Drones Attack Civilian Areas in Moscow for First Time During Russia-Ukraine War |
Drones hit a wealthy residential area of Moscow (Reuters) today, injuring two people, Moscow’s mayor said. Russia blamed Ukraine for the strike in Moscow, and while an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv was not directly involved in the attack, he predicted more would occur. Kyiv was also attacked by a barrage of drone strikes today, which officials said killed four people.
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not immediately comment on the drone attack in Moscow, but the head of the private military force Wagner Group said that the attack highlighted the Russian military’s shortcomings (NYT) regarding drone warfare. |
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“The attack’s biggest impact [is] likely to be psychological, forcing Muscovites to confront the reality of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which many have worked hard to block from their daily lives,” the New York Times’ Anatoly Kurmanaev writes.
“Developments of the last week, from a raid to Belgorod region, to Russia-imposed air-terror on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, to today’s drone assault on Moscow, point to one thing: the potential for escalation with conventional means is still there on both sides. Tragic and dangerous,” the Carnegie Endowment’s Alexander Gabuev tweets.
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Debt Limit Deal Begins Journey Through Congress |
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China Turns Down Meeting With U.S. Military Official |
Washington had proposed (SCMP) that top military officials from both countries meet at a security dialogue in Singapore between June 2 and 4, the U.S. Department of Defense said. China’s decision to decline the invitation interrupts the momentum of bilateral talks between the two countries in recent weeks. This timeline traces U.S.-China relations.
Japan: Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will remove (Kyodo) his eldest son Kishida Shotaro from an executive secretary role in his office following accusations that photographs Shotaro posed for in the prime minister’s official residence last year were inappropriate.
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India’s State Oil Company to Invest $12.1 Billion by 2030 in Green Energy |
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Middle East and North Africa |
UAE, Hong Kong Central Banks Plan Closer Ties |
Officials at the banks discussed plans on easing cross-border trade settlements so that United Arab Emirates (UAE) companies can better access (Reuters) markets in Hong Kong and mainland China, the banks said today.
Iran: Iran’s justice system began a closed-door trial (AFP) for one of two female Iranian journalists who were detained last year for covering anti-government protests. They could face the death penalty.
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Biden Threatens Sanctions After Uganda Signs Harsh Anti-Gay Law |
The new law could punish (Axios) same-sex relations with the death penalty. President Biden called on Uganda to repeal it.
South Africa: South Africa granted diplomatic immunity (Daily Maverick) to participants in an upcoming summit of the BRICS grouping, which also includes Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Without such immunity, Russian President Vladimir Putin would be subject to an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court upon entering South Africa.
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Dozens of NATO Troops, Demonstrators Wounded in Kosovo Protests |
Serbian residents of a majority-Serbian area protested the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors after boycotting recent local elections. Fifty-two protesters and thirty North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops were wounded (Reuters) in the clashes. |
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Lula Hosts Summit of South American Presidents |
South American heads of state will meet today (Reuters) in Brazil for the first time in almost a decade to discuss economic cooperation and climate policy.
El Salvador: A judge sentenced former President Mauricio Funes (AP) to fourteen years in prison for negotiating with gangs during his term. Funes, who lives in Nicaragua, was tried in absentia but denies the charges. The U.S. Treasury Department has accused current Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele of conducting similar negotiations with gangs, which Bukele also denies.
This In Brief by CFR’s Diana Roy looks at Bukele’s approach to curbing gang violence. |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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