Wagner Group Chief Reported Dead in Plane Crash |
Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Russian private military company Wagner Group, was aboard a plane (FT) that crashed yesterday in Russia, killing all people onboard, Russian emergency officials said. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not immediately comment on the crash, which comes two months after Prigozhin led a failed uprising against the Russian government. A Wagner-linked social media channel claimed the plane was shot down by Russian air defenses.
While a full account of the incident remains unclear, Western officials suggested the Russian government could be linked to the killing. U.S. President Joe Biden said that “there’s not much that happens in Russia that Putin’s not behind.” A Ukrainian presidential aide called the incident (The Guardian) a signal to Russian elites ahead of the 2024 election. The news also comes as Ukraine holds a subdued ceremony (NYT) today to mark its Independence Day.
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“At the time [of Prigozhin’s mutiny], we didn’t know how the armed rebellion would affect Russian politics. Now we do: Putin appears as strong as ever, despite his bungled invasion of Ukraine,” CFR expert Max Boot writes for the Washington Post.
“The Prigozhin saga has taught the Russian elites a few new lessons about Putin—his procrastination when it comes to correcting mistakes and his emotional volatility when confronted with the consequences of his own poor judgment. And it has reminded them of his ruthlessness when it comes to dealing with enemies and traitors,” Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center’s Alexander Gabuev writes for the Financial Times.
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China Suspends Seafood Purchases From Japan Over Nuclear Wastewater Release |
Chinese authorities said they were highly concerned about the radiation risk (Kyodo) after Japan started releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi plant into the Pacific Ocean today. The International Atomic Energy Agency said the move would have a “negligible radiological impact” on people and the environment.
U.S./Taiwan: Washington approved (SCMP) the $500 million sale of a sensor system for F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan to help the island defend itself against potential threats, the State Department said.
This CFR Task Force Report looks at U.S.-Taiwan relations in a new era.
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Reuters: India to Ban Sugar Exports for First Time in Seven Years |
The move is expected around October due to a lack of rain decimating the crop yield, Reuters reported. Global sugar prices have already reached multiyear highs.
Myanmar: In a joint statement, thirteen UN Security Council members, all members but China and Russia, condemned Myanmar’s military regime (AP) for the killing of civilians and called on the country’s leadership to respect human rights.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Four Middle Eastern Countries Among Six New BRICS Invitees |
Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were invited (Al-Monitor) to join the BRICS group consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said today on the final day of the bloc’s summit in Johannesburg. The group’s development bank has already admitted Egypt and the UAE as shareholders.
Egypt/Israel: Israel will increase its natural gas exports (Al-Monitor) to Egypt, Israel’s top energy official said yesterday, as part of an effort to help bolster bilateral ties and assuage Egypt’s electricity outages. The move comes despite Egyptian criticism of Israel for its behavior amid its conflict with the Palestinians. Egypt did not immediately comment on the announcement.
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Zimbabwe Announces Election Will Continue for Second Day After Voting Delays |
President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced (The Herald) a second day of voting in Zimbabwe’s general election after several polling places were unable to open or opened late yesterday due to delays in receiving ballots.
Niger: Thousands of trucks carrying food and humanitarian supplies are backed up (Reuters) at a border crossing between Benin and Niger due to sanctions applied by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following Niger’s military coup. The blockade has driven up food prices and caused a shortage of humanitarian goods inside the country.
In this In Brief, CFR’s Mariel Ferragamo discusses how the Niger coup threatens the entire Sahel.
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FT: UK to Delay Implementation of Brexit Import Checks to 2024 |
This is the fifth delay on the implementation of a control regime for food and good imports, the Financial Times reported. The United Kingdom (UK) government reportedly backed the delay over fears the controls would increase food prices. |
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U.S., Venezuela in Talks Over Potential Sanctions Relief for Democratic Concessions |
The U.S. government is offering sanctions relief (Bloomberg) to the Nicolás Maduro administration if it takes steps to restore democracy in Venezuela, including guaranteeing conditions for free and fair elections that are scheduled for 2024. Washington is also pushing for Caracas to release political prisoners. In this In Brief, CFR’s Diana Roy discusses the effect of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.
Argentina: Authorities in the Buenos Aires province detained dozens of people (AP) following a spate of store lootings in recent days, stoking concerns about violence ahead of the country’s October election. Looting was widespread in the country during its 2001 economic collapse.
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Republican Candidates Lay Out Foreign Policy Differences During Primary Debate |
At last night’s presidential primary debate, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said he would cut off funding (Politico) for Ukraine’s war effort, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would do so if European governments did not increase their funding. Others defended U.S. aid to Ukraine. DeSantis also pledged to send military forces (Bloomberg) into Mexico to fight drug cartels. Most candidates declined to answer (NYT) whether humans were responsible for climate change, while Ramaswamy said the “climate change agenda is a hoax.”
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