NATO Countries Pledge New Military Aid for Ukraine, Debate Tank Transfers
The United States and nine other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries each announced new military support packages (BBC) for Ukraine. The U.S. package includes $2.5 billion in weapons (CNN), bringing total U.S. security aid to Ukraine to $26.7 billion since Russia’s invasion in February. Today, fifty Ukraine Defense Contact Group member countries are meeting in Germany to coordinate further aid.
Ukrainian officials have urged Western countries to resolve (FT) a standoff over deliveries of main battle tanks. The deliveries hinge on Germany’s willingness to export and approve transfers of heavy armored vehicles. Germany has said it would not commit to sending Leopard 2 tanks unless the United States pledges to send its own main battle tanks. The new U.S. aid package does not include these kinds of tanks.
Analysis
“Western main battle tanks would clearly have the advantage against Russian systems. But these lighter, more mobile armored vehicles [already pledged by Western countries] will offer an anti-armor capability that can match up with Russian systems in most scenarios,” CFR’s Timothy J. MacDonald writes.
Police in Lima clashed with anti-government protesters (WaPo) calling for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte Zegarra. The violence follows weeks of unrest triggered by the impeachment of Boluarte’s predecessor, President Pedro Castillo Terrones, last month.
The countries’ trade ministers are set to meet (Bloomberg) in May. China banned and imposed tariffs on some Australian goods after then Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 in April 2020.
South Korea: A fire in a Seoul shantytown destroyed sixty homes (Yonhap) and led to the evacuation of around five hundred people.
South and Central Asia
Indian Foreign Minister Pledges Support for Increased Investment in Sri Lanka
India: The country’s Supreme Court ruled against Google (Reuters) in an antitrust case and ordered the company to let third-party apps appear in its Android app store, among other directives.
Middle East and North Africa
White House Security Advisor Meets Israel’s Netanyahu
Algeria/Italy: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will travel to Algeria (Bloomberg) over the weekend as part of efforts to boost Italy’s natural gas supply through suppliers besides Russia.
U.S. Treasury Chief to Voice Support for African G20 Membership
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is expected to voice support (Bloomberg) for an African Union seat in the Group of Twenty (G20) during a speech in Senegal that will tout the potential for stronger U.S. economic ties to Africa.
South Africa: The country announced it will hold joint naval drills (NYT) with Russia and China off of its coast next month.
Europe
WTO Leader Sounds Alarm on ‘Friend-Shoring’
World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told attendees of the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, that governments should be wary of “friend-shoring” (Reuters), or maintaining supply chains only in partner countries, because of the unpredictability of who “will be a friend tomorrow.”
United States
State Department Launches Program for Citizens to Sponsor Refugees
Under the new Welcome Corps program, groups of five or more Americans will have to raise at least $2,275 to support a refugee’s resettlement (CNN). The initiative is separate from other Joe Biden administration programs that allow Americans to sponsor refugees from Ukraine and Venezuela.
TheGuardian, Die Zeit, and SourceMaterial report that over 90 percent of the carbon offset credits approved by the world’s top provider could actually be worsening global warming.
