U.S. President Joe Biden accepted a request (NYT) from Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold a call today. It will be their second direct conversation in recent weeks as their envoys prepare for January 10 talks about the crisis at the Russia-Ukraine border.
 
Ahead of today’s call, Putin said he believes “effective dialogue” with Washington is possible (AFP). An unnamed senior U.S. official told reporters that Biden will tell Putin the United States is ready for “a diplomatic path forward.” Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the Russia-Ukraine tensions (State Dept.) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Blinken also spoke about the issue (State Dept.) with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, affirming the consensus among U.S. allies and partners to impose “massive consequences and severe costs” if Russian aggression escalates. 

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said the two countries “effectively” agreed on the draft text (Yonhap) that would formally end the war, which began in 1950. North Korea has so far rejected the United States and South Korea’s requests to negotiate on the matter.
 
Indonesia: The country said it will accept a boat carrying Rohingya refugees (AFP) after its previous plan to tow the boat into Malaysian waters was criticized.

Rina Amiri will serve (Al Jazeera) as the United States’ special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights, while Stephenie Foster will serve as senior advisor for women and girls in continued evacuation and resettlement efforts for at-risk Afghans.
 
For Foreign Affairs, Amiri discusses how world powers should deal with the Taliban.
 
India: The government announced a six-month extension (AFP) of a special law that gives the armed forces broad authority in the northeastern state of Nagaland, where the army’s killing of fourteen civilians sparked protests this month.

The deal, which Israel blocked on environmental grounds, would have allowed more oil tankers (AP) from the United Arab Emirates to dock at an Israeli port. It was signed after Israel and the United Arab Emirates established diplomatic ties last year.
 
Iran: A defense ministry spokesperson said Iran launched three research devices (Reuters) into space but did not say whether they had reached orbit.

The move comes amid international pressure to negotiate an end to the fighting between federal forces and ethnic rebel groups, though the commission will not immediately enter talks with Tigrayan or Oromo rebels, the Associated Press reported.
 
South Africa: The casket of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died on Sunday, arrived at St. George’s Cathedral (News24) in Cape Town, where Tutu will lie in state until his funeral on Saturday.
 
For The Water’s Edge blog, CFR’s James M. Lindsay remembers ten world figures who died in 2021.

France reinstated an outdoor mask requirement (Axios) for Paris, while Spain reduced its isolation period (Reuters) for people who test positive for COVID-19 from ten days to seven days.

Mexico announced an emergency use approval (AP) for the three-dose Abdala vaccine, which has also been approved by Vietnam and Venezuela.
 
Brazil: Brazil turned down Argentina’s offer (MercoPress) of humanitarian aid in the aftermath of deadly flooding in the state of Bahia.

New Department of Defense guidelines do not address ongoing disparities (AP) in the military justice system, which has no category for bias-motivated crimes, the investigation found. Furthermore, the new rules do not ban service members from belonging to extremist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan.
 
CFR’s Farah Pandith and Jacob Ware discuss how the United States can counter extremism at home.