U.S., UK Pledge Nearly $1.5 Billion in New Support for Ukraine |
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the aid on a joint visit to Kyiv yesterday. The new support includes funding for repairing and restoring Ukraine’s energy grid as well as bolstering humanitarian and refugee support programs. “We remain committed to Ukraine’s victory,” Blinken said.
No announcement was made on the trip about a change in permission for Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons to strike deep inside Russia, which Kyiv had been seeking. Blinken said U.S. President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer would discuss “what [Ukraine] needs to succeed” in Washington on Friday, when Starmer visits the White House. Last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not believe “one capability is going to be decisive” in the war. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Moscow should consider restricting exports of nickel, titanium, and uranium in response to Western sanctions. (AP, Politico, Reuters)
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“A free, prosperous, and secure Europe (including Ukraine) within a [North Atlantic Treaty Organization]-EU framework beyond Russia’s borders with beneficial trade and investment ties with Russia, capable of responsibly managing geopolitical competition, is a vision that is imaginable, achievable, and adequate for U.S. interests,” CFR Fellow Thomas Graham writes in this report for the Center for Preventive Action.
“Ukraine, with the help of the United States and others, [will] need a strategic vision that revolves around enhancing its defense capabilities and rebuilding deterrence over the long term,” the Carnegie Endowment’s Eric Ciaramella writes for Foreign Affairs.
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North Korea Fires Missiles Off East Coast |
Today’s test launch of multiple short-range ballistic missiles was the first such public launch in more than two months, South Korea’s military said. In a speech on Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would work to make nuclear forces ready for combat against the United States and its allies. (AP)
This timeline looks at the challenges of nuclear negotiations with North Korea.
Japan: A record nine candidates are running for leadership of the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in a two-week race that kicks off today. The new leader is certain to become prime minister, with the LDP and its coalition partner, the Komeito party, controlling both houses of parliament. (Kyodo)
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India to Impose Tariffs on Some Steel Imports From China, Vietnam |
The tariffs will range between 12 and 30 percent and are meant to safeguard India’s local steel industry, according to an order from the country’s finance ministry. In August, the Indian government began an anti-dumping investigation into certain steel imports from Vietnam. (Reuters)
Afghanistan/Australia: An unspecified number of current and former Australian commanders were stripped of their medals over allegations of war crimes committed in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said today. The action came after an Australian military investigation into reports of the unlawful killings of thirty-nine Afghans. Marles said this was not a suggestion that the commanders knew what happened, but that unit commanders “accept the responsibility of that unit in terms of what failings occur.” (AP)
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Middle East and North Africa |
U.S. Sends Full Military Aid Allotment to Egypt, a Shift From Previous Years |
The United States will transfer the full $1.3 billion military aid package to Egypt this year, the State Department announced yesterday. Between 2021 and 2023, part of that aid was withheld over human rights concerns. The State Department cited Egypt’s help working to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and “bring an enduring end to the Israel-Hamas conflict” in its decision. (WaPo)
Israel/Palestinian territories: Six employees of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees were killed in an Israeli strike on a school in central Gaza yesterday, the agency said. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the strike, calling it “totally unacceptable,” while Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said Israel was carrying out a just war as “Hamas continues to use women and children as human shields.” (BBC)
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U.S. to Back African States for Two Permanent UN Security Council Seats |
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield will announce today Washington’s support for two African countries to have permanent seats on the UN Security Council and for one small island developing state to have a rotating seat. (Reuters) Tune into CFR’s conversation with Linda Thomas-Greenfield today at 1:00 p.m. EDT as she speaks about the future of multilateralism.
Sudan: The UN Security Council yesterday extended sanctions against arms flowing into Sudan’s western Darfur region for another year, until September 2025. The resolution also included the extension of asset freezes and travel bans. (Sudan Tribune)
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Spain, Germany Call for Reconsidering EU Tariffs on Chinese EVs |
After Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called yesterday for the reconsideration of a previously-announced European Union (EU) plan to impose tariffs of almost 50 percent on electric vehicles (EVs) imported from China, a German government spokesperson supported the move and said that “the direction of travel is one that we share.” German automakers would be some of the most affected by the trade restrictions, while Spain is seeking Chinese investments to develop its EV industry. (Bloomberg)
For RealEcon, CFR expert Liana Fix explains the trade-offs of an EU tariff on Chinese EVs. |
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Peru’s Fujimori, Former President Convicted of Rights Abuses, Dies at Eighty-Six |
Alberto Fujimori governed Peru from 1990 to 2000 and implemented an economic shock program to stabilize the country while ordering a government security campaign against rural guerrilla groups. He was later jailed for human rights abuses and corruption. His daughter, Keiko Fujimori, remains influential in Peruvian politics. (CNN, AP)
Haiti: Haiti registered more than fifty-four thousand deaths from cholera in 2023, the highest in the Western Hemisphere, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The body lamented the fact that global cholera deaths last year jumped 71 percent from the previous year. (WHO, NYT)
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DHS Will Increase Security for January 6 Election Certification |
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced yesterday it is designating the certification of the 2024 election results on January 6, 2025, a “national special security event.” The Government Accountability Office recommended the designation after the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The decision means that additional federal, state, and local law enforcement resources will be directed to the Capitol around the time of the event. (NYT)
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