Biden Asks Congress for $33 Billion to Support Ukraine |
U.S. President Joe Biden urged Congress (NPR) to approve $33 billion in aid to Ukraine to last through September, an amount more than double the U.S. assistance pledged so far. Of that, $20 billion would go to military assistance. Congress yesterday approved a lend-lease bill (Reuters) to facilitate military exports to Ukraine.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia showed its “disdain” for international institutions by launching a missile attack (RFE/RL) on the city hours after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with him there. Separately, Ukrainian authorities said they plan to evacuate people from Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant today. |
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“The $30billion+ package for Ukraine [Biden] put forward reflects the reality that we need to prepare for a prolonged conflict. Russia will fight until [Russian President Vladimir] Putin achieves enough to declare success, which by definition will be too much for Ukraine to accept. Peace is not in the cards,” CFR President Richard Haass tweets.
“U.S. and European officials say [recent] transfers signify that Washington and other European allies are now preparing to help Ukraine not just survive the Russian onslaught, but begin taking the offensive,” Foreign Policy’s Robbie Gramer, Jack Detsch, and Amy Mackinnon write. CFR provides comprehensive coverage of the war in Ukraine. |
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China Vows Economic Support as COVID-19 Closures Continue in Beijing |
China’s top leaders vowed to speed up tax cuts (SCMP) to cushion the economic blow of continued COVID-19 restrictions. In Beijing, authorities closed (Reuters) more businesses and residential compounds to contain a surge in cases.
For Think Global Health, Katharina Hauck and Roshni Mehta discuss the economic cost of China’s zero-COVID strategy.
Indonesia: Jakarta invited Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to November’s Group of Twenty (G20) conference in Bali despite pressure from Western countries to exclude Moscow. Both presidents said they will attend (Bloomberg). |
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Pakistan’s Sharif Visits Riyadh in First Foreign Trip as Prime Minister |
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif began a three-day trip (Dawn) to Saudi Arabia, which he called one of Pakistan’s “greatest friends.” The trip will focus on improving economic ties and opportunities for Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia.
Afghanistan: The self-declared Islamic State claimed responsibility (TOLOnews) for two explosions in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh Province that killed at least nine people and injured thirteen. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Yemen’s Saudi-Led Coalition to Free 163 Houthi Prisoners |
A coalition spokesperson said the move aims to shore up a truce (Reuters) with the Houthi rebels that began on April 2.
Jerusalem: At least forty-two Palestinians were injured (Al Jazeera) when Israeli police raided al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said. The police said they were responding to people throwing rocks and fireworks toward the Western Wall, a sacred Jewish site. |
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South African Health Minister Warns of Fifth Wave of COVID-19 |
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European Border Agency Chief Resigns Amid Misconduct Probe |
Fabrice Leggeri, the head of border agency Frontex, resigned (Politico) after the publication of initial findings from a probe into the agency’s misconduct, including its alleged role in illegally turning away migrants at the European Union’s borders. |
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Biden, Lopez Obrador to Talk Migration in Virtual Meeting |
President Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will meet virtually today. They are expected to discuss migration policy (AFP) and preparations for the upcoming Summit of the Americas.
Brazil: A UN human rights panel ruled that corruption investigations that resulted in a 2017 prison sentence for former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva violated his right to a fair trial (UN News).
This In Brief examines Lava Jato, Brazil’s far-reaching corruption probe. |
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U.S. Economy Contracts in First Quarter of 2022 |
The unexpected contraction was the U.S. economy’s first (FT) since early 2020, with gross domestic product (GDP) declining due to a growing trade deficit. Still, personal consumption and business investment rose compared to the previous quarter. |
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