EU Leaders Vote on Ukraine’s Candidate Status |
Ahead of today’s meeting, draft documents suggested that European Union (EU) leaders would officially endorse (WaPo) Ukraine’s conditional candidate status for the bloc. The vote is a symbolic victory for Ukraine amid Russia’s war, though accession would likely take years.
EU leaders are also expected to grant the same status to Georgia and Moldova. Tomorrow, they will focus on how the war is affecting food supplies and the economy. The leaders are not expected (Politico) to debate a new sanctions package on Russia nor announce details on new military support for Ukraine. |
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“The disconnect between encouragement of Ukraine’s future EU membership and vague rhetoric when it comes to Ukraine’s present needs has left Ukrainian officials and diplomats walking a political tightrope—expressing deep and genuine gratitude while also pointing out that much more is required to guarantee military victory, however that might be defined,” Politico’s David M. Herszenhorn writes. “For Kyiv, the carrot of membership would be a robust incentive for structural and institutional change,” the Financial Times’ editorial board writes.
This Backgrounder looks at how the EU works. |
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China Hosts Virtual BRICS Summit |
The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, a grouping known as BRICS, meet virtually (Al Jazeera) today for annual talks on economic and political cooperation. Ahead of the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping said (CNN) U.S. sanctions on Russia are “weaponizing” the global economy. This Backgrounder unpacks China-Russia relations.
Indonesia: President Joko Widodo will travel to Russia and Ukraine (Nikkei) next week to address the humanitarian and food crises caused by the war and call for peace, his foreign minister said. |
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Afghanistan Appeals for Aid in Wake of Earthquake |
Taliban officials said sanctions on Afghanistan are inhibiting (The Guardian) the humanitarian response to an earthquake that killed more than one thousand people. Myanmar: The UN special envoy on human rights in Myanmar called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to step up pressure (AFP) on Myanmar’s junta. He said the bloc’s five-point plan for the country is “meaningless if it sits on paper.” |
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Middle East and North Africa |
UK, Gulf Countries Launch Trade Talks |
The United Kingdom (UK) began free trade negotiations with the six countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, the British trade secretary announced. Iran/Russia: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is visiting Tehran (AFP) for talks on economic and energy cooperation as both countries face Western sanctions. Iranian state media said officials will also discuss the 2015 nuclear deal and the situations in Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine.
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Heather A. Conley, president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, joins CFR’s James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon on The World Next Week to discuss book and podcast recommendations. |
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Probe: Former South African President Blocked Investigation of Political Allies
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The final result of the corruption probe could assist in the prosecution (FT) of former President Jacob Zuma and his business associates in the Gupta family.
Algeria/Niger/Nigeria: The countries set up a task force (Reuters) to study the possible revival of a decades-old project to pipe gas across the Sahara. A completed pipeline could help meet Europe’s need for non-Russian gas. |
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Bulgaria’s Government Collapses After Losing Confidence Vote |
The country could now face general elections (Reuters) for the fourth time since April 2021. Prime Minister Kiril Petkov had taken an unusually pro-Western stance before his party lost its parliamentary majority due to disputes about the budget and North Macedonia’s EU accession. |
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Colombian President-Elect Seeks to Reopen Border With Venezuela |
President-Elect Gustavo Petro said he spoke to the Venezuelan government (Bloomberg) about plans to “restore the full exercise of human rights on the border.” Chilly bilateral relations under outgoing Colombian President Ivan Duque coincided with a decline in trade between the countries.
For Foreign Affairs, Ivan Briscoe discusses how Petro could transform regional relations.
Mexico: The final cost of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s flagship Dos Bocas oil refinery project could be as much as $18 billion, more than double the original budget, Bloomberg reported. |
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Senate Expected to Advance Bipartisan Gun Control Bill |
A vote to overcome a Republican filibuster is expected to pass (CNN), putting the bill on track to pass the Senate. The law would represent the first major federal gun safety legislation in decades.
This Backgrounder compares countries’ gun policies. |
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Council on Foreign Relations
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