Russia Threatens Weapons Buildup in Baltic Sea as Finland, Sweden Weigh NATO Application |
The prime ministers of Finland and Sweden announced that their countries are considering applying (WaPo) to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she expects a decision within weeks. In response, a top Russian official threatened to deploy nuclear weapons (Bloomberg) in and around the Baltic Sea.
Finland and Sweden have long maintained a status of military nonalignment but consult with NATO closely. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said there are “no other countries that are closer” to the alliance. The war in Ukraine has increased public approval (NYT) for NATO membership in both countries.
|
|
|
| | |
“Finland, with its long border with Russia, famously survived the Cold War as an independent and unoccupied democracy by studiously hewing to neutrality, something some have suggested for Ukraine. Finland has sided openly with the West since the Soviet Union collapsed, though it has kept, like Sweden, a policy of military nonalignment,” the New York Times’ Steven Erlanger and Johanna Lemola write.
“Because unity generates strength, Western countries should improve their mutual defenses and deepen their economic relations,” the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Ivo H. Daalder and CFR’s James M. Lindsay write for Foreign Affairs.
CFR provides comprehensive coverage of the war in Ukraine. |
| | |
|
|
Russian Exports to Parts of East Asia Rise |
The value of Russian exports to China last month was 26 percent higher than the March 2021 amount, with higher energy sales contributing to the increase, Nikkei reported. Russian exports to South Korea and Taiwan also rose. At this meeting, CFR’s Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Evan S. Medeiros, and Susan A. Thornton discuss China’s Russia dilemma.
Australia: Global warming contributed to a rare outbreak (WaPo) of Japanese encephalitis in Australia that has killed three people, scientists said. |
|
|
India Weighs Additional Financial Support to Sri Lanka |
Amid Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, the $2 billion worth of new support would add to the nearly $2 billion in loans, credit lines, and currency swaps that India has already pledged, Reuters reported. For Foreign Affairs, Dushni Weerakoon examines Sri Lanka’s economic collapse.
Pakistan: Recently ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan held a rally (Dawn) in the city of Peshawar and vowed to continue organizing demonstrations against the newly installed government until elections are held. |
|
|
Middle East and North Africa |
U.S. to Launch New Red Sea Patrol |
The U.S. Navy said it will launch a new task force (AP) in the Red Sea, a vital shipping lane for global trade. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked ships in the area in recent months.
Libya: Representatives from the country’s rival governments began UN-backed talks (AP) on the conditions for holding elections. |
|
|
Rwanda to Temporarily Host People Seeking Asylum in United Kingdom |
|
|
Le Pen Calls for ‘Strategic Rapprochement’ Between Russia, NATO |
Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said she would pull France out (AFP) of NATO’s military command and encourage closer ties between the alliance and Moscow if elected. |
|
|
UN Calls for Mexico to Address Rise in Forced Disappearances |
|
|
New $800 Million Military Aid Package to Ukraine Includes Heavy Weapons |
The aid will include (FT) armored vehicles, artillery, and helicopters, President Joe Biden said. Washington has pledged more than $2.5 billion in military aid to Kyiv since Russia invaded, equivalent to more than half of Ukraine’s 2020 defense budget. |
|
|
Council on Foreign Relations |
58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 |
1777 F Street, NW — Washington, DC 20006 |
|
|
|
