Daily News Brief

March 8, 2024

Top of the Agenda

U.S. President Joe Biden warned in his annual address yesterday that “freedom and democracy are under attack, both at home and overseas,” and urged lawmakers to send him a bipartisan bill of support for Ukraine’s war effort. He also praised a bipartisan bill on border and immigration reform that he said some Republicans have stalled, emphasizing that it would give him executive power to shut down the border if the number of arriving migrants becomes “overwhelming.” On the Israel-Hamas war, Biden reinforced Israel’s right to defend itself but stressed the need to protect civilians, saying Washington is working to establish an immediate cease-fire and announcing a new U.S. operation to send humanitarian aid to Gaza via a sea route.

Though Biden did not name his likely election opponent, former President Donald Trump, he sharply contrasted his policy approaches with the former president’s, including on dealing with issues such as Russia, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), border security, and crime. In a rebuttal, Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) criticized (CNN) Biden’s border policies as weak. Trump issued (Newsweek) his own response on social media, where he challenged the president on his border and Ukraine policies.

Analysis

“Biden’s decision to tackle Ukraine headfirst is likely to lead to sighs of relief in capitals across Europe, where many of America’s closest allies have been questioning its commitment to helping Kyiv,” Politico’s Nahal Toosi writes. “That Biden cited Franklin Roosevelt and World War II spoke to the gravity of the moment many in Europe feel.” 

“The reality is that another year without the additional people, money, and policy changes needed to fix border security and the broken immigration system is not going to make these problems easier to solve,” the Atlantic Council’s Thomas S. Warrick writes. 

In this CFR Virtual Media Briefing, experts discuss foreign policy and the State of the Union.

Middle East and North Africa

Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, European Union, and United Nations are working (FT) with the United States to set up a sea corridor to ship aid into the Gaza Strip. It is the first seaborne aid operation to Gaza in at least a decade and comes as international humanitarian agencies warn that around three hundred thousand civilians in the enclave’s north are approaching famine.

Iran: Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests in 2022 included (The Guardian) close-range shooting at women’s faces and genitals and other crimes against humanity, a new UN report said.

Pacific Rim

The bill broadens the definition of sedition and violation of state secrecy and requires tougher sentences for people convicted of those and other crimes, lawyers analyzing the draft told Reuters. Investors are watching the bill as an indication of how China’s recent security crackdown will affect business in Hong Kong.

This Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland explores how China constrained Hong Kong’s freedoms.

China/U.S.: The U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously advanced (CNN) a bill yesterday that could lead to a national ban on TikTok over security concerns unless the application is separated from ByteDance, its Chinese parent company.

South and Central Asia

Around thirty-five men were sent (Reuters) to fight for Russia in Ukraine as part of an operation that promised them jobs in Russia, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation said. The bureau is carrying out a probe of the operation.

Pakistan: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said today that it will support (Reuters) crafting a new loan program if Islamabad’s new government seeks one. Financially-strained Pakistan swore in a new prime minister on Monday.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Appeals from nearby countries including Kenya have prompted Ethiopian officials to consider scrapping plans to recognize Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland in exchange for port access to the Red Sea, unnamed sources told Bloomberg. Kenyan President William Ruto held talks last week on the matter with both Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Somalia/Turkey: The two countries signed (Al-Monitor) an agreement yesterday to cooperate on offshore energy exploration, though they did not release details of the deal. Last month, they signed a defense pact amid tensions over Ethiopia’s plans to recognize Somaliland.

Europe

Sweden became (CNN) the thirty-second member of NATO after completing its accession process in Washington yesterday. Biden said the addition of Sweden will make the bloc “more united, determined, and dynamic than ever.” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was a guest at Biden’s State of the Union address yesterday.

This Backgrounder by CFR’s Jonathan Masters explains NATO.

Portugal: Portugal is preparing (AP) to hold general elections on Sunday. The vote was triggered earlier than usual after a corruption scandal led the previous government to resign.

Americas

Haiti’s finance minister signed the order (Miami Herald), as acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry is still outside the country. Haitian authorities first imposed emergency measures on Sunday in response to a mass jailbreak and subsequent gang attacks across the country; the UN World Food Program has since suspended its aid transport service in Haiti. 

Ecuador: Ecuador is discussing (Reuters) a new loan program with the IMF, a spokesperson for the fund said yesterday. Last month, Quito proposed increasing government spending on security by $214 million this year as it implements new policies to fight violence.

For the Latin America’s Moment blog, CFR expert Will Freeman discusses the risk of Ecuador becoming a narco-state. 

Friday Editor’s Pick

On International Women’s Day, Think Global Health reveals how women form the backbone of the global health-care workforce.

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