Declaring himself the president of “law and order” (White House), U.S. President Donald J. Trump said he would deploy the military to quell nationwide protests against police brutality and the killing of George Floyd.
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In an address on Monday, Trump recommended that governors activate the National Guard to take control and end what he called “domestic terror,” warning that he would intervene if they failed to act. The administration plans to set up a “central command center” (Politico) that includes Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Milley. In a leaked phone call (WaPo) with governors, Esper said they needed to “dominate the battlespace” to end the unrest. Police used tear gas and flash grenades to clear a peaceful protest (NYT) outside of the White House so the president could walk to a nearby church and pose with a Bible. Thousands of people around the world have joined the protests in solidarity (CNN).

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam criticized the United States for hypocrisy (SCMP) as it forcefully quashed nationwide protests while opposing China’s national security law for Hong Kong. Mainland Chinese officials have made similar accusations (FT).

South Korea: Seoul plans to revive a trade dispute (Yonhap) with Japan over export controls Tokyo imposed last year on critical components for computer chips and smartphone screens.
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CFR’s Scott A. Snyder explains the Japan-South Korea dispute.

U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said he was optimistic about progress toward the start of intra-Afghan peace talks (TOLO) following a reduction in violence and a prisoner swap between the government and the Taliban in May.
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India/Pakistan: Two Pakistani embassy officials were expelled from India for allegations of spying (AFP). Pakistan has called India’s charges “baseless” and said they violate international rules on diplomacy.

Libya’s internationally recognized government and rebel commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces have agreed to resume talks for a cease-fire (Reuters) after weeks of heavy fighting near Tripoli, the United Nations said. Deliveries of foreign arms to both sides have increased the intensity of the fighting.
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Iran: A spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry urged U.S. authorities (Al Jazeera) to “stop violence against your people and let them breathe,” referring to the protests over George Floyd’s killing. Earlier, a senior Iranian legislator said that 230 people died during Iranian protests in November.

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced new cases of Ebola (Reuters) in the western city of Mbandaka. Six cases have been reported, resulting in four deaths.
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Nigeria: Churches and mosques can now reopen (Guardian) under certain conditions following President Muhammadu Buhari’s relaxation of pandemic-related restrictions.

Russians will vote July 1 on a set of constitutional amendments that would allow President Vladimir Putin to remain in power (Moscow Times) until 2036. State and independent polling have shown that a majority or near-majority of Russians favor the amendments.
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CFR’s Stephen Sestanovich explains Putin’s efforts to stay in power.

UK: Prime Minister Boris Johnson will veto any move to reinstate Russia (Politico) in the Group of Seven (G7), his spokesperson said. President Trump said he wants to invite Moscow to this year’s G7 summit.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected the idea of allowing Russia back into the G7 (Canadian Press) despite President Trump’s overture. Trudeau said Russia remains a disruptive force after its 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.

Argentina: The government extended a deadline for its debt talks (Buenos Aires Times) with creditors until June 12. The International Monetary Fund backed the government’s offer on Monday.
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In Foreign Affairs, CFR’s Brad W. Setser writes that emerging economies will need a once-in-a-century response to recover from the coronavirus crisis.