Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use this weekend’s meeting of the Group of Seven (G-7) leaders in Hiroshima to promote the elimination of nuclear weapons, but there will be deep irony as Kishida is overseeing the greatest expansion of Japanese military power since the end of World War II. Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, threatened earlier this year that there would be a "nuclear apocalypse" if the West sent weapons to Ukraine, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol recently suggested his country might need to develop atomic weapons. The G-7 leaders will find common ground on Ukraine, but the issue of China’s increasing assertiveness is a trickier issue to resolve.
The U.S. created a strategic petroleum reserve in 1975 to reduce the risk of future oil supply shocks, after Arab exporters imposed an oil embargo on the U.S. in protest of its support of Israel during a war. The reserve was designed to provide a cushion against potential disruptions in oil supply, and has been used several times since its inception, including during the Gulf War and after Hurricane Katrina.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has issued an ultimatum that the Western world must take action against China to prevent war, as she embarks on a trip to Taiwan. In a speech, Truss will echo her successor Rishi Sunak’s sentiment that China poses a “threat” to the UK and its allies and urge Western leaders not to repeat the mistake of appeasing Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Truss will call for Sunak to close down Confucius Institutes in the UK, which promote Chinese culture, and will say that the UK’s integrated review on foreign and defence policy should state clearly that China is a threat.
African countries, including Zambia, Senegal, Egypt and South Africa, have drawn up a peace initiative to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine. The proposed mission will visit Moscow and Kiev as part of the peace process. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who represented the initiative, also said that UN Secretary-General Antonio Gruterres and the African Union (AU) had been briefed and welcomed the initiative.
Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, has told local companies that she had to "plead" with them to find a "moral compass" and decline deals that may result in Moscow accessing sanctioned goods. Previously, it was noted by the Financial Times that an alarming $1bn of goods had passed through the Baltic states, believed to be partly part of Moscow's "ghost trade". Estonia and similar nations have seen a rise in exports to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia transiting through Russia, leaving suspicion about the scheme being used to circumvent the western sanctions regime.
China is attempting to persuade both sides of the Ukraine conflict to resume negotiations, casting itself as a neutral and helpful global leader. This move comes as China becomes increasingly pessimistic it can prevent the deteriorating US-China relations. While Beijing wishes to preserve its relationship with Russia, it fears that its position viewed as pro-Russia will poison its reputation in Europe, further harming its security environment. As a result, China has attempted to be neutral and offer its good offices to bring both sides to the negotiating table.
The Ukrainian conflict presents complicated challenges for China, potentially strengthening US alliances in Europe and beyond. As a result, Beijing has begun to offer its good offices to resolve the crisis, articulating a vision for global security and becoming more involved diplomatically. China aims to position itself as neutral and limit its support for Russia, even as it prioritizes its partnership with its closest strategic partner.
Recent remarks by the Chinese ambassador to France that the status of Crimea depends on how the problem is perceived provoked widespread condemnation, and 80 European lawmakers urged the French government to expel the ambassador. The Chinese government tried to downplay the situation, stating that the ambassador was only expressing his personal views. China is likely to do just enough to cast itself as a helpful and responsible global leader but not enough to be held accountable for achieving an end to the Ukraine conflict on terms that would be fair and acceptable to both sides.
Tencent Holdings will cut prices for cloud services by up to 40% from June amid similar moves from rivals that have plunged the sector into a price war. Alibaba Group Holding will slash prices for some cloud products by up to 50%. State-owned China Mobile also joined Tencent on Tuesday in announcing cuts, saying prices for some services would be reduced by up to 60% for a limited time.
An opinion poll of 1,100 people in Kazakhstan has shown that 15% now believe that neighboring Russia may invade, double the percentage that held this view 6 months ago, a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Kazakhstan shares its longest continuous border with Russia, and has maintained neutrality in the Ukrainian conflict, though remains close in historical, economic and security ties with Moscow.
China's Premier Li Qiang has hailed the Netherlands as a "priority partner" in the face of heightened tensions with the US over its trade practices. During phone calls with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Li said he hopes that the Netherlands can help ensure Europe will "adhere to strategic autonomy, making greater contributions to the development of China-Europe ties". China has been hit by US export restrictions in recent months, with the Netherlands landing in the US crossfire after the Dutch government never granted ASML a licence to sell its most advanced semiconductors to Chinese customers.
The Council of Europe has created a register of damages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as part of efforts to force Moscow to compensate victims after the conflict. Housed in The Hague, the register will allow victims to report harm suffered in the conflict. The record is "intended to constitute the first component of a future international compensation mechanism", according to a council document. Among the attendees was Ursula von der Leyen, European Union Commission President who said it was an "enormously important judicial element to have this register of damages".
The Group of Seven (G7) leaders will meet in Hiroshima on Friday for a three-day summit, where they will emphasise their commitment to the international rule of law in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The summit will also remember the legacy of Hiroshima, destroyed by the US atomic bomb in 1945, in a bid to highlight the need for a world free of nuclear weapons at a time when nuclear threats are increasing.
Activist jailed for 7 years in Russia for "justifying terrorism"
Reuters
23-05-17 13:53
A Ukrainian-born activist, Mikhail Krieger, has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a Russian court. He was found guilty of "justifying terrorism" in social media posts made last year praising two men who attacked buildings of Russia's Federal Security Service. Prosecutors accused him of "inciting hatred" in statements on social media that President Vladimir Putin should be hanged. Krieger denied the charges and used the trial as an opportunity to speak out against the war in Ukraine. Russian rights groups have designated him a political prisoner.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who had been isolated by Arab states for a decade following the uprising against his rule in 2011, has returned to the Arab League at its summit in Saudi Arabia. Pro-Assad forces backed by Russia and Iran have regained control of most of the country. However, the return has met with opposition from some member states including Qatar and Kuwait, while it has been viewed sceptically by the US. Additionally, while Assad has been permitted to return, Arab states are pushing for action against Syria’s drugs trade and want to see the return of war refugees.
Arab foreign ministers meet ahead of Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 12:01
Arab foreign ministers have gathered in Saudi Arabia ahead of the annual summit in Jeddah. The summit will see Syria return to the 22-member league after a 12-year suspension caused by President Bashar Assad's brutal crackdown on the 2011 mass protests against his rule. Despite the move, a number of Arab countries remain skeptical of Syria’s return to the league, primarily Qatar. The summit also takes place as Arab governments are attempting to resolve the conflict between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, which has left over 600 people dead.
At a summit of European leaders held in Reykjavík, more than 40 countries have backed a register to estimate the damage caused by Russia during the invasion of Ukraine, in an attempt to force Moscow to compensate victims and support the war-torn country with rebuilding efforts. Ten countries of the 46-member international body have not made a formal commitment to the new organisation, which will be based in The Hague, with three planning to take part but requiring time to meet national legal requirements. The US, Japan and Canadahave also joined as observer states.
Russia has agreed to extend the Black Sea grain corridor agreement with Ukraine for two more months, according to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The pact had been under threat after Moscow claimed obstacles caused by Western sanctions made it difficult for Russia to export its own food and fertilisers. The move will allow ships carrying food from Ukraine to use the Black Sea without being involved in the fighting by Russian and Ukrainian troops on land, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The Council of Europe is creating a 'register of damages' to record Russia's destruction of Ukraine over the past few years for future compensation. It will be lodged at the Hague and aimed to record the costs that Russia has exacted on Ukraine since the war began, not just morally, but financially. The action aims to hold Moscow accountable long-term for the situation in Ukraine. Germany’s government has said it is looking into further mechanisms to secure war damages, including the possibility of using frozen Russian assets as compensation.
Doctors and activists are reportedly being targeted and silenced during the ongoing war in Sudan that has seen over one million people flee their homes. Both sides of the conflict, the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, have reportedly broken promises to humanitarian law, instigated lootings, rapes and forced evictions. The fighting which erupted on 14 April has resulted in up to 556 deaths in the town of Geneina alone, according to unnamed activists. Witnesses report that members of the Rapid Support Forces government militias have commandeered medical supplies and taken doctors hostage, while fires and explosives have hit multiple hospitals. The United Nations has described over 25 million of Sudan's population as being in need of help and called for $2.6bn in aid from the international community.
The Eglinton Light Rapid Transit (LRT) in Toronto has been under construction for 12 years and counting, and legal challenges from companies building the system have added further uncertainty. Building work for the 19 km route, along with its 25 stations, began in the summer of 2011, with completion scheduled for 2020. However, Metrolinx confirmed on Tuesday the LRT would not open this year. The construction time for the scheme is currently longer than that for the CN Tower (three years), the Roman Colosseum (eight years) and the Channel Tunnel, which connects England and France (six years).
Russian film producer Alexander Rodnyansky and theatre director Ivan Vyrypaev have been issued an arrest order for “spreading false information” about the Russian army. The trial against the two was held last month but its outcome was not made public until recently. Rodnyansky, an influential cinema figure, left Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and was declared a “foreign agent” in October. Vyrypaev, a respected playwright and actor, has been living and working in Warsaw for many years and has also spoken out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The arrests form part of a wider crackdown on dissent in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
