Brief #160 – Foreign Policy
By Abran C
President Biden hosted a US-Africa summit last week with 49 African leaders in Washington DC. It is the first such gathering in eight years, it comes after a strenuous time with African leaders’ relationships with former president Trump’s who alienated many leaders with controversial policy decisions and insulting comments. Africa, a continent with 1.2 billion people, only accounts for just over 1% of US foreign trade.
Brief #159 – Foreign Policy
By Abran C
The US military has announced that it would be expanding its training of Ukrainian military personnel in Germany. Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said the new training would include approximately 500 Ukrainians per month and would not require any increase in US troop deployments to Europe. Additionally, this week the US also announced it would send the Patriot air defence system to Ukraine, something Ukrainian President Zelensky has sought out for some time.
Brief #158 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
The tournament is set for an intriguing and compelling final few matches. The last time a South American nation won the World Cup was Brazil in 2002; and the last time Argentina has won a World Cup was 1986. Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi will lead his team into their semi-final match tomorrow against Croatia, a team that has never won the World Cup, but finished in second place in the last World Cup hosted in Moscow in 2018.
Brief #157 – Foreign Policy
By Abran C
Deadly missile strikes in Ukraine have made headlines in recent days for the widespread destruction and chaos being generated through their use. Last week a missile strike killed two civilians in Poland’s eastern region near its border with Ukraine.
The missiles were at first thought to have been fired by Russian forces, which would have indicated a Russian attack on a NATO member state. The situation created such panic that an emergency NATO roundtable was held on the sidelines of the G20 summit to address the attack.
Brief #156 – Foreign Policy
By Yelena Korshunov
In September 2022, the deputies of the St. Petersburg municipal district Smolninskoye turned to the State Duma (Congress) with a proposal to dismiss president Vladimir Putin and additionally accuse him of treason for the violent war in Ukraine. Within a week, the deputies were accused of “discrediting the army” and fined, and the court launched a procedure for the dissolution of the municipal council.
Brief #155 – Foreign Policy
By Abran C
After 260 days of war, the fighting in Ukraine is still raging as firece as ever, yet Ukranian forces have made more gains in recent weeks than they had in the first months of the war. Russia on Wednesday ordered its forces to withdraw from the city of Kherson, the only regional capital captured by Russian forces since the invasion began back in February. The withdrawal of Russian forces from the city signals another blow to the Kremlin’s efforts in Ukraine.
Brief #154 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
WNBA star Britney Griner is one of several American citizens wrongfully detained in Russia. Her arrest took place within about one week of the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine. She was arrested on trumped up charges of ‘drug smuggling’ while traveling to Russia to play on a team during the WNBA off-season. She was convicted of drug smuggling, due to her carrying a small amount of cannabis oil into Russia, which she was prescribed by her doctor in the United States.
Brief #153 – Foreign Policy
By Inijah Quadri
Trade sanctions on the US imposed by China, in the last several years, are a reflection of Beijing’s desire to respond to similar sanctions imposed by America. In particular Chinese sanctions are a reaction to the effects of the trade war that the United States exacerbated during Trump’s presidency.
Brief #153 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
The World Anti-Doping Agency, known as WADA, is the overseer of the sporting world’s rules on banned substances for athletes. Recently, they updated their rules to continue to ban marijuana-based drugs (containing THC), and added a new drug to the list, tramadol; an opiate painkiller used often in cycling.
Brief #152 – Foreign Policy
By Abran C
At nearly eight months of war the threat of nuclear weapons continues to grow. Putin has repeatedly threatened that use of nuclear weapons was a possibility should he deem their use necessary. On October 13, 2022 EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that Russia’s army would be “annihilated” by the West’s military response if Vladimir Putin used nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
Brief #151 – Foreign Policy
By Abran C
Russia’s President Vladamir Putin on September 30, 2022 signed accession treaties formalizing the annexation of four occupied regions that make up 15% (at least 40,000 square miles ) of Ukraine’s territory.
Brief #150 – Foreign Policy
By Yelena Korshunov
On September 21, Russia’s president Putin announced the start of “partial mobilization” in Russia. He signed a law amending the Criminal Code, according to which the Russian Federation introduces punishment for voluntary surrender and desertion during the period of mobilization and refusal to participate in hostilities.
Violators face punishment of up to 10 years in prison for voluntary surrender and up to 15 years in prison for desertion.