At UN, Three-Quarters of Countries Condemn Russia’s Annexations in Ukraine |
At the UN General Assembly yesterday, 143 countries voted to condemn Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” (The Guardian) of Ukrainian territories and demanded that Moscow “immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces” from Ukraine’s internationally recognized boundaries. Thirty-five countries abstained from voting, including China, India, Pakistan, and South Africa, and five countries voted against the resolution.
Ahead of the vote, U.S. and European officials had lobbied countries (Politico) such as India and South Africa to support the resolution. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated the vote, saying Russia’s attempt at annexation “will never be recognized by free nations.” In March, 141 countries voted in favor of a UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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“Among the surprise supporters of Wednesday’s resolution were the ‘yes’ votes from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as Brazil,” the Associated Press’s Edith M. Lederer writes.
“The abstention bloc reflects that many nations are, for political and historical reasons, unwilling to take sides in a conflict that has nonetheless strained their energy and food supplies,” Politico’s Nahal Toosi and Ryan Heath write.
On the Why It Matters podcast, CFR President Richard Haass discusses how the war in Ukraine could end. |
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Taiwanese Chip Company Exempt From U.S. Export Curbs on China |
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Putin Attends Meetings in Kazakhstan |
Russian President Vladimir Putin is participating in regional summits (Anadolu) in the Kazakh capital, Astana, and plans to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A Kremlin aide said Moscow expects that Erdoğan will offer to mediate (RFE/RL) talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Sri Lanka: The country has sourced (FT) more than half of its crude oil imports from Russia since May, according to analytics firms Refinitiv and OilX. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Saudi Arabia Pushes Back Against U.S. Criticism of OPEC+ Cuts |
The Saudi foreign ministry defended oil production cuts by OPEC+, a grouping of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and oil-producing countries including Russia, saying the move was solely due to “economic considerations” (WaPo). Washington has said the cuts amounted to siding with Russia in the war in Ukraine. Iraq: After a year of political deadlock, lawmakers will make their fourth attempt to elect a new president (AFP). CFR’s Max Boot explains how inter-Shia strife led to Iraq’s political crisis. |
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Zambian Official Urges African Countries to Quickly Restructure Debt |
Zambian Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane encouraged (Bloomberg) African countries struggling with debt to embrace a joint restructuring mechanism led by Group of Twenty (G20) countries despite criticisms that the process moves too slowly. Uganda: Thirty-nine people have died (UN News) in the country’s ongoing Ebola outbreak, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. |
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WHO: Another COVID-19 Wave Could Be Underway in Europe |
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U.S. Officials Pledge Visa Restrictions, Aid for Haiti |
U.S. officials told reporters that talk of sending troops to quell rising gang violence in Haiti was “premature” but said Washington will increase its aid (Miami Herald) to the country and impose visa restrictions on Haitians linked to violence. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry requested a foreign military intervention last week.
U.S./Mexico/Venezuela: The United States will allow twenty-four thousand Venezuelan migrants who have U.S. sponsors to enter the United States (CBS) by plane. Venezuelan migrants, including asylum seekers, who cross the southern U.S. border illegally will be expelled to Mexico, which previously refused to accept them. This Backgrounder unpacks the U.S. immigration debate. |
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Biden Unveils National Security Strategy With China Focus |
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