Editor’s note: For the duration of the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties (COP27), the Daily News Brief will include a special section dedicated to developments at the climate conference. |
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After U.S. Urging, Zelenskyy Lays Out Conditions for Talks With Russia |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he is open to talks (WSJ) with Russia that focus on Ukraine’s territorial integrity, compensation for material losses, and punishment of war crimes. A senior advisor to Zelenskyy tweeted that Ukraine is ready for talks with a future Russian leader (Reuters) but not with President Vladimir Putin. The statements came after Washington privately urged Kyiv to signal it is open to negotiations.
In recent months, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with Putin’s top aides in an effort to reduce hostilities in the war, while the United States continued to deliver arms to Kyiv. Ahead of the U.S. midterm elections today, some Republican lawmakers and congressional candidates have said they would aim to reduce military aid (WaPo) for Ukraine.
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“The risk of a wider war between [the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)] and Russia is rising by the day, as is the risk that economic blowback from a prolonged war could undermine Western democracy. It is time for the United States and its allies to get directly involved in shaping Ukraine’s strategic objectives, managing the conflict, and seeking a diplomatic endgame,” CFR’s Charles A. Kupchan writes for the New York Times.
“Russian power and influence may be diminished, but that does not mean Russia will become dramatically less threatening. Instead, some aspects of the threat are likely to worsen,” the Center for a New American Security’s Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Michael Kofman write in Foreign Affairs. |
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China Becomes Russia’s Top Trading Partner Amid Western Sanctions on Moscow |
Between June and August, Russia’s trade with the European Union dropped 43 percent compared to the same period last year, and its trade with China increased 23 percent (FT), according to the Germany-based Kiel Institute for the World Economy. North Korea: A defense ministry official refuted U.S. allegations (Bloomberg) that North Korea is providing arms for Russia to use in Ukraine. |
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Visits India |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Iranian Security Forces Crack Down on Protests in Border Provinces |
At least seventeen people have been killed since Friday (Bloomberg) as Iran’s security forces quashed anti-government protests in provinces with large ethnic minority populations, rights groups said.
U.S./Iraq: A U.S. aid worker was shot dead (AP) by unknown assailants in Baghdad yesterday, Iraqi police officials said. Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani said security agencies will investigate the killing. |
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Uganda to Close Schools Nationwide After Eight Children Die of Ebola |
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France, UK in Talks on English Channel Migrant Crossings |
The prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Rishi Sunak, said the countries are in the final stages (BBC) of talks on a deal to address migrants illegally crossing the English Channel. |
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Italian Company to Resume Transporting Venezuelan Oil |
Italian oil firm Eni will resume shipping (Reuters) Venezuelan oil exports after a four-month pause. In June, the United States modified sanctions on Venezuela to allow it to resume exports with Eni.
This In Brief looks at U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.
Colombia/Venezuela: Commercial flights resumed (MercoPress) between the countries for the first time since they were paused in March 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns. |
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Russian Businessman Says Moscow Is Interfering in U.S. Elections |
In a statement, Putin’s ally Yevgeny Prigozhin said (NYT), “We have interfered, we do interfere, and we will interfere” in U.S. elections, including today’s midterms. In 2018, the United States indicted Prigozhin in a case involving a troll farm that attempted to disrupt the 2016 U.S. elections. For the Renewing America initiative, panelists discuss what the midterms could portend for politics and polarization in the United States. |
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Report: Developing Countries Need $1 Trillion Per Year in External Climate Finance |
A report by the United Nations’ Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance said that by 2030, emerging markets and developing countries other than China will collectively need $1 trillion (Reuters) in external climate financing per year. Twenty-six countries have so far signed on (Climate Change News) to a partnership launched yesterday to strengthen efforts to conserve forests. At last year’s climate conference, 145 nations said they would boost their efforts to prevent forest loss. |
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