Ukraine Fortifies Defensive Lines as Part of Strategy Shift |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited northern Ukraine yesterday to inspect progress on a new effort to fortify the country’s defensive lines spanning around 1,243 miles (2,000 kilometers). The fortifications are expected to be completed by the end of spring and are part of a shift from an offensive to an “active defense” strategy amid the impasse in the United States over new weapons support, the Financial Times reported. Those fortifications include digging deeper trenches and installing more anti-tank xxxxxxs.
As Ukraine focuses on defense, Russia launched (Reuters) what appeared to be a guided bomb on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv yesterday, reportedly killing at least one person and wounding nineteen others. Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that while Russia is not planning to attack North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, it would shoot down (Reuters) Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets being used in Ukraine.
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“This new strategy means Kyiv seeks to hold its ground while still probing for weak spots such as using long-range air missiles and drones to strike the Russian Black Sea fleet and oil refineries deep within Russia,” the Financial Times’ Steven Bernard and Christopher Miller write.
“Ukraine is set to receive U.S.-made F-16 fighter aircraft within months, an upgrade that Kyiv and its Western allies hope will help level the playing field with Russia’s formidable air force. But the F-16s will only have a meaningful impact on the war in Ukraine if Kyiv and its partners can build and maintain the extensive support and logistics infrastructure necessary to keep these world-class warplanes in the air,” CFR Military Fellow Kristen D. Thompson writes in this Expert Brief.
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Criticizes Chinese Subsidies |
Secretary Janet Yellen said that she plans to raise concerns (Bloomberg) with Chinese colleagues about subsidies for new technologies that risk distorting the global economy. Her comments yesterday came a day after Beijing filed (WSJ) a complaint at the World Trade Organization against Washington over electric vehicle subsidies included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
CFR Education’s World101 explains the Inflation Reduction Act.
China/Australia: China ended heavy tariffs (ABC) on Australian wine as part of a gradual withdrawal of duties placed on a range of Australian exports worth around $20 billion in 2020 and 2021, saying the tariffs were “no longer necessary.” |
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Myanmar Scales Back Annual Military Parade as Insurgency Strains Army Resources |
This year’s annual military parade, which took place yesterday, was smaller than usual as gear and personnel for Myanmar’s military are currently tied up in a tough battle against rebel forces, Nikkei reported. The military plans to start conscripting members of the general public in late April.
Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyz migrant workers in Russia are being targeted (Reuters) online by recruiters of militant groups to carry out violent acts, the Kyrgyz labor ministry said today. Both the Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan governments, large sources of Russia’s migrant workers, told their citizens this week to avoid unnecessary travel to Russia.
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Middle East and North Africa |
White House: Israel to Reschedule a Delegation Trip to Talk Rafah Concerns |
Israel had canceled (Bloomberg) its previously announced trip over the United States’ abstention from a cease-fire resolution at the United Nations earlier this week, but has agreed to reschedule it, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said yesterday. The plans to reschedule come after a visit earlier this week in which Israel’s defense minister and U.S. officials discussed concerns over a possible Israeli offensive in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.
Ireland/Israel/Palestinian territories: Ireland plans to intervene (The Guardian) in a genocide lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice, its foreign minister said yesterday. It will ask the court to consider Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid in its evaluation of whether genocide is taking place. Israel and its Western allies have strongly rejected (Reuters) the genocide accusation.
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Nigerian President Announces Overhauled Economic Governance |
President Bola Tinubu is setting up (Reuters) a new economic policy coordination council and emergency management task force in an effort to boost productivity and address the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. He will fill the council with cabinet ministers and the central bank governor, while his finance minister will head the task force, which includes state governors, economists, and the head of the state oil firm, among others.
CFR expert Ebenezer Obadare explains the economic constraints in Nigeria before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa.
Senegal: Official provisional election results yesterday confirmed (VOA) opposition presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s victory with more than 54 percent of votes. African Union election observers commended the election, calling it peaceful and democratically mature.
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Portugal Elects House Speaker in Deal Between Two Centrist Parties |
The election of José Pedro Aguiar-Branco from the center-right Social Democratic Party as speaker could pave the way (AP) for a governing coalition that excludes far-right party Chega. The Social Democrats struck a deal with the center-left Socialist Party that Aguiar-Branco would lead for two years, and then a Socialist Party candidate would step in. |
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Haiti Transitional Governing Council Nears Completion |
Eight of nine possible members of a transitional governing council signed a statement (AP) pledging to restore “public and democratic order” in the country, signaling the council is nearing its official debut. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he would resign amid low public support once the council is fully established. This Backgrounder by Rocio Cara Labrador and CFR’s Diana Roy explains Haiti’s troubled path to stability.
Argentina/Colombia: Colombian President Gustavo Petro expelled (Reuters) the Argentine diplomatic corps after Argentine President Javier Milei called Petro a “murderer” and “terrorist” in an interview set to be aired at the end of the month. Milei was referencing Petro’s past involvement with a Colombian guerrilla group.
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Appeals Court Maintains Block on Texas Law to Allow Sweeping Migrant Detentions |
A law that would allow Texas officials to arrest people they suspect entered the country illegally will remain blocked (CNN) while legal challenges against it play out, a federal appeals court ruled earlier this week. The law was briefly allowed to go into effect last week but was barred a few hours later.
This episode of The President’s Inbox with Dara Lind discusses the crisis at the southern border.
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