Russia pushes back Ukrainian troops in Donetsk, Israel-Hamas deal faces hurdles

Cambodia-Japan strengthen cooperation, China is ready to do this with Singapore, Iran's Foreign Minister visits Lebanon... are some notable world news in the past 24 hours.

Leaders of CSTO countries in Minsk, Belarus on November 23, 2023. (Source: AFP)

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

* Russia repels Ukrainian troops in Donetsk : On November 23, in a video posted on the website of the Russian Defense Ministry, the spokesman for the Russian Vostok Combat Group, Mr. Oleg Chekhov, said: “In the southern direction of Donetsk, units of the Eastern Combat Group supported by military aircraft and artillery fire stopped the enemy's attack attempt near Priyutnoye. They neutralized the assault group of the 127th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU)”.

In addition, the official added that combat/tactical aircraft, missile and artillery units of the combat group carried out attacks on the forces and military equipment of the 72nd mechanized brigade of the VSU near Novomikhailovka, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). The Ukrainian side lost 2 armored fighting vehicles, 2 motor vehicles and about 60 soldiers. (TASS)

* Russia convicts Ukrainian citizen of attempted bomb attack : A military court in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on November 23 found Ukrainian Dmitri Golubev guilty of multiple charges of “international terrorism” in connection with an explosion and two attempted bomb attacks in Melitopol last August. Prosecutors said he planted an explosive device at the entrance to the regional traffic police headquarters, damaging the building.

According to them, Mr Golubev was recruited by the Ukrainian secret service, which trained him in how to make and detonate explosive devices and supplied him with the materials. The Kommersant newspaper (Russia) said Mr Golubev admitted to planting the explosives but denied the accusation of “international terrorism”. The Russian security service (FSB) also foiled two other bombings. One targeted a government building in Melitopol and the other was planted along a route used by Russian officials. Neither incident caused any casualties. (AFP)

* Ukraine announces power shortage : On November 23, on social networks, the power grid operator Ukrenergo said: "Electricity consumption continues to increase and the energy system is experiencing a shortage of supply." According to the company, 409 residential areas in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkov and Kherson regions are currently without electricity.

Ukrenergo also said that energy consumption had recently increased due to lower temperatures, putting an additional burden on production facilities that need maintenance and repairs: “The situation remains difficult: some areas of the thermal power plant are being repaired and the power system is lacking power.” On November 22, the company called on Romania, Slovakia and Poland for “urgent assistance” to increase supplies. (Reuters)

* Ukraine welcomes Western air defense “ alliance ” : On November 23, in his night speech, President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Thank you to all the countries that are taking part in this effort to help our cities and villages be better protected from Russian attacks. Not everything can be disclosed publicly at this time, but Ukraine’s air defense shield is getting stronger every month.”

He has long argued that improving air defenses is key to keeping Ukrainian cities safe from Russian airstrikes, including energy infrastructure, as cold weather continues to bite.

Meanwhile, Minister Umerov noted that other support has been agreed by the parties, including the German air defense package announced this week during a visit to Kiev by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. There is also a Dutch funding package and Estonian funding for information technology support.

Earlier in the day, at a virtual meeting of the “Ramstein Group” to consider Ukraine’s military needs, Ukraine’s Western allies formed a 20-nation “coalition” to strengthen air defenses, seen as a key element in Ukraine’s campaign against Russian forces. The German Defense Ministry announced the group on social network X , with Berlin and Paris taking the lead roles. (Reuters)

* Israel delays ceasefire : A Jewish state official said on the morning of November 22 that clashes between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas in Gaza will not stop “before November 24,” after the hostage release agreement was also delayed by a day. Specifically, according to another Israeli source, the clashes will “not stop.” delaying the ceasefire, which was expected to begin at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Meanwhile, Israel's Kan radio station quoted a source as saying that Mossad chief David Barnea traveled to Qatar on November 22, where he was informed that Hamas wanted to change the draft agreement. "Qatar has informed us that Hamas has not signed the agreement. They seem to be still discussing the issue," an unnamed Israeli official said.

Meanwhile, sources noted that the deal could not be implemented for at least the next 24 hours as neither Qatar nor Hamas had signed the formal agreement. (Reuters/TASS)

* Israel intercepts cruise missile : On the afternoon of November 22, the IDF dispatched fighter jets to successfully intercept a cruise missile launched into southern Israel. Earlier, the Internal Defense Command had issued a warning about “hostile aircraft” invading the airspace of the Eilat resort in the Red Sea. The warning was later lifted and the IDF confirmed that no infiltration was detected. (Times of Israel)

* Israel re-enacts full-scale conflict with Hezbollah: On November 22, speaking at a press conference, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen stated: “The attacks by Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy force, could lead to conflict in Lebanon. The Israeli government does not want to open a new front, but it cannot continue to tolerate such attacks. It is the responsibility of the international community to fully implement Resolution 1701 to prevent conflict from breaking out in Lebanon.”

Earlier, on November 21, he sent a similar warning to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), calling on the body to implement Resolution 1701 to avoid such a situation. This resolution, adopted by the UNSC in 2006, calls for the disarming of all militias in Lebanon, referring to Hezbollah. However, so far, this resolution has not been implemented. (Jerusalem Post)

* Palestine : Israel causes serious casualties in the northern Gaza Strip : On November 22, speaking on the sidelines of the Arab and Muslim foreign ministers' conference in London, England, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said: "This morning, all 52 members of the Qadoura family in Jabaliya were killed... I have a list of 52 people. They all died, from the elderly to the children." (Reuters)

* Houthis may continue to attack Israeli ships: On November 22, a military spokesman for the Houthi movement in Yemen emphasized: “Our actions will target ships flying the Israeli flag, operated by Israeli companies or owned by Israelis. We call on other ships in the Red Sea to avoid approaching Israeli ships and not to turn off their navigation devices. We will continue to act against Israeli interests and vessels as long as the conflict in the Gaza Strip does not end.”

On the same day, the commander of the Houthi navy, General Muhammad Fadel Abd al-Nabi, visited the Galaxy Leader ship with representatives from the army and the governor of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida. The Houthis had previously seized the ship in the Red Sea, claiming it was owned by Israel. Speaking here, General al-Nabi stated: "True Muslims call for good treatment of the captives, respect for their religion and nationality." Previously, the Jewish state denied owning or having Israelis on board the ship at that time. (Reuters)

* US asks Israel to expand humanitarian measures in Gaza : On November 22, the US reportedly asked Israel to establish safe zones and increase fuel and medicine supplies to the Gaza Strip. The country, along with Qatar, also called on Israel to consider extending the four-day ceasefire if Hamas releases more than 50 hostages. Previously, according to the agreement with Israel, Hamas confirmed that it would release 50 women, children and teenagers under 19 years old held hostage in the Gaza Strip in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children under 19 years old from Israeli prisons. (New York Times)

* Kremlin downplays pressure from the US: On November 23, speaking at a press conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized: “As for pressure from the US, time has repeatedly proven that it is completely meaningless - we stand firm on our position, on our path. Mr. Peskov also reiterated President Vladimir Putin's statement that Russia has never refused to negotiate with Ukraine. The Kremlin spokesman affirmed: “And if we are talking about pressure, it is they who are under pressure.”

He also pointed out that “there are certainly certain nuances in China’s position on Ukraine… We are aware of these nuances. Our Chinese friends speak openly about their positions. But we are united with China by the absolute ideological similarity in views on global issues, views on the impossibility of taking orders on global issues, the impossibility of mutual disrespect. Here, we speak on the basis of a common position. This is a guarantee that strategically we act in unison with China.” (TASS)

Southeast Asia

* Cambodia hopes to boost relations with Japan : On November 23, the Khmer Times (Cambodia) reported that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will hold bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio next December, when he makes his first official visit to Japan since taking office in August.

The statement was made at the inauguration ceremony of National Highway 5 from Prek Kdam to Battambang province and the groundbreaking ceremony for the road from Serei Sophorn to Poipet city, Banteay Meanchey province on November 22. The leader said: “During my visit to Japan to attend the ASEAN-Japan Summit in December, I hope that the two sides will have more bilateral talks to further promote comprehensive strategic relations. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Cambodia-Japan diplomatic relations. In December 2013, the two sides upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership. Former Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio decided that 2023 would be a special year to promote bilateral relations to become a comprehensive strategic partnership.”

For his part, speaking at the event, Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia Atsushi Ueno expressed his satisfaction with the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Manet. He stated that Japan is ready to cooperate with Cambodia. At the same time, Tokyo wishes to work closely with Phnom Penh to implement initiatives that benefit both countries, focusing on the strategic goals of the Southeast Asian nation. (Khmer Times)

Northeast Asia

* China is ready to take relations with Singapore to a “ higher level ”: On November 22, in a phone call with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan, Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized that bilateral cooperation has maintained “strong momentum”: “China is willing to cooperate with Singapore to create more favorable conditions for resuming personnel exchanges between the two sides to make up for the losses caused by the pandemic that has lasted for the past three years.”

For its part, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the two sides reaffirmed their "long-standing and substantive" relationship and wished to enhance people-to-people exchanges.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including the situation in the Middle East. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan welcomed the “intention to improve” US-China relations after the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden. He stressed: “The Sino-US relationship is of vital importance to the world. A decoupling between China and the US will have a negative and serious impact on the world.” (SCMP)

* Russia outlines agenda of CSTO summit : On November 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Minsk (Belarus) to attend the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

According to the Kremlin, the agenda includes “further improvement of the collective security system, as well as current international and regional issues.” In addition to Putin, the CSTO Council session is expected to be attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan leader Sadyr Japarov and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon. The meeting will be chaired by Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, which holds the CSTO presidency this year.

Ahead of the top-level meeting, Minsk hosted a meeting of top diplomats, military and security officials from CSTO member states to discuss current political and military changes in the region. (TASS)

* Czech Republic: NATO is preparing for high-intensity conflict in Europe: On November 23, Czech President Petr Pavel announced that all member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including his country, consider Russia to be the biggest military threat. This means that it is necessary to prepare for a conflict, under realistic conditions. All NATO forces are preparing for a possible high-intensity conflict in Europe. He also affirmed that NATO does not want that to happen, emphasizing that predictions of such a conflict are a realistic warning, but not something that "will definitely happen".

The day before, the heads of state of the Visegrad Group (also known as the V4 or the European Quartet), a cultural and political alliance comprising the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, gathered at Prague Castle. There, they discussed the most pressing international issues of the day, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the future of the European Union (EU). (VNA)

* Turkey in talks with EU to buy Eurofighter jets : Ankara has been in talks with European countries about buying 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets after seeing that its offer to buy F-16 jets from the US may not be successful, a source from the country's Defense Ministry said on November 23. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler is expected to hold talks on the issue with his British counterpart Grant Shapps in Ankara on November 23. Mr. Guler added that Turkey wants to buy the latest and most advanced version of the Eurofighter.

On November 16, he said he would negotiate with Spain and Britain to buy the Typhoon, although Germany is said to be opposed to the idea. Italy, the fourth partner in the Eurofighter program, has yet to comment on the matter. (Reuters)

* Cuba: General Raul Castro receives Russian Interior Minister : On November 22, General Raul Castro received Russian Interior Minister Vladimir A. Kolokoltsev. Both reaffirmed “excellent relations and a high level of political dialogue”.

On the same day, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel also received Mr. Kolokoltsev. At the Palace of the Revolution in Havana, the Cuban President highlighted the historic ties that bind the two countries. He stressed that the visit of the Russian Interior Minister “marks a trend of strengthening, consolidating and expanding” relations. Earlier, Cuban Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas held talks with his Russian counterpart.

Minister Kolokoltsev has been visiting Cuba since November 20. Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said Kolokoltsev was in the Caribbean island to discuss issues related to cooperation between the two countries' police forces. (La Prensa Latina)

Middle East-Africa

* Iranian Foreign Minister Meets Hezbollah Leader : On November 23, Hezbollah said that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with leader Hassan Nasrallah. In a statement, Hezbollah said that Mr. Amir-Abdollahian and Mr. Nasrallah “reviewed the latest developments in Palestine, Lebanon and the region, as well as... efforts to end Israel's actions against the Gaza Strip.”

Responding to Al - Mayadeen (Lebanon), Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian said that if the ceasefire agreement to exchange Israel-Hamas hostages is violated, the regional situation will change and this conflict will spread.

He also said that part of the reason for Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 was due to the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet. He also said that the US suffered "bad consequences" for continuously protecting Israel. He also said that part of the reason for Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 was due to the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet. He also said that the US suffered "bad consequences" for continuously protecting Israel. (AFP/TASS)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-2311-nga-day-lui-quan-ukraine-o-donetsk-thoa-thuan-israel-hamas-gap-rao-can-251163.html