Russia also plans to counterattack Ukraine? Kiev demands to sue Moscow over Kakhovka dam collapse; US makes Israel unhappy

The developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation surrounding the Kakhovka dam collapse, the US Vice President's statement regarding the Israeli judiciary, China's reaction to the news that the US Secretary of State is about to visit Beijing... are some of the notable international events.

Flooding in Kherson, Ukraine, on June 7, after the Kakhovka dam burst. (Source: AP)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights:

Russia-Ukraine

* Russia needs to launch a counterattack against Ukraine as Kiev appears to have launched a similar action, according to Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev on June 7.

"The enemy has long promised a major counterattack. And it seems that Ukraine has started something. We must stop the enemy and then launch an attack," Medvedev said in a Telegram post. (Reuters)

* Russia wants investigation, Ukraine demands lawsuit over Kakhovka dam collapse: On June 7, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Kakhovka dam collapse should become the subject of a worldwide study and investigation.

Referring to the reaction from the West when blaming Russia for the incident and condemning it, the Russian diplomat said: "Their reaction in any such situation is 100% predictable. It is an endless desire to blame Russia for everything that happens, regardless of whether it really happened or was just imaginary."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country plans to sue Russia at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague over the Kakhovka dam collapse as both sides accuse each other of causing the incident.

So far, Ukraine's Emergency Situations Service said it had rescued "more than 1,450 people" on the country's side of the Dnipro River, while Russian-appointed official Tatyana Kuzmich said 1,274 people had been evacuated on the other side.

* China is deeply concerned about the dam destruction in Ukraine, worrying that the incident will "affect human life, the economy and ecology".

"The destruction of one of the largest reservoirs in Ukraine was completely intentional... Hundreds of thousands of people have been left without drinking water," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

Earlier, Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Zhang Jun called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint in both words and actions that could further escalate the situation following the explosion that destroyed the Kakhovka Dam, warning that in the event of a nuclear disaster, no one would be immune.

The UN described it as “another devastating humanitarian, economic and ecological consequence” of the conflict, with at least 16,000 people displaced – putting the supply of clean and safe water at risk for thousands more. (AFP)

* Ukraine may have to adjust its counterattack plan: On June 6, Ukrainian sources said that a meeting was held in Kiev to discuss changing the form of the counterattack due to new developments from the Kakhovka reservoir dam explosion.

This is mainly related to the aim of capturing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) during the counter-offensive. Control of the Zaporizhzhia NPP plays a major role in the VSU counter-offensive, which will allow Ukraine to make claims to Russia.

To capture the plant, the VSU would conduct an amphibious operation and cross the Dnieper River, including underwater using diving equipment, however the rapidly drying Kakhovka Reservoir made such an operation impossible.

However, on the same day, Ukrainian President Zelensky emphasized that the dam explosion "does not affect the ability to liberate Ukrainian territories".

The Ukrainian leader said he had spoken with Ukraine's top military commanders and that the country's army was at its highest state of combat readiness. (AFP)

* B9 group sets conditions for peace in Ukraine: On June 6, leaders of 9 Central-Eastern European and Baltic countries, namely Czech, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, held the Bucharest 9 (B9) summit in the capital Bratislava (Slovakia).

The conference issued a joint statement affirming: "Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity is the only path to peace."

The B9 heads of state all stressed "firm support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders", considering it "the only way to restore peace and rules-based order in Europe", and demanded "unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops". (The Budapest Times)

Europe

* Negotiations on the Black Sea grain export agreement will take place on June 9 in Geneva, Switzerland, according to Russia's RIA news agency on June 7.

The RIA news agency reported that the UN's top trade official, Rebeca Grynspan, is expected to attend the talks. The agreement was initially set to run for 120 days, with a 120-day extension until November 2022. On March 13, Russia agreed to extend the agreement by 60 days, until May 18.

Following talks between delegations from Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on May 17 that the deal had been extended for two months, starting from May 18. (Reuters)

* The culprit of the Nord Stream pipeline explosion: On June 6, the Washington Post cited leaked information online saying that 3 months before the Nord Stream gas pipeline was bombed, the US had intelligence about a detailed plan that a group of 6 people from the Ukrainian special forces intended to do this.

On June 7, the Russian Embassy in the US said that the above information was part of a coordinated Western plot led by Washington to "fabricate different hypotheses and versions" to confuse the world about the truth.

Asia

* US Vice President makes Israel unhappy: On June 6, US Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated her call for Israel to ensure the independence of the judiciary, following large protests against changes pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Our two countries’ values ​​are built on strong institutions, checks and balances, and an independent judiciary… Today, under President Biden’s leadership, America has an unbreakable bond with the State of Israel,” she said.

In addition, the US Vice President affirmed that Washington will continue to support the values ​​that are the foundation of the US-Israel relationship, "including continuing to strengthen our democracy."

Responding to the above statement, on June 7, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said that Ms. Harris had not even read the Israeli Judicial Reform Bill, and said: "If you ask her what she is unhappy about in the reform, she will not be able to name a single provision." (AFP, Times of Israel)

* Israel threatens Hezbollah, warns of cutting ties with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs : On June 6, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant threatened to bomb Hezbollah back to the "Stone Age" if the armed movement "makes a mistake" and "starts a war against the Jewish State".

Referring to Hezbollah's many new weapons, the Israeli official stated: "For such developments, we will have an even stronger response from the air, sea and land, as well as through other offensive and defensive means."

The head of the Israeli Defense Ministry also affirmed: “Our army is excellent… We will know how to protect the people of Israel by delivering a decisive blow to our enemies.”

On the same day, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said that the country could cut ties with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) if the Jewish state is blacklisted for its treatment of Palestinian children. (Times of Israel)

* US Secretary of State to visit, China refuses to comment: On June 6, Bloomberg quoted sources as saying that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Beijing to interact with top Chinese officials and may even meet President Xi Jinping.

On June 7, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin neither confirmed nor denied the news, stating: "I do not have any information to share with you on this matter."

Secretary of State Blinken was originally scheduled to visit Beijing in February, but the trip was canceled after the Pentagon detected a Chinese balloon flying through US airspace.

* South Korea announced its National Security Strategy on June 7, consisting of 107 pages in Korean and 150 pages in English, presenting the current administration's policies on foreign affairs and defense, outlining goals to realize the vision of a "globally important country."

The policies were made in the context of a rapidly changing security environment, characterized by North Korea's growing nuclear capabilities, intensifying US-China strategic competition, and the emergence of new security issues, such as supply chain instability and global climate change.

The key to securing the country's future lies in crafting a national security strategy that can anticipate changing trends and optimize the interests of the nation and its people, the South Korean president said. (Yonhap)

* Iran officially reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia on June 6, after 7 years of severed relations and tense confrontation between the two neighboring countries.

At a ceremony in the embassy grounds attended by dozens of Iranian officials, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister in charge of consular affairs Alireza Bikdeli said: "Today is an important day in the relations between the two countries... Diplomacy is the best means for countries to communicate and dialogue to reach common understanding." (Reuters)

America

* US strives to mend relations with Saudi Arabia: On June 6, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Saudi Arabia to strengthen relations with its traditional ally in the Gulf, in the context of Riyadh's tendency to promote relations with Washington's rivals in the region.

Early on June 7, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had an "open and frank" discussion on a range of bilateral issues, from the possibility of normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, to Yemen, Sudan and human rights issues, a US official said.

The US official assessed that at this nearly 2-hour meeting, the two sides "agreed on potential initiatives related to common interests, while acknowledging areas of disagreement."

The two sides also discussed economic cooperation, especially in the fields of technology and clean energy. (Reuters)

Africa

* Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi will visit three African countries , Angola, Zambia and Mozambique, starting from June 6 to strengthen relations with these countries as well as promote economic integration at the continental level.

During the visits, President El-Sisi will meet with the leaders of the three countries to discuss promoting African common working frameworks as well as addressing various regional issues and matters of mutual concern.

As expected, in Zambia, Mr. El-Sisi will join the heads of state of the remaining 20 member states to attend the 22nd Summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on June 8. (African Business)

* Rival parties resume talks, Sudanese army confident in results: On June 6, Al Arabiya TV reported that warring factions in Sudan began to resume ceasefire talks sponsored by Saudi Arabia and the US, amid continuing clashes in the capital Khartoum.

A Saudi-owned television channel confirmed that the two warring sides in Sudan have agreed to indirect negotiations, but did not provide details.

On the same day, Sudanese Armed Forces Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan reaffirmed his belief that the negotiations in Saudi Arabia, under the auspices of the United States, will help achieve lasting peace for this African country.

General Al-Burhan stressed that for the negotiations to be successful, the opposing side needs to commit to withdrawing from hospitals, service centers and civilian buildings, as well as evacuating the wounded and opening passages for the transport of humanitarian aid.

Oceania

Fijian Prime Minister visits New Zealand after 25 years: On June 6, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka officially visited New Zealand from June 5, after more than a quarter of a century.

In his Fijian counterpart in Wellington on June 7, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins affirmed: "The two countries are bound by a close relationship forged in our culture, identity and interests in the Pacific, based on our long history, friendship and mutual respect."

The two leaders exchanged views on a wide range of issues important to their countries and the region, including strengthening regional institutions that have long served the interests of the Pacific region, as well as economic and security issues affecting the region.

Mr Hipkins also announced an additional NZ$11.1 million ($6.74 million) to support Fiji’s response to the impacts of climate change. The additional funding will support Fiji’s community-based climate mitigation and adaptation projects.

For his part, the Fijian Prime Minister said the visit marked an important milestone in Wellington-Suva relations, clearly demonstrating the commitment to enhancing the way the two sides cooperate.

According to Mr. Rabuka, Fiji and New Zealand are finalizing a defense agreement to strengthen the commitment between the two militaries to help each other become stronger, focusing on regionalism for peace and Pacific priorities.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-76-nga-cung-tinh-phan-cong-ukraine-kiev-doi-kien-moscow-vu-vo-dap-kakhovka-my-khien-israel-khong-vui-230083.html