Russia’s defense ministry ordered the withdrawal of some Russian forces (NYT) near the Ukranian border, a move that could help ease tensions between the countries. 

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the buildup in the Crimea region, which Russia annexed in 2014, was a successful test of military readiness and that troops will return to their regular positions by May 1.  Although troops are being pulled back from Crimea, Moscow has also deployed forces near the so-called Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. European Union officials estimate that Russia has deployed up to one hundred thousand troops (Reuters) near the border, raising fears of a full-scale conflict. The United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have expressed concern about the Russian maneuvers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that the troop reduction would help reduce tensions (RFE/RL). Both he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have expressed a willingness to meet for talks.

China censured the United Kingdom’s Parliament for passing a nonbinding motion (SCMP) declaring that China’s treatment of Uyghurs, a majority-Muslim ethnic group, in the Xinjiang region constitutes crimes against humanity and genocide. In a statement, the Chinese embassy in London opposed “interference in China’s internal affairs.”

Singapore: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a major cabinet reshuffle (Straits Times), with seven of the fifteen ministries getting new heads. Lee said he would have made the change sooner but was prevented from doing so by the pandemic.

This CFR Backgrounder looks at Singapore, a small Asian heavyweight.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will hold a special summit tomorrow (CNA) in Jakarta. The bloc is expected to discuss the crisis in Myanmar, which witnessed a February coup and subsequent crackdown by a military junta. Rights groups and others have criticized ASEAN’s decision to invite Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the junta’s leader.

Pakistan: During the climate summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, Pakistan pledged that it will shift to 60 percent clean energy (Dawn) and 30 percent electric vehicle usage by 2030.

Dozens of people, including more than one hundred Palestinians, were injured yesterday after violence broke out in Jerusalem following a march (Haaretz) organized by a far-right, anti-Arab group. Palestinians and Israeli Arabs have been attacked in recent days after videos purportedly showing Palestinians assaulting Jews were shared on social media.

Jordan: Sixteen of the eighteen people arrested in an alleged plot to destabilize the government were released yesterday (WaPo), according to the country’s State Security Court. Former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, who was implicated in the alleged scheme and confined to his palace, was not mentioned.

The UN Security Council called for increased humanitarian aid access (VOA) and a “restoration of normalcy” in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where federal and regional forces have been battling for months. The Security Council also called for investigations of reports of violence against women and girls.

Chad: A state funeral was held today (BBC) for former President Idriss Deby Itno, who the military said died after sustaining injuries in a battle with rebel forces earlier this week. French President Emmanuel Macron was among the world leaders in attendance.

CFR’s Michelle Gavin looks at the consequences of Deby’s death.

The Czech Republic ordered the Russian government to reduce its embassy staff in Prague to the same level as the Czech embassy in Moscow, which could result in the removal of as many as sixty Russian diplomats (NYT). It is the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats from a single country since 1986, when U.S. President Ronald Reagan expelled eighty. Prague alleges that Moscow was involved in an attack on a Czech weapons depot in 2014.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro committed his country to achieving net-zero emissions (Reuters) by 2050, ten years earlier than previously planned, during Biden’s climate summit. Bolsonaro also reportedly offered to reduce deforestation (WSJ) in the Amazon Rainforest by 40 percent in exchange for $1 billion from the United States.

This CFR InfoGuide explores deforestation in the Amazon.

Argentina: The ruling party and opposition agreed to postpone (MercoPress) primary and general elections, to be held later this year, by roughly a month due to the pandemic.

The Senate overwhelmingly voted (WaPo) in favor of legislation aimed at improving law enforcement’s ability to investigate hate crimes. The vote came after a wave of violence directed at Asian Americans, such as shootings at three Atlanta spas last month that killed eight people, including six Asian women. The House of Representatives is expected to take up the bill next month, and Biden has pledged to sign it.

The company SpaceX sent four astronauts into orbit (AP), reusing a rocket and capsule for the first time on a NASA launch. The American, French, and Japanese astronauts should reach the International Space Station early tomorrow morning and will spend six months there.