Germany to Send Leopard Tanks to Ukraine |
Germany will send fourteen Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine (FT) and allow other countries to export their own German-made tanks to help Ukraine fight Russian forces, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced. The United States will soon announce that it will send about thirty of its M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine, unnamed U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal. While Germany’s tanks will come from its army, the U.S. tanks are expected to be ordered from manufacturers, the Washington Post reported.
Germany previously hesitated to provide the tanks due to concerns that being the only country to send the vehicles would single Germany out as a party to the war and escalate the conflict. Kyiv celebrated Berlin’s announcement, while Russia’s ambassador to Germany said the move “raises the conflict to a new level of hostilities.” |
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“For the Ukrainian offensive to be successful, it might require hundreds of modern main battle tanks,” CFR’s Max Boot writes for the Washington Post. “The United States and its allies need to pull out all the stops to arm Ukraine now, before it’s too late.”
“The U.S. just made a serious long-term investment in Ukraine just to get Germany (and other European nations) to prepare for the immediate future. In a sense, this is the best outcome Kyiv can have hoped for,” Yahoo News’ Michael Weiss tweets.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lays out his views on the war in Ukraine in Foreign Affairs.
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North Korea Orders Lockdown in Pyongyang Over Respiratory Illness |
The order did not specifically mention COVID-19 but said residents should stay in their homes (Reuters) until Sunday and check their temperatures several times each day.
New Zealand: As he was sworn in as prime minister, Labour Party politician Chris Hipkins said tackling the “inflation pandemic” will be a priority (RNZ) for his cabinet.
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Myanmar Group Files Suit in Germany Against Junta |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Israeli Prime Minister Discusses Holy Site With Jordan’s King |
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday visited Jordan, where he and King Abdullah II discussed the legal status quo (Times of Israel) of Jerusalem’s holy site, known by Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. King Abdullah has religious custodianship of the site.
Iraq: Hundreds of people in Baghdad protested (AP) outside the Central Bank, calling for actions to stabilize the country’s currency after a recent devaluation.
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Russian Foreign Minister Offers Security Training to Eswatini During Africa Tour |
The offer by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov came days after (Moscow Times) a leading opposition politician was murdered in the country.
South Africa: The country’s largest labor union and three opposition parties sued the government (Bloomberg) over years of power shortages. They called for all hospitals, small businesses, and agriculture to be exempt from electricity cuts and demanded the release of documents detailing the failure of two power plants.
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Pope: Catholic Church Should Work to End Criminalization of Homosexuality |
Pope Francis said in an interview to the Associated Press that the church should work to end “unjust” laws around the world that criminalize homosexuality. He also called on bishops to welcome the LGBTQ+ community into the church.
The Why It Matters podcast looks at the power of the pope. |
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U.S. Grants Trinidad License to Develop Gas Field in Venezuelan Waters |
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Justice Department, Eight States File Antitrust Suit Against Google |
The lawsuit argues that Google is abusing a monopoly (NYT) on online advertising. It is the fifth antitrust suit that U.S. officials have filed against the company. |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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