NATO Holds Largest Air Drills in Europe Since End of Cold War |
Twenty-five countries are participating in joint military air exercises (NYT) that began in Germany yesterday, including new North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member Finland and prospective member Sweden. The drills, planned since 2018, were initially organized following Russia’s 2014 invasion and illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, but have taken on new relevance after Russia invaded Ukraine last year. The drills will occur at six German bases over twelve days.
Japan is an observer to the drills, which come as NATO is preparing documents that will elevate its partnerships with the Indo-Pacific countries of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, Nikkei reported. The leaders of those four countries are expected to attend a NATO summit in Lithuania in July.
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“The use of unmanned vehicles—both air and maritime—in the Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted their value for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); for targeting; and for attack,” the Atlantic Council’s Franklin D. Kramer writes. “At the [Lithuania] summit, NATO should take steps to enhance its deterrence and defense capabilities to meet the challenges presented by the Russian conventional military threat.”
“NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has proposed opening a NATO liaison office in Tokyo next year, but the idea has faced opposition from France, which fears it sends the wrong message to China, and that it may also raise concerns among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,” Nikkei’s Ken Moriyasu and Takashi Tsuji write.
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Palestinian Leader Makes State Visit to China |
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas began a four-day state visit (AFP, Al Jazeera) to China today in what is his fifth official visit to the country. He is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss China’s potential role in mediating Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
North Korea/Russia: Russia resumed sending oil (Bloomberg) to North Korea in December 2022 after having paused shipments in October 2020, a new UN sanctions committee report said.
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Rights Groups to Screen Modi Documentary Banned in India Ahead of His U.S. Visit |
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International will screen (Reuters) a BBC documentary critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat riots for analysts, journalists, and policymakers next week, two days before his visit to the White House.
Pakistan/Russia/China: Pakistan paid for discounted Russian oil in Chinese currency as Islamabad struggles to maintain dwindling foreign reserves amid an ongoing economic crisis, the country’s oil minister told Reuters.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Helicopter Accident in Syria Wounds Twenty-Two U.S. Troops |
The military said it was investigating the incident in northeastern Syria yesterday, but stated it was a “mishap” and that no enemy fire was reported (NYT).
Iran/Venezuela: During Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Venezuela yesterday, state energy companies from both countries signed a deal (Reuters) to facilitate new joint oil projects, Venezuelan state television reported. Both countries want to increase bilateral trade from $3 billion to $20 billion, Raisi said.
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U.S. Lawmakers Call for Economic Penalties on South Africa for Ties to Russia |
Four bipartisan U.S. lawmakers asked the White House to move (NYT) an annual U.S.-Africa economic forum for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) out of South Africa and consider economic penalties due to their growing concerns that South Africa is supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. officials said that intelligence suggests South Africa could be supplying Russia with arms, which Pretoria denies.
This Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista unpacks AGOA.
Eritrea: Eritrea returned to the East African economic bloc (AFP), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, after pulling out in 2007 over several disputes, including the bloc’s decision to ask Kenya to mediate a border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
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Russian Missile Attack Kills Ten in Zelenskyy’s Hometown |
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Human Rights Inquiry Finds Cuban Government Responsible for Activist’s 2012 Death |
A Cuban government car hit the vehicle (NYT) that prominent opposition leader Oswaldo Payá was traveling in when he died in 2012, according to the results of an investigation by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights published yesterday. Cuban authorities previously said the driver of Payá’s car lost control and hit a tree. Mexico: Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced she will resign (AFP) to pursue the ruling Morena party’s presidential nomination for next year’s election. |
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The United States plans to rejoin (AP) the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and pay more than $600 million in back dues, the agency announced yesterday. Washington stopped funding UNESCO in 2011 after a disagreement over the agency’s decision to admit Palestine as a member, and withdrew in 2018.
This article looks at how the United States funds the United Nations.
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Council on Foreign Relations |
58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 |
1777 F Street, NW — Washington, DC 20006 |
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