Russian Foreign Minister visits China, Israel denies ceasefire information

Mr. Putin stated conditions for negotiations with Ukraine, Israel criticized Colombia's statement... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov holds talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on October 16. (Source: Russian Foreign Ministry)

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

* Mr. Putin stated the conditions for negotiations with Ukraine: On October 16, in an interview with CCTV (China), Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized: "The President of Ukraine has issued a decree prohibiting negotiations with us... How can you negotiate if they don't want to and even if they have issued a document prohibiting these negotiations?"

In addition, President Putin said that the mistakes in Ukraine in 2014 should be corrected not through military action, but through democratic procedures, but the West carried out military action through Kiev. “The clashes began in Ukraine not because of our military action, but much earlier – in 2014, when the Western countries that acted as guarantors of the agreements between (Ukrainian) President Viktor) Yanukovich and the opposition literally forgot their guarantees a few days later. They pushed for the coup d'etat (in Ukraine),” the leader said.

Regarding China's proposals on Ukraine, the Russian president "appreciated these proposals...they are quite realistic. In any case, they can be the basis for a peace agreement." (Sputnik/Xinhua)

* Russia: Ukrainian army suffers heavy losses in Kupyansk : On October 16, the head of the press center of the Western Group of Forces of the Russian Armed Forces (VSRF), Sergei Zybinsky, said that in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (VSU) had lost "2 companies, 1 tank, 2 armored fighting vehicles, 2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 2 pickup trucks". According to this official, the artillery of the Western Group of Forces also destroyed a 152 mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled gun during counter-fire.

In addition, he said that in Kupyansk, Su-34 fighter-bombers of the Western Group of Forces attacked temporary deployment points and strongholds of units of the 40th, 43rd and 115th Mechanized Brigades. Airstrikes also targeted the 95th Ukrainian Air Assault Brigade in the populated areas of Golubovka, Kulagovka, Petropavlovka and Kupyansk-Uzlovoy. (TASS)

* The US explains the reason for supporting Ukraine : On October 15, in an interview with CBS (USA), US President Joe Biden affirmed that one of his goals in Ukraine is to prevent his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin from controlling "an independent country bordering NATO allies and Russia". He stated: "We want to ensure that those democracies are maintained. And Ukraine plays an important role in ensuring that happens".

On the same day, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen may present specific proposals for tapping the proceeds from Russia's fixed assets at meetings with EU finance ministers during her visit to Luxembourg this week. (TASS)

* Israel rejects ceasefire agreement in Gaza : On October 16, a statement from the Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: "Currently there is no ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza in exchange for the removal of foreigners."

Earlier, two Egyptian security sources said the US, Israel and Egypt had agreed on a ceasefire in southern Gaza from 06:00 GMT (13:00 Vietnam time) and lasting five hours, along with the reopening of the Rafah border crossing to provide humanitarian aid to the enclave and allow foreigners to leave Gaza. (Reuters)

* Israel evacuates villagers near Lebanon border , lists number of people held by Hamas: On October 16, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had activated a plan to evacuate residents of 28 villages within 2 km of the Lebanese border, following clashes with Hezbollah in parallel with the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip.

One of the villages included in the evacuation plan is Shtula, which was the target of a Hezbollah missile attack on October 15, killing one civilian.

In related news, residents of the city of Metulla near the border with Lebanon have been ordered to stay indoors due to the risk of armed infiltration from across the border. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have not commented on this information.

On the same day, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that after the October 7 attack, Hamas had brought 199 people, including Israeli citizens and foreigners, to the Gaza Strip. He said that rescuing the hostages was Israel's top priority. The IDF and other agencies were working to bring them back. Previously, Israel announced that 155 hostages were being held by Hamas.

At the same time, Rear Admiral Hagari accused Iran of directing Hezbollah to carry out attacks in the north of the Jewish state to distract and reduce the IDF's attack on the Islamic movement's facilities on the southern front. The official also rejected a ceasefire with Hamas in southern Gaza.

To date, at least 1,400 people have been killed in Hamas' attacks on Israel and another 2,750 have been killed in the IDF's response in Gaza.

In another development, on October 16, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths announced that he would travel to the Middle East on October 17 to support negotiations on the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip. Martin Griffiths said he is in discussions with Israel, Egypt and other relevant parties on the issue. This process is also receiving enthusiastic support from US Secretary of State Blinken during his visit to countries in the region. (AFP/Reuters)

* Israel protests Colombian President's statement on the situation in the Gaza Strip : On October 15, on social network X (formerly Twitter), Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat emphasized: "Today, at the direction of Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Ambassador Yonatan Peled, Deputy Director of the Latin American Department of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, summoned Ambassador Manjarez to hand over a diplomatic note of protest regarding the hostile statements against the state of Israel made by Colombian President Gustavo Petro last week."

According to him, Israel criticized the Colombian leadership for supporting Hamas' actions, "inciting anti-Semitism, harming representatives of the state of Israel and threatening the safety of the Jewish community in Colombia." (Sputnik)

* Fuel at Gaza hospitals running out : On October 16, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that fuel reserves at all Gaza Strip hospitals had only 24 hours left. OCHA wrote: "Shutting down backup generators would put the lives of thousands of patients at risk."

Earlier, on October 15, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced that Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip had led to an "unprecedented humanitarian disaster" in Palestine. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini stressed: "Not a drop of water, not a grain of wheat, not a litre of fuel has been allowed into the Gaza Strip in the past eight days."

Earlier, also on October 15, the Israeli government announced the reopening of the water supply to the southern Gaza area. (AFP/Reuters)

* The Arab League speaks out, marches in Switzerland to protest the IDF's attack on Gaza : On October 16, speaking at a meeting of Arab Justice Ministers in Baghdad (Iraq), Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called for an immediate end to military operations in the Gaza Strip and the opening of a safe corridor to transport relief supplies to the people there.

In a related development, on the same day, the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA reported that hundreds of people took to the streets to show solidarity with Palestine over the weekend in Bern, Switzerland. Many participants carried Palestinian flags, banners and chanted slogans expressing support for the country.

This was an activity called for by the Palestine Group Bern. The march was permitted by the Bern authorities. The march took place peacefully, with the presence of security forces to control the situation. (AFP/VNA)

* Egypt, France call for aid to Gaza via Rafah border crossing : Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his French counterpart Catherine Colonna called on October 16 for humanitarian aid to be delivered to the Gaza Strip and for foreign nationals to be evacuated from the territory on the 10th day of the war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement. Stressing that “anyone who wants to leave Gaza has the right to do so,” Colonna also urged the opening of the border crossings.

Egypt controls the Rafah crossing, the only way in and out of the Gaza Strip that is not controlled by Israel. A US official told AFP over the weekend that Egypt and Israel had reached an agreement to allow US citizens to leave Gaza via Rafah.

However, speaking to reporters on October 16, Foreign Minister Shoukry said Egypt had “repeated its request to Israel to allow the passage of humanitarian aid.” He stressed: “This is nothing new, it is a dangerous issue considering the new needs that the Palestinians in Gaza are facing.”

By the afternoon of the same day, the crossing remained closed, blocking aid convoys on one side of the border and Palestinians and some foreigners on the other.

Hamas official Izzat El Reshiq said there was no confirmed information about the reopening of the Rafah border crossing or a temporary ceasefire. (AFP)

* US Senators visit Israel, Secretary of State Blinken makes surprise return: On October 15, US Senate Majority Leader, Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, led a bipartisan delegation of senators to Israel. The visit is intended to demonstrate strong US support for Israel.

Schumer met with host President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv earlier in the day. He is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz, who have just formed a unity government.

A spokesman for the senator said he would discuss with Israel how Washington can support Israel on all fronts. Senator Schumer, 72, is the highest-ranking Jew in the US government ever and the first Jew to serve as majority leader in the Senate.

Schumer cut short his trip to Asia to return to the US to help deal with the crisis in the Middle East. During his trip, he remained in contact with Israeli officials and leaders from the US Embassy in Beijing. The US Congress is currently awaiting a request from the White House for additional funding to support Israel.

In related news, an AFP reporter traveling with Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that after visiting six Arab countries, he returned to Israel on October 16 to discuss the conflict with Hamas. Accordingly, the plane carrying Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in Israel on October 12 on a visit to show US solidarity with the Jewish State, landed in Tel Aviv. He is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. (AFP/Reuters)

* German Chancellor visits Israel : On October 16, NTV (Germany) channel quoted a government source as saying that Prime Minister Olaf Scholz will visit Israel on October 17 to show solidarity with Israel after the surprise attack by Hamas last weekend.

A German government spokesman has not commented on the trip.

Last week, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to Israel. After a visit to the Jewish State, she traveled to Egypt, as Western nations try to prevent escalating conflicts in the Middle East. (NTV)

* Russian, Turkish foreign ministers discuss Israel-Hamas conflict : On October 16, a source from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. However, the source did not provide details.

Turkey has previously said it is ready to play a mediator role in the conflict and has been in contact with Hamas about the release of civilians held hostage by the group. Ankara has sent humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, but the shipment is currently stuck in Egypt due to the border closure. (Reuters)

Russia-China

* Russian-Chinese foreign ministers discuss bilateral relations : On October 16, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Beijing. The talks took place ahead of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which will take place from October 17-18 in Beijing.

Mr. Wang said that China highly appreciates Russian President Vladimir Putin's regard and support for the initiative, and welcomes Moscow to continue to actively participate to make further contributions to promoting common development and prosperity.

For his part, Mr. Sergei Lavrov said that the two countries have maintained good momentum in developing bilateral relations. Russia hopes to maintain close strategic communication with China and strengthen practical cooperation in all areas. Mr. Lavrov noted that President Putin is looking forward to meeting President Xi Jinping in China and participating in the forum, expressing confidence in the success of the event.

In addition, the two sides conducted strategic coordination regarding efforts to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the BRICS group and other multilateral frameworks. (Reuters/Xinhua)

South Asia

* India-China agree not to take provocative actions in Ladakh : On October 16, Indian Defense News (India) reported that in the 20th round of negotiations, India and China agreed not to take any provocative actions along the Ladakh region in winter and to reduce the number of soldiers of both to a minimum.

“Due to the harsh winter climate, the number of troops stationed in the area has been reduced to a minimum. Some troops will be withdrawn further, while others will be withdrawn completely. In the summer, they will return to their areas of responsibility,” the source confirmed.

In addition, the source added that another round of talks will be held by India and China in winter to discuss the summer deployment plan.

Currently, India and China each have about 50,000 troops and equipment deployed. During winter, the number of troops deployed in this area is reduced sharply.

Earlier, the Indian Air Force airlifted more than 68,000 additional troops, as well as nearly 90 tanks and over 300 infantry fighting vehicles, to the Ladakh plateau following the clash with China in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020. Since then, despite the withdrawal from the Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra and Hot Springs, both sides still retain thousands of troops and equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). (Sputnik)

Northeast Asia

* Japan, Australia postpone 2+2 talks due to Middle East situation : On October 16, Japanese government sources said that Japan and Australia have decided to postpone the bilateral talks in the 2+2 format, with the participation of the two countries' Foreign and Defense Ministers scheduled for this weekend.

The two governments had previously arranged a 2+2 meeting in Tokyo on October 20 to strengthen security ties. However, sources later said Canberra had informed Tokyo that it now needed to prioritize protecting Australian citizens and consider measures to respond to the situation in the Middle East.

The last time Japan and Australia held 2+2 talks was in December in Tokyo. In a joint statement, the two sides pledged to expand joint exercises with the US military to strengthen trilateral defense cooperation. (Kyodo)

Europe

* Earthquake in Kamchatka ( Russia ) : On the afternoon of October 16 (Vietnam time), a 5.5-magnitude earthquake occurred on the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia). According to the German Research Center for Geosciences GFZ, the earthquake occurred at 6:48 GMT on October 16 (ie 13:48 on the same day Vietnam time). The epicenter was 54 km deep, initially determined to be at 53.43 degrees North latitude and 160.32 degrees East longitude.

Kamchatka is located in the Russian Far East. Famous for its large volcanic clusters, it is a popular tourist destination and is listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (TASS)

* Russia restricts imports of fish and seafood from Japan : On October 16, the Russian Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) said: "As a precautionary measure, from October 16, Rosselkhoznadzor joins China's temporary restrictions on imports of fish and seafood from Japan." Previously, the restrictions were introduced before all the necessary information was available to confirm the safety of fish products and compliance with the requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as analysis by Rosselkhoznadzor experts.

Meanwhile, Japanese electronics manufacturer and infrastructure solutions provider Fujitsu has launched the process of dissolving its Fujitsu Technology Solutions LLC legal entity in Russia. According to Russian media, after Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, Fujitsu suspended direct sales of products and services, but has not yet announced a complete withdrawal from the Russian market. (RT)

* Opposition in Poland may win election : Polling stations in Poland closed on the evening of October 15. Post-election polls showed that the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) was likely to come first. However, this party did not have enough majority to form a government and had to seek allies to continue in power.

Meanwhile, according to an Ipsos poll for TVN24 (Poland), the opposition Civic Coalition (KO), the centrist Third Way (TC) and the New Left (NL) are likely to win a total of 248 seats in the 460-member lower house of parliament, thus winning if they form a coalition. Meanwhile, PiS will only get around 200 seats. The far-right “Federation” (Konfederacja) is predicted to win 12 seats. KO opposition leader Donald Tusk declared: “The reign of PiS is over.”

To form a government, a party or coalition must win a majority, at least 231/460 seats in the House of Representatives. (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-1610-ngoai-truong-nga-toi-trung-quoc-israel-bac-thong-tin-ngung-ban-246352.html