Right now, they're taxed at 18%.
00:55:32So for consumers, that's going to be a big saving.
00:55:35At the same time, remember, this is still a proposal.
00:55:39It has not been approved yet.
00:55:40The final decision lies with the GST Council.
00:55:42This council is headed by the Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitaramal.
00:55:46It also includes finance ministers from all states.
00:55:49Because states share GST revenue with the center.
00:55:52They have a direct say in tax decisions.
00:55:54So this proposal will need their approval too.
00:55:57Every state will have to vote and think it through carefully.
00:56:01Because a tax cut comes at a cost.
00:56:05The government could lose up to 1.5 lakh crore rupees in revenue.
00:56:09That's more than 17 billion dollars.
00:56:12This loss would be split between the center and the states.
00:56:16The GST Council meets in October.
00:56:18That's when this proposal should come up for discussion.
00:56:21And while the tax cuts are being discussed,
00:56:23the government also plans to raise taxes on certain sin goods, like tobacco.
00:56:28Tobacco products could face a 40% tax.
00:56:33Reports say the government will engage with the states to build consensus.
00:56:37This reform holds a lot of promise.
00:56:39It could give a big push to consumption and demand, if executed right.
00:56:44As always, the devil is in the detail.
00:56:46We'll have to wait and see how this one plays out.
00:56:54Social media slang has a huge fan base.
00:56:57It's widely used by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, or those born after 1997.
00:57:02But now, a venerable dictionary has joined the club.
00:57:06The Cambridge Dictionary.
00:57:08More than 6,000 new words have been added to it.
00:57:11Many of them are slang words.
00:57:13Strange sounding words like skibbity, tradwife and delulu.
00:57:17And this has stirred the old debate.
00:57:19Are dictionaries being delulu?
00:57:21Is this linguistic evolution here to stay?
00:57:24Can internet lingo pass the test of time, or at least a basic English test?
00:57:31And most of all, what the skibbity is going on?
00:57:35Here's a report.
00:57:35There are wars, economic troubles, lingering climate-dume possibilities, painful taxes,
00:57:43and if life weren't already hard enough, an additional barrage of neologisms.
00:57:47For the Gen Alpha, neologisms are newly coined words.
00:57:51And thanks to the young, all English speakers of the world are drowing in them.
00:57:56Often, they are less words and more a smorgasbord of strange sounds that seem to have been put
00:58:01together on a drunken night.
00:58:04If you can relate, you are neither alone nor delulu, and by the way, now part of the Cambridge
00:58:09Dictionary.
00:58:11Yes, the usually honorable, often revered Cambridge Dictionary.
00:58:15More than 6,000 new words have been added to it.
00:58:18This includes a range of slangs, most of them popularized on social media, including tradwife,
00:58:26which is a portmanteau or a combination of traditional wife with a slightly deeper meaning.
00:58:32A tradwife is apparently a married mother who cooks, cleans, and of course, posts on social
00:58:37media.
00:58:37And while some definitions are niche, others are wide, so much so that they make no sense.
00:58:43Like the gibberish term, skibbity, this is a viral term coined by a YouTube creator.
00:58:51If you don't live under a rock, you have probably been confused by it.
00:58:54Sure, some adults masquerade as skibbity noetals, like reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who has
00:59:01a necklace engraved with the words, skibbity toilet.
00:59:04But in the actual real world, it is hard to understand what skibbity means.
00:59:08The dictionary defines it as a word that can have different meanings such as cool or bad
00:59:13or can be used with no real meaning as a joke.
00:59:17If you want to have a tough talk with a dictionary and scream, what the skibbity are you doing?
00:59:22Again, you're not alone.
00:59:24These additions have spurred outrage among language lovers.
00:59:27People say that internet culture is changing the English language.
00:59:31So much so that English is no longer a language.
00:59:34Critics say that it has been overpopulated with words that may lose their appeal as fast
00:59:39as TikTok challenges.
00:59:41But this debate is not new.
00:59:43Take the word ain't, for instance.
00:59:46It is a slang, but it appeared in American literature in the 1700s.
00:59:51This ensued a debate for years and invited Fuhrer.
00:59:55But then Winston Churchill used it in 1901.
00:59:58It confused people.
01:00:00What you do when a slang becomes so popular, it becomes a legitimate part of the language.
01:00:05Generation after generation has braved this dilemma.
01:00:08Especially lexicographers.
01:00:11It is their job to keep up with evolving language, to scramble in the race for relevance.
01:00:18So what do they do?
01:00:19They include strange slangs and dictionaries.
01:00:22Which is why words like the ick, girl dinner, or work wife are already part of widely used dictionaries.
01:00:28Sure, even linguists struggle to keep up.
01:00:32Like in 2018, the Oxford English Dictionary made an appeal to teenagers, asking them to explain the word dank.
01:00:39But they almost always defend their actions.
01:00:42The Cambridge Dictionary says that we only add words where we think they'll have staying power.
01:00:47Now, no one knows if their recent editions will pass the test of time, but one thing is true.
01:00:52In the age of social media, dictionaries can only showcase how language is used.
01:00:57Not police it.
01:00:58There was no peace deal in Alaska, but we got plenty of jokes.
01:01:12The talks broke down when Putin listed his demands, like no NATO membership for Ukraine and limits on Kiev's military.
01:01:19But then came the ultimate red line.
01:01:21Putin demanded that Trump release the Epstein list, and that's where things broke down.
01:01:25I'm kidding, of course.
01:01:27If that was a real demand, the war would never end.
01:01:30But jokes aside, the Internet is having a field day with this peace process.
01:01:34Oh, wow.
01:01:36Oh, my God.
01:01:38Oh, my God.
01:01:39I am disgusted.
01:01:55Oh, my God.
01:02:10Oh, my God.
01:02:14Oh, my God.
01:02:20Oh, my God.
01:02:23And now it's time for Vantage Shorts, images that tell the story.
01:02:51Thousands of protesters demand an end to the Gaza war in Israel.
01:02:56Spanish firefighters battle multiple blazes as wildfires rage across the country.
01:02:59And Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla meets Prime Minister Modi and gifts him an Axiom
01:03:044 mission patch.
01:03:06Finally, we are taking you back in history on this day in 1920.
01:03:09The 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
01:03:12It gave women in the U.S. the right to vote.
01:03:15This was capped.
01:03:16This capped a 72-year fight in America for equal voting rights.
01:03:21We're leaving you on that note.
01:03:23We'll see you tomorrow.
01:03:51Bye.
01:03:53We'll see you tomorrow.
01:03:57Bye.
01:03:59Bye.
01:03:59Bye.
01:04:00Bye.
01:04:09Bye.
01:04:10Bye.
01:04:10Let's go.
01:04:40Let's go.
01:05:10Let's go.
01:05:40Let's go.
01:06:10Let's go.
01:06:40Let's go.
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