In Brussels, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Calls for More War Aid |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the European Parliament (WaPo) today, pressing European Union (EU) leaders to send Ukraine more military aid, including long-range weapons and fighter jets. His request comes as Russian forces escalate their attacks (NYT) in eastern Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s trip to Europe began with a visit to London yesterday, where British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “nothing is off the table” after Zelenskyy asked Parliament for jets. However, no such pledge has been made yet. Zelenskyy then met with the leaders of France and Germany in Paris before traveling to Brussels. When asked about sending jets in a news conference yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called decisions on military aid for Ukraine “an evolving process” (State Dept.)
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“A race now appears to be on between Russian forces aiming to meet President Vladimir Putin’s demand that they regain momentum—and seize more Ukrainian territory—and the arrival of additional Western weapons that could again help the Ukrainians choke off the Russian onslaught,” the Washington Post’s Steve Hendrix and journalist Serhii Korolchuk write.
“The tanks and other material recently promised by the United States, Germany, and various other European powers will undoubtedly give Ukraine an even greater advantage. But to convince Putin that he is better off withdrawing from Crimea, Western countries will need to do much more,” Harvard University’s Alexander Vindman writes in Foreign Affairs.
CFR’s Max Boot explains why U.S. and German tanks will be critical to Ukraine’s next phase against Russia. |
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NYT: White House Preparing Curbs on U.S. Investments in Chinese-Made Tech |
The Joe Biden administration’s proposed limits will likely include bans on investments in quantum computing and advanced semiconductors, the New York Times reported. This Backgrounder looks at Biden’s approach to the contentious U.S.-China trade relationship.
North Korea: Kim Jong-un’s young daughter accompanied the leader (BBC) at a military parade, her fifth public appearance in less than three months. Some observers think the girl, ten-year-old Kim Ju-ae, could be his potential successor.
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Bangladesh Struggles to Pay for Russia-Backed Power Plant Amid Sanctions |
Sanctions applied against Moscow after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have blocked money from flowing to a nuclear power plant west of Dhaka that is 90 percent Russian-funded, Nikkei reported. The plant is central to Bangladesh’s plans to transition to renewable energy.
In a March 2022 Foreign Affairs article, Nicholas Mulder predicted that sanctions on Russia would have far-reaching effects.
Afghanistan: The self-declared Islamic State has threatened to target (Bloomberg) the embassies of China, India, and Iran in Afghanistan in an effort to strain relations between the Taliban and those countries, the United Nations said.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Egypt Announces Intent to Sell Stakes in State Companies |
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UN, Partners Call for $2.6 Billion in Aid to Somalia Amid Famine Risk |
The United Nations said roughly 8.25 million people, nearly half of Somalia’s population, need immediate aid (UN News) amid a prolonged drought.
Zimbabwe: If July’s upcoming presidential election were free and fair, opposition leader Nelson Chamisa would win 53 percent of votes (Bloomberg) to incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s 40 percent, according to a survey conducted by South Africa’s SABI Strategy Group. Previous elections were tarnished by violence and suspected vote rigging.
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Twitter Blocked for Twelve Hours in Turkey After Criticism of Government’s Quake Response |
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Chile’s Continued Wildfires Prompt Evacuation Order |
As wildfires continued to burn through Chile’s central-south, authorities ordered residents of fourteen communes, a Chilean administrative unit similar to a municipality, to evacuate (MercoPress).
Brazil/France: France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs, Catherine Colonna, met with (Reuters) Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília yesterday. The meeting marks a warming of ties after former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro clashed with French President Emmanuel Macron over conservation of the Amazon Rainforest.
This In Brief lays out how Lula is expected to prioritize Amazon conservation efforts.
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Congressional Hearing Probes Twitter’s Content-Moderation Policies |
The hearing was originally called to investigate allegations that Twitter blocks conservative-leaning tweets, though former Twitter executive Anika Collier Navaroli testified that the company changed some rules (NYT) to avoid limiting tweets from President Donald Trump and that it failed to take action to prevent the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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