Western Countries Prepare New Sanctions on Moscow After Bucha Atrocities |
The United States, European Union (EU), and Group of Seven (G7) are deliberating new penalties (Bloomberg) on Russia in response to killings of civilians in parts of Ukraine that its forces formerly occupied. The United States is considering a ban on investments in Russia, while the EU is weighing a ban on coal imports.
At the UN Security Council yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy displayed images of atrocities Russian troops apparently committed in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and called for tougher global actions (NYT) against Russia. In response, the United States announced a new shipment of up to $100 million worth of military supplies to Ukraine. It is also expected to levy broader sanctions on two Russian banks.
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“The West delivered on the ‘swift and severe consequences’ that U.S. President Joe Biden had threatened before the invasion. But these sanctions are not yet comprehensive, nor are they imposing enough economic costs to have any hope of changing Russia’s short-term calculus,” the Center for a New American Security’s Edward Fishman and Tufts University’s Chris Miller write for Foreign Affairs.
“Europe is taking a big gamble as it moves to ban Russian coal, potentially leaving itself vulnerable to shortages and rolling blackouts while the rest of the world contends with surging prices,” Bloomberg’s Todd Gillespie, Isis Almeida, and Jesper Starn write.
CFR provides comprehensive coverage of the war in Ukraine. |
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AUKUS Plans to Jointly Develop Hypersonic Missiles |
The United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom announced that their AUKUS security partnership will expand to include development (SCMP) of “hypersonics, counter-hypersonics, and electronic warfare capabilities.”
The Why it Matters podcast explains hypersonics.
China: The country’s three major state-owned oil companies are seeking to boost domestic production by increasing their capital investments (Nikkei) to levels unseen since 2014. |
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India Condemns Bucha Killings, Calls for Probe |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Israel’s Governing Coalition Loses Slim Majority After Lawmaker Resigns |
Idit Silman, a lawmaker from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party, unexpectedly left the coalition (Haaretz), saying some members are “unwilling to make compromises.” For Foreign Affairs, Yohanan Plesner discusses whether Israel’s new center can hold.
Cyprus/Greece/Israel: The countries’ pledged to deepen their energy ties (Reuters) as Europe seeks to reduce dependence on Russian natural gas. The three are already collaborating on gas pipeline projects and will reportedly seek to cooperate with more countries. |
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Aid Groups: West Africa Faces Worst Food Crisis in a Decade |
Food prices in West Africa have increased by up to 30 percent (AP) and twenty-seven million people in the region will need emergency food aid this year, according to a report by nearly a dozen international organizations. Droughts, conflict, and trade interruptions due to the war in Ukraine have worsened the crisis.
Ethiopia: A report by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said officials, security forces, and paramilitaries from the Amhara region carried out an ethnic-cleansing campaign in the neighboring Tigray region. It also said federal forces were complicit. |
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Polls Tighten in French Presidential Election |
Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is catching up (Politico) to incumbent President Emmanuel Macron in polls ahead of the first round of voting on Sunday. A Politico average of polls shows Macron defeating Le Pen by 8 percentage points in a potential runoff. |
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UN: El Salvador Used ‘Unnecessary and Excessive’ Force in Anti-gang Measures |
A spokesperson for the UN human rights office said more than 5,700 people have been detained without a warrant since a wave of gang violence late last month, with some reportedly experiencing (Al Jazeera) “cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment” from the police and military.
Peru: President Pedro Castillo lifted a lockdown (Bloomberg) in the capital, Lima, after protests against rising prices continued in spite of it.
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U.S. Successfully Tested Hypersonic Missile |
The test was carried out in mid-March (CNN), a defense official said, but it was not announced by the Pentagon at that time to avoid escalating tensions with Russia. |
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