Daily News Brief

May 19, 2023

Top of the Agenda

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise stop (NYT) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, today to attend the annual Arab League summit at Riyadh’s invitation. Zelenskyy aims to shore up Ukraine’s ties with Arab nations, he tweeted. The summit is also the first to be attended by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since 2011, when the organization suspended the Russia-backed leader over his crackdown on an anti-government uprising.

Summit attendees are weighing a Saudi Arabia–led campaign that would urge Western countries to ease their sanctions on Syria and encourage Syrian refugees in the region to return home. While some Arab countries back the plan, others are hesitant to accept guarantees that Damascus will protect returnees instead of targeting them as a threat to Assad’s regime, the Financial Times reported. 

Analysis

“This seemingly new [Saudi approach to Syria] is a culmination of events in recent years that have seen the kingdom’s young leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, work to reduce Saudi dependency on the United States for its security,” Al-Monitor’s Salim A. Essaid writes.

“Syrian opposition to Assad often speaks of common struggle w/ Ukraine, vs Russia and Assad. Those who despaired at Arab reach out to Assad might struggle to compute both men being in Jeddah,” the Atlantic’s Kim Ghattas tweets.

This In Brief by Kali Robinson discusses who will benefit from Syria’s normalizing ties with Arab countries.

Pacific Rim

Group of Seven (G7) countries will broaden export controls (Reuters) on Russia to include industrial machinery and other technologies that could be used in its war against Ukraine, they said in a joint statement.

Philippines: Vice President Sara Duterte resigned from her political party (Nikkei), which backs President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She did not immediately provide an explanation for the withdrawal. The move threatens to weaken Marcos Jr.’s coalition.

For the Asia Unbound blog, CFR’s Joshua Kurlantzick explains how Marcos Jr.’s government has deepened ties with Washington.

South and Central Asia

Chinese officials announced the commitment (Nikkei) during a summit in central China attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. 

Bangladesh/Myanmar: Human Rights Watch criticized a Bangladeshi pilot program (Al Jazeera) to return 1,100 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The United Nations is investigating Myanmar’s alleged genocide of the Rohingya and has warned that conditions in the country are not right for their return.

Middle East and North Africa

An unnamed U.S. defense official told the Washington Post that the U.S. military is “no longer confident” that its drone strike killed a senior al-Qaeda leader after the family of the slain man said he was a former bricklayer with no ties to the group. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

The head of state utility Eskom said the rolling blackouts already afflicting South Africa could intensify (FT) in the coming months and last longer than ever.

Sudan: Air strikes pummeled the capital, Khartoum (Reuters), and the adjoining city of Bahri as fighting between rival military factions entered its fifth week.  

Europe

Greece’s ruling New Democracy party is leading in polls (WSJ) ahead of Sunday’s elections, but it isn’t expected to secure a majority in Parliament. A scandal surrounding the state intelligence service’s spying on members of government has shaken the center-right party.

Ukraine: Authorities arrested the top judge (NYT) on Ukraine’s Supreme Court as part of a widening anticorruption probe.

Americas

The Constitutional Court unanimously rejected several legal challenges (AP) against President Guillermo Lasso’s decree to dissolve the legislature amid an impeachment trial that he was expected to lose. The dissolution will allow for a fresh general election.

For Americas Quarterly, CFR’s Will Freeman argues that a left-wing Ecuadorian movement has the best chances of succeeding in new elections. 

Mexico: The military found forty-nine migrants (AP) who were kidnapped from a bus in northern Mexico on Tuesday, the country’s defense secretary said. The migrants said members of a drug cartel kidnapped them. 

United States

An underestimation of the value of military aid that can be offered to Ukraine will free up $3 billion (CNN) in additional support that can be sent without new congressional approval, the Joe Biden administration told lawmakers.

This article by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow takes stock of the amount of U.S. aid to Ukraine. 

Friday Editor’s Pick

The New York Times examines the Indonesian president’s audacious attempt to build a green, walkable metropolis to replace his country’s sinking capital.

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