Month: May 2022

US to End Russia’s Ability to Pay International Investors

Posted on by SeeEU

The U.S. will close the last avenue for Russia to pay its billions in debt back to international investors on Wednesday, making a Russian default on its debts for the first time since the Bolshevik Revolution all but inevitable.

The Treasury Department said in a notification that it does not plan to renew the license to allow Russia to keep paying its debtholders through American banks.

Since the first rounds of sanctions, the Treasury Department has given banks a license to process any bond payments from Russia. That window expires at midnight May 25.

There had already been signs that the Biden administration was unwilling to extend the deadline. At a press conference heading into the Group of Seven finance minister meetings in Koenigswinter, Germany, last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the window existed “to allow a period of time for an orderly transition to take place, and for investors to be able to sell securities.”

“The expectation was that it was time-limited,” Yellen said.

Without the license to use U.S. banks to pay its debts, Russia would have no ability to repay its international bond investors. The Kremlin has been using JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup as its conduits to pay its obligations.

Jay Auslander, a prominent sovereign debt lawyer who previously litigated other debt crises like the one in Argentina, said at this point most of the institutional investors in Russian debts have likely sold their holdings, knowing this deadline was coming. Those who are still holding the debts are either distressed debt investors or those willing to wait to litigate it over the next few years.

“The majority who wanted out have gotten out. The only issue is finding buyers,” he said. 

The Kremlin appears to have foreseen the likelihood that the U.S. would not allow Russia to keep paying on its bonds. The Russian Finance Ministry prepaid two bonds on Friday that were due this month to get ahead of the May 25 deadline.

The next payments Russia will need to make on its debts are due on June 23. Like other Russian debt, those bonds have a 30-day grace period — which would cause default by Russia to be declared by late July, barring the unlikely scenario that the Russia-Ukraine war would come to an end before then.

Investors have been almost certain of Russia going into default for months now. Insurance contracts that cover Russian debt have priced a 80% likelihood of default for weeks, and rating agencies like Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s have placed the country’s debt deep into junk territory.

Russia has not defaulted on its international debts since the 1917 Revolution, when the Russian Empire collapsed and the Soviet Union was created. Russia defaulted on its domestic debts in the late 1990s during the Asian Financial Crisis but was able to recover from that default with the help of international aid.
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Conference Room in Germany Becomes Nerve Center for Weapons Shipments to Ukraine

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Two blocks from a casino and Burger King is a medium-sized room covered with a blue carpet that until four months ago was occasionally used to welcome personnel starting their jobs at the U.S. European Command headquarters.

The fourth-floor room in the General Bernard Rogers Conference Center on a U.S. Army base in Germany has become the center of Western efforts to give billions of dollars in weapons and nonlethal aid to Ukrainian forces to help Kyiv push back against Russia’s invasion of the country.

Two text journalists accompanying U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks were given access to the U.S- and British-led weapons transfer center for the first time on Tuesday.

The room, which operates 24 hours a day and holds about 100 military personnel from two dozen countries, is lined with television monitors attached to the ceiling, with small teams working on different parts of the mammoth operation to move weapons into Europe and eventually into Ukrainian hands.

The United States alone has rushed $3.9 billion worth of armaments to Ukraine since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden signed a bill to send $40 billion in additional military, economic and humanitarian aid to Kyiv.

None of the weapons are physically located at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart; the room acts as a logistics hub for coordinating the flow of weapons.

One group of soldiers, sitting next to British, American and Ukrainian flags, is responsible for intelligence on Russia’s operations in Ukraine.

Another group sitting close by a “Secret” sign on the wall tracks weapons and nonlethal aid moving into and around Europe from more than 40 countries.

Other troops log onto a newly created computer system that allows Ukrainian forces to put in requests for weapons.

In a sign of how the United States and its allies are preparing for the conflict to continue well into the future, a new team was recently created to try to anticipate Ukraine’s future needs.

Fewer than five Ukrainian service members work in the center as liaisons, said a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“(It) probably began as simple deconfliction, but now I think really in terms of optimizing the capability that the international community can bring to bear,” Hicks told the reporters after visiting the coordination room.

As it became evident in November that Russia was putting troops in place to potentially invade Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official struggled to give Kyiv speedboats.

“(I) had to make 5,000 phone calls,” the official said. “Since then, it has become better organized.”

When the coordination center first began its work in March, British and U.S. officials said, it was relatively easy to move smaller weapons like Javelin anti-tank missiles.

As the war has progressed and the fighting has largely moved to eastern Ukraine, longer-range and heavier weapons like howitzer artillery systems have become the primary focus.

“It has become more complex. At first it was ‘give us anything,’ and now we’re more focused on the capabilities,” a British official said.
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Electric Fishing Boats in Kenya’s Lake Victoria Help Cut Emissions

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The rising cost of fuel in Kenya is not only affecting motorists but also tens of thousands of fishermen, whose incomes depend on their boats. To reduce fuel needs, the Dutch company Asobo has been renting electric motors for boats on Kenya’s side of Lake Victoria and says it cannot keep up with demand. Juma Majanga reports from Rusinga Island, Kenya.
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Panel Recommends New Names for Fort Bragg, Other US Army Bases

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An independent commission on Tuesday recommended new names for nine U.S. Army posts that commemorated Confederate officers. Among their recommendations: Fort Bragg in North Carolina would become Fort Liberty and Fort Gordon in Georgia would become Fort Eisenhower.

The recommendations are the latest step in a broader effort by the U.S. military to confront racial injustice, most recently in the aftermath of the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The list recommends naming bases for the first time after women and Black soldiers.

Fort Polk, in Louisiana, would be renamed Fort Johnson, after Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black Medal of Honor recipient who served in the Army in World War I.

Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia would be renamed Fort Walker, after Mary Edwards Walker, a doctor who treated soldiers in the Civil War and later received a Medal of Honor

For years, U.S. military officials had defended the naming of bases after Confederate officers. As recently as 2015 the Army argued that the names did not honor the rebel cause but were a gesture of reconciliation with the South.

But in the aftermath of the Floyd killing, and the months of racial unrest that followed, the Pentagon and Congress pushed for a comprehensive plan to rename the military posts and hundreds of other federal assets such as roads, buildings, memorials, signs and landmarks that honored rebel leaders.
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Stormy Repeat: NOAA Predicts Busy Atlantic Hurricane Season

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Federal meteorologists are forecasting a record-shattering seventh straight unusually busy Atlantic hurricane season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted Tuesday that the summer in the Atlantic will produce 14 to 21 named storms, six to 10 becoming hurricanes and three to six turbo-charging into major hurricanes with winds greater than 110 mph. Even with normals shifting upwards to reflect more active storm seasons in recent decades, these predictions are above the 30-year average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

The National Hurricane Center ran out of names for Atlantic storms in the last two years, with a record-setting 30 named storms in 2020 and 21 last year. In the past five years there have been more Category 4 and 5 hurricane landfalls in the United States than in the previous 50 years combined.

This hurricane season “is going to be similar to last year and given that you need only one bad storm to dramatically affect your life, if you fail to plan around this outlook, you’re planning to fail,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad told The Associated Press Tuesday. “You can take this outlook to the bank literally when it looks to protecting your property.”

Every weather factor pointed to a busier season, said Matthew Rosencrans, lead hurricane season outlook forecaster for NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. He pointed to a multi-decade long trend to more storms in the Atlantic, an active monsoon season in West Africa, a La Nina — the natural and occasional cooling of parts of the equatorial Pacific that changes weather worldwide — and warmer than normal ocean temperatures, which scientists say are stoked by climate change.

Several outside hurricane experts agree with NOAA that the Atlantic conditions are ripe for yet another active hurricane season. They say La Nina reduces wind shear that could decapitate storms. The warmer water — about half a degree warmer (0.3 degrees Celsius) than last year in storm-forming areas, according to Rosencrans — serves as hurricane fuel. A reduction in pollution particles in the air has taken away artificial cooling in the Atlantic and a new study links that to increasing storms.

Last week President Joe Biden also warned the nation about “another tough hurricane season” coming.

“We’re seeing these storms happen more frequently. They’re lasting longer,” FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said in a New York City press conference. NOAA says 13 people in the city died during Hurricane Ida with 11 of them dying in flooded basements. It is also the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, a downgraded hurricane that became one of the most expensive weather disasters in American history with massive flooding in New York.

“We’ve seen such a dramatic change in the type of weather events that could be seen as a result of climate change,” Criswell said.

NOAA said there’s a 65% chance for an “above-normal” hurricane season, a 25% chance for a normal season and only a one in 10 chance for an unusually quiet season.

One key indicator, that takes into account the number of storms, how strong they are and how long they last, is called Accumulated Cyclone Energy index or ACE and Rosencrans said this year could be as much as double what’s been normal since 1950. The calculation is used when determining what is an average season and what’s above average.

The average ACE since 1950 is just shy of 100, while the last six years have ranged from 132 to 225 in 2017.

That stretch of six straight above-average years is a record, smashing the old mark of three-in-a-row, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher and seasonal forecaster Phil Klotzbach. He said it is highly likely that the record will stretch to seven this year.

“It’s really a strange thing that we’ve had six consecutive seasons be so active,” said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy.

NOAA’s predictions mesh with ten o ther meteorological teams — government, university and private — that have made their hurricane season predictions. The average of their predictions is 20 named storms, eight becoming hurricanes and four becoming major hurricanes.

Because La Nina has a different effect in the Pacific and conditions usually are opposite, earlier this month NOAA predicted a quieter than normal Pacific storm season.

Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1.
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Uganda ‘Overwhelmed’ with New DRC Refugee Influx

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A Ugandan official says a new influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo is stretching the country’s resources to the breaking point.

On May 22, 2022, a joint operation by Congolese government soldiers and the U.N. peacekeeping mission MONUSCO against M23 rebels prompted hundreds of people to flee into Uganda. Hillary Onek, Uganda’s Minister for Refugees, said the fresh influx is taxing resources.

The refugees flocked toward the Bunagana border crossing with little or no belongings. The country already is home to close to 1.5 million refugees from across the region.  

“It is actually affecting even our population who are at the border,” Onek said. “Because, when people shoot, sometimes they shoot across the border. Frankly speaking, it’s overwhelming and we cannot satisfy the needs of those large influx of people and we are enabling what is feasible with respect to our meager resources.”  

The latest fighting took place around Rutshuru in North Kivu province. After clashes in the province last November, fresh fighting broke out late in March. It is estimated that about 17,000 Congolese refugees have since crossed into Uganda.  

Manishimwe Bernard, a Red Cross official in charge of aiding refugees in Uganda’s western Kisoro district, said most people arrive in desperate circumstances.  

“When war broke out, people started running without anything,” Bernard said. “You find a person has nothing, has no clothes, children are nearly hungry. So, emotionally, people run in stress. And of course, the panic and fear is still at large. Because fighting for now, from their stories, hasn’t stopped.”  

On Sunday, the special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General in the DRC, Bintou Keita, issued a statement condemning attacks by the M23 movement against the peacekeepers in Rutshuru.  

In the statement, Keita accused the rebels of deliberately attacking peacekeepers in eastern Congo, where fighting had resumed between the rebels and the Congolese army.   

Bintou stated that in response to the attack, the army and peacekeepers mounted a joint operation to clear the area of M23 fighters. He said the attack was in accordance with MONUSCO’s mandate.  

Speaking to VOA by phone, M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma denied the rebel group attacked the U.N. base. He said it was MONUSCO who attacked first, and those who were caught up in the fighting with the army got confused and started running. After just 12 minutes, he said, MONUSCO sent two Cobra attack helicopters in the area of Runyoni, which targeted the M23 bases.  

The U.N. statement called on both the M23 rebels and the Congolese army to immediately cease all hostilities, in accordance with the commitments made in the Nairobi process.  

The Nairobi process is an effort to negotiate peace between the Democratic Republic of Congo government and about 30 rebels based across the mineral-rich African country.  

The M23 said that while they respect the Nairobi process, they are being attacked from various forces.  

 
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Malawi Rolls Out Cholera Vaccine to Contain Outbreak

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Malawi has rolled out a vaccination campaign to help stop an outbreak of cholera.  Authorities report more than 350 cases and 17 deaths from cholera across eight districts of southern Malawi.

Malawi’s Ministry of Health declared the cholera outbreak in early March after the first case was confirmed in the Machinga district in southern Malawi.

The disease has so far spread to eight districts including Nsanje, Chikwawa and Blantyre.

In its latest report on Monday, the ministry said the country had recorded 367 cholera cases in all with 17 deaths and 19 hospital admissions.

Dr. Gertrude Chapotera represented the World Health Organization at the launch of the vaccination campaign Monday in Blantyre.

She said the campaign is running with support from various global partners, including the Gavi Vaccine Alliance and the Global Task for Cholera Control.

“We are supporting the Ministry of Health with up to 3.9 million doses that will be administered in two rounds,” she said. “So this actually is the beginning of the first round with the campaign starting from today the 23rd of May running up Friday this week the 27th of May.”

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with bacteria. The disease affects both children and adults and, if untreated, can kill within hours.

Dr. Gift Kawalazila is director of Health and Social Services in Blantyre.  He says the district has so far seen nearly 100 cases of cholera, with five deaths but only three hospital admissions as of Monday.

“This means that cholera is a disease that can easily be reversed and we have treatment options with us,” said Kawalazila. “So, the general message to the general population is that they should quickly present themselves to our health workers in our different health facilities whenever they notice the signs and symptoms of cholera which is profuse diarrhea and vomiting in some cases.”

Health authorities say many people are turning up for vaccination, with some districts running short of the doses.

Alinafe Longwe is among those who received the cholera vaccine in Blantyre.  Longwe says she did not get the COVID-19 vaccine, citing fears of blood clotting and other health issues.  

“But with this one, I haven’t heard any issues, so I am okay with it and I have received it and I am fine,” said Longwe.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health says it has intensified public education preventing cholera infections. These include the use of clean water for domestic purposes and observing personal hygiene.
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Seeing Similarity to Fall of Saigon, Group Fills Government Void

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Thousands of Afghan refugees are now living in America, struggling after receiving limited government assistance. One Vietnamese woman who knows the challenge of providing for a family in an unfamiliar country is helping the new arrivals in Seattle, Washington. VOA’s Carolyn Presutti shows us how. Videographer: Saqib Ul Islam
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Navalny’s Appeal of 9 Year Jail Sentence Denied in Moscow 

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A Moscow court has upheld a nine-year prison term for opposition politician Alexey Navalny, who is already behind bars for a previous conviction he and his supporters have called politically motivated.

Navalny took part in the Tuesday hearing via a video link from a prison in the Vladimir region.

The Kremlin critic used his final statement in court to condemn the Russian authorities for launching the ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and reiterated his previous statements that all of the charges against him are politically motivated.

Navalny was handed the sentence on March 22 after the court found him guilty of embezzlement and contempt charges that he and his supporters have repeatedly rejected as politically motivated.

Navalny was arrested in January last year upon his arrival to Moscow from Germany, where he was treated for a poison attack with what European labs defined as a Soviet-style nerve agent.

He was then handed a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for violating the terms of an earlier parole because of his convalescence abroad. The original conviction is widely regarded as a trumped-up, politically motivated case.

Navalny has blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for his poisoning with a Novichok-style chemical substance. The Kremlin has denied any role in the attack.

International organizations consider Navalny a political prisoner.

The European Union, U.S. President Joe Biden, and other international officials have demanded Russia release the 45-year-old Kremlin-critic.

Navalny is currently serving his term in a prison in the town of Pokrov, some 200 kilometers east of Moscow. He is expected to be transferred to a stricter regime prison for the new conviction.
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Biden Draws Lessons from Ukraine in Tacit Message to China’s Influence in Asia-Pacific

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Ending his 6-day trip to Asia, U.S. President Joe Biden used the war in Ukraine to send a message to China to uphold the fundamental principles of the international order.

“Territorial integrity and sovereignty, international law, human rights must always be defended, regardless of where they’re violated in the world,” Biden said in remarks during a Tokyo summit with leaders of Japan, India and Australia — the informal grouping known as the Quad.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heightens the importance of the administration’s strategy goals to “advance a free, open, connected, secure and resilient Indo-Pacific,” Biden said during the Quad meeting on his last day in Asia, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“As long as Russia continues the war, the United States will work with our partners to help be the global response, because it’s going to affect all parts of the world,” Biden said. “At the same time, the United States must and will be strong, steady, and enduring partner in the Indo-Pacific.”

Kishida echoed Biden’s statement. “Russian invasion into Ukraine squarely challenges the principles which are enshrined in the United Nations Charter,” he said. “We should never, ever allow a similar incident to happen in the Indo-Pacific.”

The Quad joint statement and the remarks of the four leaders did not mention China directly but underscored the goal of building an Indo-Pacific region that respects sovereignty and the rule of law — diplomatic wording understood to be directed at Beijing.

Beijing has dramatically increased its military spending in recent years, including its naval power. It now has the world’s second largest defense budget after the United States. And in terms of the numbers of vessels it claims it has, the Chinese navy is now the biggest in the world, said Sam Roggeveen, director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program.

“In terms of its capability, it’s still very much second best to the United States, but it’s catching up very quickly,” Roggeveen told VOA.

While many in the region fear an invasion of Taiwan, Chinese militarization is most acutely felt in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, where Beijing has transformed at least three artificial islands into military bases despite President Xi Jinping’s past assurances that it would not.

China controls the Paracel Islands, one of two major archipelagos in the South China Sea, and claims entire ownership of the other — the Spratly Islands — also claimed entirely by Taiwan and Vietnam. Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines claim parts of Spratly.

The seas are extremely strategic with trillions of dollars’ worth or approximately one-third of all global maritime trade passing through its shipping lanes each year.

Quad leaders stated they “strongly oppose any coercive, provocative or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo and increase tensions in the area, such as the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities.”

Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness

As part of an effort to counter Chinese activity in the region, Quad leaders unveiled a maritime initiative aimed at monitoring territorial waters, the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, IPMDA.

According to a statement released by the White House, the program will use satellite technology to connect existing surveillance centers and create a tracking system for illegal fishing from the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia to the South Pacific. It will track “dark shipping” — vessels with their transponder systems switched off to avoid detection.

The initiative will also give regional partners the tools they need to conduct rescue at sea and other humanitarian activities, said an administration official in a briefing to reporters.

“The data will be unclassified, which will allow the Quad to provide it to a wide range of partners who wish to benefit,” the official said. “And it recognizes that the primary demand on this in many ways is not from militaries, it is for the equivalent of Coast Guards to be able to do both rescue at sea, to be able to monitor fishing, to be able to track illegal fishing.”

China is the worst illegal fishing offender, according to the 2021 IUU Fishing Index, which maps illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in 152 coastal countries.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing profoundly impacts the economies of regional countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, removing billions of dollars’ worth of fish every year from their legal trading system.

To share information on these activities with partner countries, the initiative will utilize the existing regional “fusion centers” that are currently focused on tracking maritime piracy, such as the Information Fusion Center-Indian Ocean Region, based in India; the Information Fusion Center, based in Singapore; the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, based in the Solomon Islands and the Pacific Fusion Center, based in Vanuatu, both of which receive support from Australia.

While most regional countries are aware of the extent of illegal fishing in their waters, some lack the capacity to address the problem and others lack the political will because they are also engaged in the activity, said Aaron Connelly, a senior fellow for Southeast Asian politics and foreign policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

“And so, while this is intended, I think, to highlight Chinese actions in their waters, it may also highlight some of the countries that the United States and the Quad countries are trying to court, what they are doing in others’ waters,” Connelly told VOA.

The initiative lacks details as Quad partners say it will begin consultations with partners in the region. What also remains unclear, Connelly pointed out, is what countries will do with the surveillance data.

“So, I’m not sure that this is going to make a difference,” Connelly said. “It’s not the game changer that the administration in its statement said that it would be.”

As the initiative proceeds, “the Quad will identify future technologies of promise, allowing IPMDA to remain a cutting-edge partnership that promotes peace and stability throughout the region,” according to the White House.

 
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Ukraine Calls for Faster Weapons Deliveries

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Tuesday urged other governments to send more weapons more quickly to aid Ukraine’s fight against Russian forces.

“Too early to conclude that Ukraine already has all the arms it needs,” Kuleba tweeted Tuesday. “Russian offensive in the Donbas is a ruthless battle, the largest one on European soil since WWII. I urge partners to speed up deliveries of weapons and ammunition, especially MLRS, long-range artillery, APCs.”

Britain’s defense ministry said Tuesday that Russian forces have increased the intensity of their operations in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine as they try to encircle multiple cities, including Severodonetsk.

“Russia’s capture of the Severodonetsk pocket would see the whole of Luhansk Oblast placed under Russian occupation. While currently Russia’s main effort, this operation is only one part of Russia’s campaign to seize the Donbas.”

Kuleba’s call for more military help came a day after U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said about 20 countries are sending new security assistance packages for Ukraine.

“Many countries are donating critically needed artillery ammunition, coastal defense systems, tanks and other armored vehicles. Others came forward with new commitments for training Ukraine’s forces and sustaining its military systems,” Austin told reporters at the Pentagon after concluding the second meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

Denmark said it would provide Ukrainian forces with a Harpoon launcher and missiles, while the Czech Republic donated attack helicopters, tanks and rocket systems.

Monday’s meeting included 47 nations that participated virtually, according to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley, the top U.S. military officer. Austria, Colombia and Ireland were among the new participants.

The group’s next meeting will be held June 15 in Brussels.

“Everyone here understands the stakes of this war, and they stretch far beyond Europe,” Austin said.

U.S. President Joe Biden had a similar message Tuesday as he met with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, telling the group that the conflict in Ukraine “is more than just a European issue, it’s a global issue.”

Citing the widespread effects of the conflict, including on the global food supply, Biden pledged ongoing U.S. support, saying, “as long as Russia continues the war, the United States will work with our partners to help be the global response, because it’s going to affect all parts of the world.”

Finland’s foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto, said Finland and Sweden are sending delegations to Ankara for talks with Turkish officials Wednesday about their applications to join the NATO military alliance.

Turkey has expressed opposition to the bids, accusing Sweden and Finland of harboring people linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey says orchestrated a 2016 coup attempt.

Any new NATO members must be approved by all of the alliance’s current member states.

“We understand that Turkey has some of their own security concerns vis-a-vis terrorism … We think that these issues can be settled,” Haavisto said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.  “There might be also some issues that are not linked directly to Finland and Sweden but more to other NATO members.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, also speaking Tuesday in Davos, said he is confident the concerns of all allies will be addressed and that Finland and Sweden will be welcomed into the alliance.

“Finland and Sweden’s decision to apply for NATO membership is historic,” Stoltenberg said.  “It demonstrates that European security will not be dictated by violence and intimidation. All allies agree that NATO enlargement has been a great success, spreading freedom and democracy across Europe.”

The NATO leader highlighted demands made by Russian President Vladimir Putin before the invasion, including a guarantee that NATO would not expand.

“He wanted less NATO on his borders and launched a war. Now he’s getting more NATO on his borders and more members,” Stoltenberg said.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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Latest Developments in Ukraine: May 24

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For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT:

1:00 a.m.: As Ukraine marks three months since the start of the Russian invasion, residents in capital Kyiv have commemorated those who have been lost since the start of the conflict, The Associated Press reported. 

A lawn in a square in the capital has been strewn with small Ukrainian flags, put out in tribute to those who have lost their lives since the fighting broke out on February 24. A monument displays the message “Ukrainians killed by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin” with the number 7,463 written below. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in a ceremony to launch the series which will see five million stamps in total put into circulation. 

 

12:30 a.m.: Analyst APK-Inform, an information and analytical agency, raised its forecasts for Ukraine’s 2022/23 grain crop and exports because of a better-than-expected winter harvest on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Ukraine could harvest 48.3 million tons of grain in 2022, including almost 17.1 million tons of wheat and 25.2 million tons of corn, the consultancy agency said in a statement.

APK-Inform said 2022/23 exports could also rise to 39.4 million tons versus the previous outlook of 33.2 million tons.

12:15 a.m.: About 20 countries are sending new security assistance packages for Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said after concluding the second meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

“Many countries are donating critically needed artillery ammunition, coastal defense systems, tanks and other armored vehicles. Others came forward with new commitments for training Ukraine’s forces and sustaining its military systems,” Austin told reporters at the Pentagon Monday. VOA’s Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has the story.

 

12:01 a.m.: Through photos, videos, charts, and analysis, The Guardian documents “Russia’s use of illegal weapons” during the invasion of Ukraine.

“The Guardian has visited the small towns and villages north of Kyiv razed to the ground during the Russian occupation and reviewed evidence found there – as well as other materials from Ukrainian prosecutors – of imprecise munitions such as the FAB-250, metal dart shells and cluster bombs whose use led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians.”

 
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Rwanda Says Territory Shelled by Congo, Requests Probe 

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Rwanda said on Monday that it had requested a regional body to investigate shelling of its territory by the military of neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and that the attack had injured several people and damaged property. 

The alleged incident could further inflame relations between the two countries, which have long traded accusations about support for militant groups.   

Congolese authorities could not be immediately reached for comment. 

In a statement, Rwanda’s Ministry of Defense said it had asked the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) to investigate an attack on its territory. The EJVM is a group of military experts from the region that monitors and investigates security incidents.  

The attack targeted Musanze district in Rwanda’s north, “injuring several civilians and damaging property,” the ministry said.   

“Those injured are receiving treatment and officials are assessing the extent of the damage. The RDF (Rwanda Defense Forces) has requested for urgent investigation by the regional EJVM, and Rwandan authorities are also engaging DRC counterparts over the incident,” it added in the statement. 

Tensions have been heightened since March, when Congo’s M23 rebel group attacked two Congolese army positions near the borders with Uganda and Rwanda and advanced on nearby towns.   

The group seized swaths of territory in eastern Congo during an insurrection in 2012 and 2013, before its fighters were driven out by Congolese and United Nations forces. They have since returned from neighboring countries to stage attacks.   

Congo and U.N. investigators have previously accused Rwanda of supporting M23, but Kigali denies the accusations. 
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Facebook, Instagram to Reveal More on How Ads Target Users

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 Facebook parent Meta said it will start publicly providing more details about how advertisers target people with political ads just months ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. 

The announcement follows years of criticism that the social media platforms withhold too much information about how campaigns, special interest groups and politicians use the platform to target small pockets of people with polarizing, divisive or misleading messages. 

Meta, which also owns Instagram, said it will start releasing details in July about the demographics and interests of audiences who are targeted with ads that run on its two primary social networks. The company will also share how much advertisers spent in an effort to target people in certain states. 

“By making advertiser targeting criteria available for analysis and reporting on ads run about social issues, elections and politics, we hope to help people better understand the practices used to reach potential voters on our technologies,” Jeff King wrote in a statement posted to Meta’s website. 

The new details could shed more light on how politicians spread misleading or controversial political messages among certain groups of people. Advocacy groups and Democrats, for example, have argued for years that misleading political ads are overwhelming the Facebook feeds of Spanish-speaking populations. 

The information will be showcased in the Facebook ad library, a public database that already shows how much companies, politicians or campaigns spend on each ad they run across Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp. Currently, anyone can see how much a page has spent running an ad and a breakdown of the ages, gender and states or countries an ad is shown in. 

The information will be available across 242 countries when a social issue, political or election ad is run, Meta said in a statement. 

Meta collected $86 billion in revenue during 2020, the last major U.S. election year, thanks in part to its granular ad targeting system. Facebook’s ad system is so customizable that advertisers could target a single user out of billions on the platform, if they wanted. 

Meta said in its announcement Monday that it will provide researchers with new details that show the interest categories advertisers selected when they tried to target people on the platform. 
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Turkey Closes in on Kurdish Militants, Threatening Regional Shake Up

Posted on by SeeEU

Turkey is vowing to crush the presence of the Kurdish militant group PKK in Iraq. The PKK has used neighboring Iraq as the main base in its war for greater minority rights in Turkey. But as the Turkish military closes in on the PKK, analysts warn that the Kurdish group could turn to Iran, with implications across the region, including US forces in Syria. Dorian Jones reports for VOA from Istanbul.
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France’s New Education Minister Sparks Surprise, Controversy 

Posted on by SeeEU

At his swearing-in ceremony, new Education Minister Pap Ndiaye paid tribute to the nation’s teachers, singling out Samuel Paty, killed by an Islamist extremist in 2020.

Ndiaye described himself as a symbol of meritocracy and diversity. Rather than feeling proud, he said, he assumed his new job with a sense of duty and responsibility.

The 57-year-old Ndiaye is a longtime university professor and expert on the history of minorities and rights movements in both France and the United States. Last year, he was tapped to head France’s National Museum of the History of Immigration.

“It was unexpected, obviously, but it was very good news.”

Louis-Georges Tin is a Black rights activist and former head of the Representative Council of Black Associations, or CRAN. He salutes the new education minister.

“He’s a brilliant person,” Tin said. “He’s respected in the academy. He’s done quite a few actions in terms also of the fight against racism in the country.”

While Tin is not alone in praising Ndiaye’s appointment, some right-wing politicians are criticizing it.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who came second in last month’s presidential vote, described Ndiaye’s designation as an alarming signal for the future. She called him a defender of so-called “racialism” and woke-ism, which critics deride as a leftist protest ideology. Other critics describe Ndiaye as anti-police.

Interviewed on French radio, Ndiaye’s sister, award-winning author Marie Ndiaye, said she wasn’t surprised at the criticism — but called it absurd and stupid.

Some observers say the controversy over Ndiaye’s appointment reflects simmering discrimination in France, as the 2020 death of African-American George Floyd in police custody in the United States ignited similar Black rights protests here.

In interviews over the years, Pap Ndiaye has said France is reluctant to fully examine its history of colonialism and slavery. He has praised French police but also said police violence should be discussed.

Activist Louis-Georges Tin said much more needs to be done in teaching French students about discrimination. Tin said he fears Ndiaye’s efforts to change things during his tenure will result in pushback.

“Having a Black minister in France is not new,” Tin said. “And having racist attacks is not new either. It’s always the same story … so that’s why we are in a situation of state racism, systemic racism. People don’t want Black ministers in this country.”

Ndiaye is certainly different from his predecessor, Jean-Michel Blanquer, who criticized both the “Black Lives Matter” movement and so-called woke culture. Education unions, which clashed with Blanquer, have reacted positively to the country’s new education chief.
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Museveni Blames Foreign Powers for High Cost of Living  

Posted on by SeeAF

For the past six months Ugandans have been forced to spend twice as much to afford necessities like fuel and food, among other commodities. Addressing the country Sunday night on how to survive the high cost of living, President Yoweri Museveni noted that Europeans have caused what he called an artificial problem leading to the higher cost of produce.

To this regard, Museveni said it was time to stop depending on who he called “mistake makers” in Europe, the United States and Russia — who have caused the high prices.

“The Russians have blockaded the Ukrainian ports,” Museveni said. “And I hear within the ports there are 25 million tons of wheat, the petroleum, and even the fertilizers. Remember, the fertilizers are also a problem because they are produced by Russia, I hear. If these people, if they are a bit humble. … We need to advise our friends, the bazungu (whites) to please, find other ways of how to solve these problems.”

Museveni argues that cutting taxes on commodities such as fuel, which has a ripple effect on the economy, will only cripple the economy.

Ziana Aigaru, an agriculturalist, disagrees. She said for nearly two years now, sales have been so low and have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. She hopes Museveni will announce a tax cut to help businesses.

“Not only fertilizers by the way, even the herbicides — all have hiked in terms of prices,” Aigaru said. “For example, Bukoola (local agricultural produce manufacturer) is hiking the prices because of the tax that he incurs in importing the chemicals. So, if the taxes are reduced, that means the cost price will reduce.”

As a solution, Museveni asked Ugandans to be frugal in their purchases of imported goods, stop depending on “rainfall agriculture,” increase production and use locally made materials.

However, economist Madina Guloba said the president needs to show by example his own frugality through government expenditures that are not proportionate to government income.

“These industries need produce to continue functioning, especially agro-processing industries,” Guloba said. “So, the moment we increase production but for home, it doesn’t help. Then definitely commodity prices will also still stay high even if global patterns improve. You know, we need to think also (about) jobs. The moment you do all these things, the jobs are going to be lost. So, who are you going to tax in this time?”

Currently, fuel is selling at $1.56 per liter, and the cost is expected to increase.

Museveni said Ugandans will need to be patient until Uganda starts its own oil production in 2025 for prices to go down, which may also decrease the cost of living.
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Biden Meets With Quad Leaders in Tokyo

Posted on by SeeUS

U.S. President Joe Biden is meeting Tuesday with leaders from an informal alliance known as the Quad. Made up of the United States, Japan, India and Australia, the regional grouping is widely seen as an attempt to contain China.

The summit in Tokyo is the leaders’ second in-person meeting in less than a year.

They are expected to discuss a range of issues, including increasing economic cooperation in Asia as well as responding to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said international “food security” would be another topic up for discussion, with India’s decision a week ago to block exports of Indian-produced wheat on top of Russia’s blocking of Ukrainian exports of the grain.

Biden is in Japan as part of his first trip to Asia as president, after traveling to South Korea.

On Monday, Biden launched a new Asia-Pacific trade initiative, with 13 countries signing up, including India, Japan and South Korea.

The Biden administration says the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework is meant to demonstrate U.S. economic engagement in Asia, including greater cooperation on issues such as the supply chain, clean energy and worker protections.

Intervention in Taiwan

In other developments Monday, Biden said the United States would be willing to intervene to defend Taiwan if China were to invade, the latest Biden comment casting doubt on the long-standing U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the matter.

At a news conference in Tokyo, Biden was asked whether the United States was willing to “get involved militarily to defend Taiwan,” considering Washington was reluctant to do so following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Yes. That’s the commitment we made,” Biden said, without elaborating on what a hypothetical U.S. defense of Taiwan would entail.

It is Biden’s latest apparent move away from the approach of “strategic ambiguity” that U.S. presidents have long embraced when talking about a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

In response, China’s Foreign Ministry quickly hit back, saying Beijing has no room for compromise or concessions on matters related to its sovereignty.

Biden made similar remarks in October. In both instances, White House officials quickly attempted to clarify his comments.

“As the president said, our policy has not changed. He reiterated our ‘One China’ policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” a White House official said later Monday.

The U.S. official, though, did not walk back Biden’s comments about coming to the defense of Taiwan.

China, a single-party authoritarian state, views democratic Taiwan as a breakaway province and has long vowed to retake it, by force, if necessary. In recent years, Beijing has also flown an increasing number of warplanes near the island.

In Tokyo, Biden said that China is “flirting with danger,” but that he does not expect China will use force to attempt to take Taiwan, especially if the world stands up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“My expectation is that a lot of it depends on just how strongly the world makes clear that that kind of action is going to result in long-term disapprobation,” Biden said.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was speaking alongside Biden, offered a less direct answer on whether Japan would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan.

However, Kishida said, “Unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, like in Ukraine, should never be tolerated in the Indo-Pacific.”

Kishida said he and Biden had underscored the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Japan has been one of the world’s most outspoken critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden and Kishida repeatedly condemned the invasion in their public comments Monday.

“This is not a European issue. This has global implications. This has implications for East Asia and Indo-Pacific security matters,” Noriyuki Shikata, Japan’s Cabinet secretary for public affairs, told VOA.
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US Stocks Gain Ground Following 7 Straight Weeks of Losses

Posted on by SeeUS

Stocks rallied in afternoon trading on Wall Street Monday, following seven weeks of declines that nearly ended the bull market that began in March 2020. 

The S&P 500 rose 1.8% as of 3:12 p.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 588 points, or 1.9%, to 31,850, and the Nasdaq rose 1.3%. 

Banks made strong gains along with rising bond yields, which they rely on to charge more lucrative interest on loans. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 2.86% from 2.77% late Friday. Bank of America rose 6.3%. 

Technology stocks also did some heavy lifting. Apple rose 3.4% and Microsoft rose 2.7%. The sector has been choppy over the last few weeks and has prompted many of the market’s recent big swings. 

VMware surged 20.8% following a report that chipmaker Broadcom is offering to buy the cloud-computing company. JPMorgan Chase jumped 6.9% after giving investors an encouraging update on its financial forecasts. 

Retailers and some other companies that rely on direct consumer spending lagged the rest of the market. Amazon fell 0.7%. A series of disappointing earnings reports from key retailers last week raised concerns that consumers are tempering spending on a wide range of goods as they get squeezed by rising inflation. 

Lingering concerns about inflation have been weighing on the market and have kept major indexes in a slump. The benchmark S&P 500 is so far experiencing its longest weekly losing streak since the dot-com bubble was deflating in 2001. It came close to falling 20% from its peak earlier this year, which would put the index at the heart of most workers’ 401(k) accounts into a bear market. 

Inflation’s impact on consumers and businesses has been the key worry for markets, along with the Federal Reserve’s attempt to temper that impact by aggressively raising interest rates. Inflation brought on by a big supply and demand disconnect has worsened because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its impact on energy prices. 

Supply chains were further hurt by China’s recent series of lockdowns for several major cities facing rising COVID-19 cases. 

Investors are worried that the central bank could go too far in raising rates or move too quickly, which could stunt economic growth and potentially bring on a recession. On Wednesday, investors will get a more detailed glimpse into the Fed’s decision-making process with the release of minutes from the latest policy-setting meeting. 

Wall Street will also get a few economic updates this week from the Commerce Department. On Thursday, it will release a report on first-quarter gross domestic product, and on Friday, it will release data on personal income and spending for April. 

 
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US ‘Active Shooter’ Incidents Surged in 2021, FBI Says

Posted on by SeeUS

There were 61 “active shooter” incidents in the United States last year, an increase of more than 50% from 2020 and nearly twice as many as five years ago, the FBI reported. 

The shootings left 103 people dead and 140 wounded, excluding the gunmen, the FBI said in an annual report released Monday.

The FBI defines an active shooter as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” 

The report comes nine days after a gunman killed 10 people and wounded three others at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. 

The FBI is investigating the shooting as a hate crime and an act of racially motivated violent extremism. 

The FBI said its active shooter data for the past five years show an “upward trend,” with the number of incidents rising from 40 in 2020 and 30 in 2017. 

The number of casualties recorded last year — 243 — was the third highest over the five-year period, with fatalities posting their highest level since 2017. 

The alarming increase in active shooter incidents has prompted many American schools and other institutions to incorporate drills into their safety preparedness. 

The two active shooter incidents with the highest number of casualties took place at a FedEx operations center in Indianapolis, Indiana, and at a Kroger supermarket in Collierville, Tennessee. 

In the first incident, on April 15, 2022, the gunman killed eight people and wounded seven others before committing suicide. 

In the Kroger supermarket shooting, on Sept. 23, 2021, the gunman shot and killed one person and injured 14 others before turning the gun on himself. 

Among other high-casualty incidents were shootings at a high school in Oxford, Michigan, and a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. 

 
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Ethiopians Displaced by Conflict Say They Have Nothing to Return To

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The violence may have stopped in most parts of Ethiopia’s Afar region, but Afaris forced to leave their homes after Tigrayan forces occupied the region say they cannot return — and it’s not just Tigrayan civilians who are affected by the conflict. Displaced people from the neighboring Afar region say attacks on their towns have left homes and livelihoods utterly destroyed. Linda Givetash reports from Semera, Ethiopia. Camera: Michele Spatari
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Ukraine’s President Asks Davos Global Elite to Help Isolate Russia

Posted on by SeeEU

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told world leaders and business executives at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland Monday that they faced a turning point following Russia’s invasion of his country — and that it was time to ratchet up sanctions against Moscow.

It is the first time world and business leaders have gathered at Davos since January 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic. They now operate in a vastly changed world faced with numerous challenges: the war in Ukraine, economic crises and food shortages.

Maximum sanctions

Dressed not in the business uniform of the Davos elite but in the army fatigues of a wartime leader, Ukraine’s president addressed delegates by video link from Kyiv. He demanded “maximum sanctions” on Russia.

“An embargo on Russian oil, a complete blockade of all Russian banks, without exception. Total abandonment of the Russian IT sector and complete cessation of trade with the aggressor… do not wait for Russia’s use of special weapons, chemical, biological, God forbid, nuclear,” Zelenskyy urged the audience in Davos.

“You need to set a precedent for the complete exit of all foreign businesses from the Russian market so that your brands are not associated with war crimes and that war criminals do not use your offices, accounts, and goods in their bloody interests.”

Ukraine has sent a large delegation to Davos, including the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. “Every one of you has to understand: we are defending you, personally,” Kiltschko said Monday. “We are fighting for values. I hope the same values, democratic values.”

The message from the Ukrainian delegation has been warmly welcomed. But Kyiv’s demands for a complete embargo on Russian energy and trade are far from being met.

Embargo

Several European nations, including Germany, continue to import Russian oil and gas. Hungary is resisting efforts toward a full EU embargo on Russian oil imports.

Germany’s economy minister and vice chancellor, Robert Habeck, urged Hungary to join its EU partners.

“We have to be very careful that we are not applying the same rules for everyone and not seeing the difficult situation some states are in. But saying that, I expect everyone — also Hungary — that they work to find a solution and not saying, ‘OK, we have an exception and then we will lay back and build on our partnership with Putin,’” Habeck said.

Sven Smit, a senior partner with consulting firm McKinsey & Company in the Netherlands and among the delegates at Davos, said isolating Russia would take time. “This is a fight we can’t fully participate in, but we are trying to do our best, I think. You feel a little helpless, if you stand there and see what the Ukrainians have to do for us, to stand for our values and to stand for our lives,” Smit told Reuters.

Food warning

Meanwhile the head of the United Nations’ World Food Program, David Beasley, warned of a global food crisis unless Russia ended its blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

“[Ukraine] grows enough food to feed 400 million people. That’s off the market and the only way you get it back into the market is the ports have to be opened back,” Beasley said Monday.

“It’s going to be a global food crisis. If we don’t get those ports open, you will be talking about a food pricing problem over the next 10 to 12 months, but next year, it’s going to be a food availability problem and that is going to be hell on Earth,” he added.

War crimes

Russian delegates haven’t been invited to the WEF. Instead, the former “Russia House” in Davos has been transformed into what’s been dubbed the “Russian War Crimes House,” depicting alleged atrocities carried out by the Kremlin’s forces.

The exhibition’s curator, Bjorn Geldhof, the artistic director of the PinchukArtCentre in Kyiv, said it was vital that visitors to the Davos summit are reminded of the reality of the war.

“The atrocities that are happening are of such a massive scale that it’s important to speak to everybody about it all the time. And here in Davos, the world’s most powerful people come together, and to them we also have to show who is suffering and why they are suffering,” Geldhof said.
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Artists Flock to Dakar for Biennale

Posted on by SeeAF

One of the most prominent events in the world of contemporary African art is kicking off in the Senegalese capital after a four-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 14th edition of the Dakar Biennale features the work of hundreds of artists from around the world, ranging from immersive installations to costumed performances.

About 100 spectators gathered on Dakar’s ocean walkway as dancers outfitted in traditional West African costumes gyrated to the sound of djembes. One dancer, dressed as a broomstick, twirled about, while another, donning a mythical lion costume, approached those filming on cellphones to offer a roar. Behind them, a young woman covered in mud held still as an artist covers her in powdered pigments.

The event is one of hundreds set to take place in Dakar over the next month.

The official 2022 biennale selection includes 59 artists from some 30 countries, but hundreds of other spaces, both in Dakar and throughout Senegal, are showcasing art. Even restaurants and hotels have converted their walls into miniature museums.

“The Dakar biennale is unique because it brings together the great majority of audio-visual creators from around the African continent and its diaspora,” said Khalifa Dieng, a scenographer for the National Gallery exhibit. The gallery is hosting works by Senegalese painter El Hadji Sy for the event.

Nigerian painter Tyna Adebowale traveled from her home base in the Netherlands to show her work. She completed an artist residency in Dakar and said she was inspired by the sense of community she found.

“I love the creative vibe of Senegal as a whole,” Adebowale said. “There’s no ego, it’s towards one goal, which is art and culture for the sake of the whole country, the community, the people. I love the collective support that I see. It’s a very beautiful spirit, very vibrant. I really admire it.”

The energy at the festival is perhaps more amplified this year as the 2020 event was postponed due to COVID19, making this the first biennale in four years.

This year’s theme is “Ndaffa,” which means to forge out of the fire in Serer, one of the languages spoken in Senegal.

It refers both to the need to recalibrate as we emerge from the pandemic into a new world, as well as to the history of African creation and its influence on contemporary African art.

Lou Mo is one of four official international curators. Her exhibit, “Havana: Forge of the South,” seeks to link Havana with Dakar via shared themes of migration, race and creolization. Dakar, she said, has become one of Africa’s leading art hubs.

“Both with the biennale that’s now 32 years old, to different institutions, different artists,” she said. “And I think there’s definitely an international trend of raising the importance of African art. So, I think there’s many possibilities for Dakar in the future.”

The event will continue through June 21.
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New Dam Could Be Big Boost for Cameroon’s Energy Production

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In the struggle to reduce climate change emissions, hydroelectric power has the potential to fill some of the space currently occupied by oil and gas. In Cameroon, a giant hydroelectric project in Nachtigal could increase the country’s energy production by about 30 percent. Emmanuel Jules Ntap visited the site and filed this report, narrated by Carol Guensburg.
Videographer: Emmanuel Jules Ntap
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