U.S., Mexican Officials Hold Migration Talks in Mexico City |
The U.S. Secretaries of Homeland Security and State will meet today (AFP) with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to discuss migration policy in the wake of U.S. congressional talks on a potential deal to tighten U.S. immigration laws. In December, as many as ten thousand undocumented migrants were arrested daily (AP) at the U.S.-Mexico border. While U.S. lawmakers adjourned for recess without a deal, Republicans have demanded tighter border controls in exchange for providing more military aid to Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine; some measures they demand would require Mexico’s collaboration (WSJ). López Obrador has said he is willing to help, but seeks more development aid for the region and progress in U.S. relations with Cuba and Venezuela.
The United States has already shifted its border policies this month in response to high levels of migration at the border, closing some border crossings and slowing commercial traffic. A caravan of some six thousand migrants was moving northward from southern Mexico yesterday, and Mexico’s National Guard reportedly did not attempt to detain them. |
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“Some of this is about measures to deal with the [border] surge, but also the impact on Mexico of whatever the U.S. Congress might approve in January,” the Migration Policy Institute’s Andrew Selee posts.
“Mexico’s cooperation with U.S. immigration enforcement has fluctuated in recent years, and both the Biden and Trump administrations have turned to Mexico for help when illegal crossings soar. Mexican law offers broad protections to migrants transiting the country, which makes crackdowns more difficult,” the Washington Post’s Nick Miroff writes.
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Nikkei: Philippines Struggles to Pay for Planned Fighter Jet Purchase From U.S. |
Washington approved the potential sale of twelve F-16 fighter jets to Manila in 2021 estimated at around $2.4 billion, more than half of the Philippines’ annual defense budget. The steep cost has led officials to study the possibility of buying secondhand planes or getting financial aid from the United States, the Philippine ambassador to the United States told Nikkei. The new jets were intended to check China’s influence in the South China Sea.
North Korea/Russia: Satellite imagery provided by the White House shows high levels of activity (Bloomberg) at a previously dormant North Korean port near the border with Russia in recent months. Analysts say the uptick suggests ongoing transfers that could include weapons shipments; the United States and South Korea say that North Korea is delivering artillery shells to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.
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Indian Foreign Minister Hails Ties With Russia During Five-Day Visit |
On his visit to Russia, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar called relations (Nikkei) between the two countries “exceptional” and a “constant” in world politics. India and Russia have not had a bilateral leaders summit since 2021, shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine. This week’s talks are expected to cover topics including energy, trade, and financial relations.
At this CFR meeting, Jaishankar discusses India’s role in modern diplomacy.
Azerbaijan/France: Azerbaijan ordered the expulsion (RFE/RL) yesterday of two French diplomats within forty-eight hours, citing “activities incompatible with their diplomatic status.” France has increased its support for neighboring Armenia as Armenian-Azeri tensions have escalated in recent months. Paris did not immediately comment on the diplomats’ dismissal.
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Middle East and North Africa |
UN Nuclear Watchdog: Iran Has Reversed Slowdown in Uranium Enrichment |
The slowdown to a level near weapons-grade began in June after backdoor talks between Iran and the United States. But the International Atomic Energy Agency said yesterday that Iran has approximately tripled (Reuters) the output of enriched uranium that it produces since the end of November. This Backgrounder by CFR’s Kali Robinson explains the Iran nuclear deal.
Israel/Palestinian territories: The United Nations named (Bloomberg) outgoing Dutch Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag as senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for the Gaza Strip. Hours before the announcement yesterday, Israel said it would no longer automatically approve visas for UN officials, and later rejected a visa renewal for the UN Palestinian humanitarian coordinator.
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DRC Opposition Protests Election Results Despite Government Ban |
Opposition protesters violently clashed with security forces (Bloomberg) in the capital, Kinshasa, today after the government banned a planned demonstration alleging irregularities and attempted vote rigging in last week’s presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Incumbent President Félix Tshisekedi has a strong lead, according to a preliminary count.
This In Brief by CFR expert Michelle Gavin details what to know about the DRC’s election.
Nigeria: Some residents of a central Nigerian village are still missing after armed raiders swept through fifteen villages and killed at least 140 people on Sunday, a village resident told Reuters. It was the country’s deadliest violence since 2018. It was not immediately clear what caused the attack, but experts point to climate change driving agricultural conflict between farmers and herders as a potential trigger.
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Turkish Parliamentary Committee Greenlights Sweden’s NATO Bid |
Yesterday’s backing from Turkey’s foreign affairs committee paved the way (FT) for the full Turkish parliament to approve Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), though a vote was not immediately scheduled. Turkey has held up Sweden’s NATO bid over concerns about Sweden’s treatment of Kurdish dissidents.
EU/Ukraine: European Union (EU) countries are crafting a plan to fund Ukraine with about $22 billion that would not require approval by holdout EU member Hungary, the Financial Times reports. The funding would potentially occur through new debt issuance in a similar arrangement to that used for emergency funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Argentina Loosens Import Controls, Cuts Thousands of State Jobs |
As part of President Javier Milei’s economic adjustment program, the country began transitioning (Bloomberg) from a system of import controls that was in part manually administered to a more data-based one designed to move more quickly. In a decree yesterday, Milei also eliminated thousands of government jobs.
Mexico: The country’s army-run airline, Mexicana, carried out (AP) its first flight yesterday, though it was forced to land earlier than planned due to poor weather, the company said. The airline’s development demonstrates President López Obrador’s expansion of the military’s control over the country’s economy and governance.
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