Russia takes control of another village near Bakhmut, Hamas plans surprise

Hungary is determined not to send weapons to Ukraine, Israel's far-right party threatens to leave the government, Sweden hopes Türkiye will do this soon... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom (far left) talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan (far right) on the sidelines of the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Brussels, Belgium on November 28, 2023. (Source: Reuters)

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

* Russia takes control of village on the outskirts of Bakhmut : On November 29, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Russian soldiers had taken control of Khromove in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. The village is located on the western outskirts of Bakhmut, a city Russia took control of last summer. Before the conflict broke out, the population of Khromove was 1,000 people. (Reuters)

* Russia launches Kalibr missiles to attack Ukrainian military infrastructure : On November 29, TASS (Russia) reported that a Black Sea Fleet destroyer fired four Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukrainian military infrastructure: "The crew of the Black Sea Fleet destroyer received an unexpected task to launch an attack with Kalibr cruise missiles in the shortest possible time against the enemy's military infrastructure." It is not clear when the attack took place. (Reuters)

* NATO warns Russia of stockpiling large missile arsenal ahead of winter : On November 29, speaking to reporters after a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-Ukraine Council, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accused Russia of making new efforts to attack Ukraine's power grid and energy infrastructure in order to "try to push the country into a dark and cold situation".

In addition, according to Mr. Stoltenberg, NATO has made recommendations for Ukraine on the path to full membership, including fighting corruption: "The allies agreed that Ukraine will become a NATO member, we have now made recommendations on Ukraine's priority reform programs, including the fight against corruption, strengthening the rule of law and supporting human rights and the rights of national minorities." (Reuters/Sputnik)

* Ukraine reaffirms strategic goals in conflict with Russia : On November 29, on the eve of the NATO-Ukraine Council in Brussels (Belgium), Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated: “The message I bring to the Allies is that we must continue. Ukraine has no intention of backing down. Our strategic goal remains unchanged, which is territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders of 1991. Nothing can stop us.” According to him, this strategic goal is not only Ukraine’s security but also “the security and stability of the entire Euro-Atlantic region.” ( Ukrinform )

* Hungary will never transfer weapons to Ukraine : On November 28, in an interview with CNBC (USA), Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated: “The action we have never taken and will never take is to transfer weapons. We believe that instead of weapons, peace should be brought to this region. The more weapons are transferred, the longer the conflict will last; the longer the conflict lasts, the more people will die. There is a Hungarian community, an important community, living on Ukrainian territory. Hungarians are constantly mobilized into the Ukrainian army. Many of them have died.”

“We should step up our efforts to create peace and find diplomatic solutions,” the Hungarian foreign minister said, stressing the need to keep communication channels open, which was why Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing in October.

Earlier, Mr. Szijjarto stated that NATO foreign ministers admitted at a conference in Brussels (Belgium) that Ukraine's counter-offensive campaign had failed and that the results of this campaign were much worse than expected. (TASS)

* The US and the West firmly support Ukraine : On November 29, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: "Some are asking whether the US and other NATO allies will, in fact, continue to stand with Ukraine as it enters its second winter, the answer here today at NATO is clear and unwavering. We must and will continue to support Ukraine." (AFP)

* An Israeli far-right party threatens to dissolve the government : On November 29, Israeli Minister of National Security and Chairman of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party in the coalition government, Mr. Itamar Ben Gvir said: "Stopping the conflict means collapsing the government."

The party currently holds six seats in parliament and three ministerial posts. However, even as it announced its departure, the ruling coalition has not collapsed, thanks to the recent addition of Benny Gantz's National Unity Party. After the conflict broke out, the party joined the government, with Gantz joining the Unity Cabinet. Last week, three ministers from the Otzma Yehudit Party opposed the ceasefire, but the deal was still approved. (Times of Israel)

* Hamas intends to release Israeli soldiers : On November 29, the Washington Post (USA) quoted a well-informed source from Qatar revealing that the representative of this Islamic movement, currently participating in negotiations in Doha, has expressed the intention to release a number of hostages who are Israeli soldiers and reservists who were kidnapped. Previously, the heads of the Israeli intelligence agency (Mossad) and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) actively coordinated with the Qatari mediator in negotiations with Hamas. Accordingly, there will be at least 5 more hostage exchanges if the parties reach an agreement. However, up to now, there has not been any consensus on this issue.

The five groups of hostages that could be released include those who are past military service age, female soldiers, male reservists, active-duty male soldiers, and the bodies of Israelis who were murdered before being taken to Gaza or died in captivity. According to sources, the number of hostages who fit these criteria is currently more than 100, but the number of such cases is unknown. (Washington Post)

* Turkey welcomes temporary ceasefire in Gaza : On November 29, speaking to the Turkish Parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "We consider the hostage exchange and humanitarian ceasefire as positive developments related to the goal of ending the bloodshed." He pledged that Ankara would step up diplomatic efforts to realize the ceasefire and comprehensive hostage exchange in the coming days. (Reuters/TTXVN)

* G7 foreign ministers support extension of ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza Strip : In a joint statement on November 28, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) leading developed economies stated: “Every effort must be made to ensure humanitarian assistance to the people… We support the extension of the current ceasefire and future ceasefires as it is necessary to facilitate increased assistance and release all hostages.” The statement also welcomed the release of several hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, when the force attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people. (Reuters)

* China calls for comprehensive and lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira on November 29. Wang said the two countries should strive to reach a new consensus in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and push for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the release of prisoners and a return to the two-state solution as the fundamental issue of the Palestine-Israel conflict.

For his part, Vieira said Brazil agrees with China's position. The diplomat stressed that the temporary ceasefire should be extended first, and ultimately, peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel should be achieved through a two-state solution. The Brazilian foreign minister said that Brasilia is ready to work closely with Beijing to push the UN Security Council to take new actions and present a unified and clear view on the situation. (Xinhua)

* The focus of the US Secretary of State's visit to Israel: On November 29, speaking after the NATO conference in Brussels (Belgium), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated: "In the next few days, we will focus on doing what we can to extend the pause in the conflict to continue to free more hostages and provide more humanitarian assistance." According to him, this is also the goal that Israel wants.

The US Secretary of State will make his third trip to the Middle East since the Hamas-Israel conflict erupted. He will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. (AFP/Reuters)

Southeast Asia

* China hopes the situation in Myanmar will stabilize soon : On November 29, at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated: "China and Myanmar are two friendly neighbors. China has always respected Myanmar's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We sincerely hope that the situation in Myanmar will stabilize and the country will develop." According to the diplomat, any action that harms the China-Myanmar friendship will not be popular or successful. (Sputnik)

Northeast Asia

* China arranges for Japanese officials to visit detained citizens : On November 29, at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin confirmed: "The Chinese side has arranged for officials from the Japanese Embassy in China to conduct consular visits to relevant parties... China, as a country governed by the rule of law, has handled the case in accordance with the law, and protected the legitimate rights and interests of the individuals involved." However, he did not specify the identity of this person.

In late October, Japan said China had formally arrested a Japanese businessman working for pharmaceutical giant Astellas Pharma who had been detained since March on suspicion of spying. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sought the quick release of the man during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in early November. On November 28, Japanese Ambassador to China Tarumi Hideo met for the first time with the businessman. (Reuters)

* Russia warns Poland over plans to send troops to Finnish border : On November 29, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov affirmed that Poland's plan to close the border to ensure border security is completely unnecessary. According to him, there is no threat in the border area and there is no tension in reality. The Kremlin spokesman also warned that tension could arise when concentrating more units on the border of the two countries because Finland must be aware that such a move would pose a threat to Russia. According to him, the deployment of troops according to the above plan is unprovoked and unjustified.

Earlier this week, Poland's National Security Director Jacek Ciewiera said Warsaw planned to accept Helsinki's request to deploy troops near Finland's border with Russia. The Nordic country has closed its border with Russia after a sudden wave of migrants that Helsinki accused Moscow of orchestrating. Russia has denied the accusation. (VNA)

* Conflict in the Middle East increases the risk of terrorism in Germany : On November 29, Chairman of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) Thomas Haldenwang commented: "We see jihadists calling for attacks and calling on (terrorist organizations) Al-Qaeda and IS to continue to participate in the current conflict in the Middle East." He noted that German authorities have increased security for Jewish organizations as well as major events of the Jewish community in Germany.

According to the official, anti-Semitism and hostility towards Israel are uniting left- and right-wing extremists in Germany and Turkey, as well as supporters of Palestinian extremist organizations. The image of the “common enemy Israel” creates links between some of these entities. (AFP/VNA)

* Sweden hopes Turkey will soon ratify NATO application : On November 29, speaking at the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Brussels (Belgium), Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom shared: "I had a bilateral meeting with my colleague, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. At the meeting, he expressed hope that the ratification process will take place in the coming weeks... We expect this process to be completed and no new conditions will be imposed... no new requirements from the Turkish Government". Previously, on November 28, Mr. Fidan said that the ratification process of Sweden's application is being fully implemented by Turkey and could be completed before the end of 2023.

Turkey and Hungary are the two remaining NATO members that have not ratified Sweden's accession protocol 18 months after Stockholm submitted its application. (AFP)

* The Pentagon does not have enough funds to increase its forces in the Middle East : On November 28, Politico (USA) commented that in the context of the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict, the Pentagon ordered the mobilization of an additional aircraft carrier strike group, air defense systems, fighter jets and hundreds of US troops to the region.

However, the failure of the US Congress to agree on funding for this year has left the Pentagon “without enough money to pay for the increased force presence” in the Middle East. Currently, the US Department of Defense has only a limited amount of money allocated under the previous fiscal year’s budget, while the current fiscal year’s permanent budget has not yet been approved.

US military spokesman Chris Sherwood stressed that the situation in the Middle East requires “measures of an extraordinary nature”. Therefore, the Pentagon has had to re-adjust funding from other areas of spending, cutting funding for preparation, deployment and training. “For this reason, some US Department of Defense programs may be reduced or canceled,” Sherwood said. (Sputnik)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-2911-nga-kiem-soat-them-lang-gan-bakhmut-hamas-co-y-dinh-bat-ngo-251950.html