Ukrainians still support VSU Commander-in-Chief, Israel affirms determination against Hamas, Russia threatens retaliation against EU

VSU plans to replace artillery shells with UAVs, US Secretary of State expects Israel to do this, Russia threatens to retaliate if EU does this... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

VSU Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny still enjoys the support of the majority of Ukrainians. (Source: Getty Images)

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

* The majority of Ukrainians support the VSU Commander-in-Chief: On December 20, the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) announced the results of a public opinion poll, conducted on 1,200 people living in the territories controlled by Ukraine from December 4-10.

Accordingly, only 2% of Ukrainians would actively support President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissing the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) Valery Zaluzhny, while 72% would consider such a move “negative”. The poll showed that public trust in Mr. Zaluzhny was at 92%, compared to 77% of those who trusted President Zelensky.

Recently, information appeared in the Ukrainian media about the conflict between two high-ranking figures in the government apparatus after Mr. Zaluzhny, in an interview with the British media, said that the conflict was reaching a stalemate.

In addition, the VSU commander-in-chief recently criticized President Zelensky's decision to fire the heads of regional military recruitment offices amid a corruption crackdown this summer. (Reuters)

* German media : VSU is seriously short of people: On December 21, journalist Paul Ronzheimer of Die Welt (Germany) said that the centers in Germany, where Ukrainian soldiers are trained to use Leopard 2 tanks, are only operating at half their capacity, which shows that VSU is seriously short of people.

Regarding the demand for the mobilization of another half a million Ukrainians from the VSU, journalist Ronzheimer noted that “initially” these words were “shocking” and led to a debate about “the object of mobilization”. According to him, such a statement shows “the difficult situation for Ukraine”, despite the fact that the problem of mobilization has existed for a long time.

“For example, we also hear from Germany that training centers, such as those for training on Leopard 2 tanks, are currently operating with only about half the number of people. This means that there are not enough people for training, and if the war lasts longer, this will naturally cause problems. Ultimately, everything depends on the number of soldiers each side has,” the journalist wrote.

In another development, Alisa Jung, a reporter for the German channel ZDF , also said that VSU soldiers are tired of fighting, while the Kiev government is facing a shortage of soldiers and ammunition. The reporter stressed that Ukrainians fear the coming winter and are also tired of the conflict with Russia. She wrote: “Complaints are growing, people are increasingly critical of (President) Zelensky, and trust in him and the government is rapidly declining.”

Jung stressed that people still remember the past year and the Russian attacks on infrastructure. According to them, the difficult situation could arise again. The journalist said that the VSU's advance has practically stopped. This has forced the Ukrainian army to go on the defensive and try to survive the winter. (DW/ZDF)

* VSU may replace artillery shells with UAVs : On December 21, Ukrainian military sources said that in Avdiivka, the VSU was forced to use more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) due to a severe shortage of artillery shells. According to Ukrainian media, the production of artillery shells worldwide has reached its maximum and “reached its ceiling”. It is also very difficult to deploy the production of large quantities of artillery shells in Ukraine. Therefore, the production of UAVs is much easier because they can be assembled in any basement.

An FPV UAV costs much less to produce than an artillery shell. At the same time, UAVs are more accurate when attacking positions or moving equipment. Therefore, Ukrainian sources predict that replacing artillery shells with UAVs may become one of the options for the Ukrainian military's strategy in the near future. FPV stands for First Person View. This FPV gives the operator the feeling of flexible and realistic control of movement, like a pilot sitting in the cockpit of an aircraft.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 1 million UAVs would be produced by 2024. Later, the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine clarified that President Zelensky meant FPV UAVs. In December 2023, the Ukrainian government estimated the production of such UAVs at about 50,000 units per month, which means that at current production levels, 600,000 attack UAVs could be produced per year.

However, according to experts, UAVs cannot completely replace artillery shells because they cannot destroy fortifications or create firepower density for attacks. (TASS)

* Israel will not stop firing in Gaza until Hamas is “erased” : On December 20, in his latest statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: “We will not stop fighting until we achieve all our goals: eliminating Hamas, freeing the hostages and ending the threat from Gaza.” In addition, he affirmed that Israeli forces are attacking Hamas “everywhere” in Gaza.

The statement was made as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo, Egypt, on the same day to discuss with the host country's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel about the possibility of seeking a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. (AFP)

* Israel discovers Hamas's supreme command center in underground tunnels in Gaza : On December 20, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had discovered a network of tunnels running deep under Gaza City in the central Gaza Strip, including "real estate" belonging to leader Yahya Sinwar and many other senior Hamas commanders.

IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said the tunnel network was discovered as troops advanced into the city center over the past few days. According to the images released, the tunnels are accessed by spiral staircases and elevators 20 meters underground. The tunnels are equipped with electricity, water, surveillance cameras and bomb-proof doors.

“The complex, both above and below ground, is the power center of Hamas’s political and military wing,” Lerner said. The tunnels were used by senior Hamas leaders, including Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Muhammad Deif, to direct operations and “protect daily movement” through downtown Gaza.

Earlier this week, the IDF also announced that it had discovered an unusually large concrete tunnel with an iron frame, designed to transport Hamas soldiers from the Gaza Strip directly to the border with Israel. However, the IDF has so far not found any senior Hamas leaders. (Times of Israel)

* Kerem Shalom border crossing director killed: Hamas and Palestinian health officials said on December 21 that Israel carried out an airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza. The attack killed Colonel Bassam Ghaben, director of the Kerem Shalom trade crossing on the Israel-Gaza border, and three other Palestinians. However, an IDF spokesman denied any involvement in the incident. (Reuters)

* Hamas stresses conditions for hostage exchange talks : On December 21, Hamas affirmed that Palestinian factions reject prisoner exchange talks until Israel ends its military campaign: "It is a national decision of Palestine that there will be no discussion of prisoners or prisoner exchanges unless (Israel) completely stops its behavior." Besides Hamas, Islamic Jihad, another smaller Palestinian militant group, is also holding hostages in Gaza. (Reuters)

* Egypt talks about the “red line” in the Gaza Strip: On December 20, speaking at the 6th Russia-Arab Cooperation Forum held in Marrakesh (Morocco), Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry emphasized that Cairo considers the displacement of Palestinians from their territory as “a red line that must never be crossed under any pretext”. According to him, such an approach will pave the way for serious and effective negotiations to achieve a two-state solution, ensuring the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister also stressed the call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and ensuring full access to humanitarian aid. Mr. Shoukry assessed that the Gaza crisis has exposed the shortcomings of the global system and the approach of “double standards”.

In addition, the Egyptian Foreign Minister thanked Russia for its balanced international political stance on Arab issues, including the Gaza issue, at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). He hoped that Moscow would continue to support the views of Arabs and Palestinians, reject Israel's actions, and attract the necessary international support for the recognition of the State of Palestine. (Al-Jaazera)

* Iranian and Qatari foreign ministers discuss political solution for Gaza Strip : On December 20, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his host counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks in the capital Doha, Qatar.

During the talks, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and regional issues of mutual concern. The Iranian Foreign Minister said that the Palestinian issue and the development of the Gaza Strip were the most important issues that the two countries have been pursuing together over the past two months, with the aim of preventing Israel from launching a long-term offensive on the Gaza Strip and ensuring the delivery of aid to the war-torn region. According to Mr. Amir-Abdollahian, it is important to intensify efforts at the regional and international levels to find a political solution to the Gaza crisis.

For his part, the Qatari foreign minister described the joint efforts of the two countries as “positive and effective” in preparing the ground for the goal of reaching a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and increasing aid to the people there. The two foreign ministers also pledged to expand cooperation in various fields. (Xinhua)

* US Secretary of State expects Israel to focus on this: On December 20, speaking at a year-end press conference, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington wants and expects the Jewish State to soon deploy lower-intensity military operations in the Gaza Strip, including more activities focusing on the leaders and infrastructure of the Hamas Islamist movement. He commented that once the above change takes place, “civilian casualties” will be significantly reduced.

At the same time, the American diplomat stressed the call for Israel to fulfill its obligation to minimize civilian casualties in its efforts to neutralize Hamas. Mr. Blinken also expected Israel to really focus on dealing with Hamas' leadership, tunnel networks and a number of other important issues. (Reuters)

Southeast Asia

* Philippine President “ concerned ” about incidents in the East Sea : On December 21, in a speech marking the anniversary of the Philippine military, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described recent maritime incidents in the East Sea as “worrying”. The leader also reaffirmed that the Philippines will continue to assert its rights under international law. He also called on the armed forces to continue to maintain and promote existing alliances and partnerships. (Reuters)

South Asia

* China calls on countries to help Afghanistan resolve crisis : On December 20, speaking at the Security Council meeting on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Geng Shuang said: "Currently, more than 3 million Afghan children are malnourished and more than 10 million people there do not know where their next meal will come from. Winter has come and the humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan will be even worse.

We once again call on the international community to act immediately by increasing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, bringing warmth and hope to the Afghan people, and not allowing ordinary Afghans to become victims of political calculations.”

At the same time, he expressed his hope that “all parties will take a long-term view, increase development assistance to Afghanistan, and help the country restore the functioning of its banking system, establish basic economic order, and better integrate into regional economic and trade cooperation and connectivity.” In addition, Mr. Geng Shuang called on countries to return Afghanistan’s frozen overseas assets and called for efforts to help Afghanistan strengthen the protection of women’s rights and interests. (VNA)

Northeast Asia

* Japan values ​​Korea in its Indo - Pacific strategy : On December 21, Acting Deputy Ambassador at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Mr. Yamamoto Mondo, spoke at a seminar on Korea-Japan relations jointly organized by the Advisory Council for Peaceful Unification, the Sejong Institute, and the Northeast Asian History Foundation.

He affirmed that Seoul and Tokyo are cooperative partners in the Indo-Pacific, with similarities in their respective strategies. Noting that bilateral relations have gradually improved this year, he stressed the importance of further promoting the relationship between the two countries through dialogue. (Yonhap)

* South Korea acknowledges North Korea's progress in launching ICBMs: On December 21, speaking at a session of the South Korean National Assembly, Defense Minister Shin Won Sik said: "North Korea has succeeded in launching missiles over long distances and developing solid-fuel missiles, but it has not yet been verified whether the missile is capable of re-entry and accurately hitting the target. Although the missile's multiple warhead technology has not been accurately verified, North Korea is believed to be moving in that direction."

He pledged to “accelerate” nuclear deterrence efforts with Washington to make agreements in the bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) “irreversible,” regardless of the outcome of next year’s U.S. presidential election. (Yonhap)

* Russia threatens retaliation if EU uses frozen assets : On December 21, in an interview with Russia 24 (Russia), Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said: "We also have enough frozen assets here, in C-type accounts. The number is not small, the income from using these funds is significant and can certainly also be used if unfriendly partners make a decision."

The EU is proposing to use the income generated from about $300 billion in frozen funds from Russia's central bank reserves and raise $16 billion. (Reuters)

* Greece joins the protection of shipping in the Red Sea : On December 21, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced that his country will join the US-led naval coalition to protect global shipping routes in the Red Sea from attacks by Houthi forces in Yemen.

Accordingly, a Greek navy destroyer will join the task force under the orders of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. According to Mr. Dendias, as a leading maritime transport nation, Greece has a “fundamental interest” in addressing the “major threat” to global maritime transport. (TTXVN)

* Armenia suspends Russian TV station's license : On December 21, the Russian Embassy in Yerevan criticized Armenia's temporary suspension of the local branch of Russia's Sputnik TV station over "insulting" comments made by a presenter about Armenia on television. The Russian Embassy issued a statement saying that the measure "is taken to push Armenia further away from Russia."

The Armenian Television and Radio Broadcasting Commission announced on the evening of December 20 that the license of Tospa , the Sputnik station in Armenia, had been suspended for 30 days following comments made by Russian television personality Tigran Keosayan in November. According to the commission, Keosayan's comments did not correspond to what a "political commentator, presenter and citizen of another country" had the "right" to say, and that he had incited "illegal acts." (AFP)

* Russia-Arab Forum emphasizes the need to ensure maritime security : On December 20, the joint statement of the Russia-Arab Cooperation Forum emphasized the need to ensure security and safety for maritime traffic in the Gulf and Red Sea.

At the forum held in the Moroccan city of Marrakech, ministers condemned “acts undermining the security and safety of maritime traffic and related equipment, energy supplies, pipelines and facilities”.

The statement also “strongly criticized Israel’s military operations” against Palestinians in Gaza and rejected the claim that it was “an act of self-defense.” (Reuters)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-2112-nguoi-ukraine-van-ung-ho-tong-tu-lenh-vsu-israel-khang-dinh-quyet-tam-chong-hamas-nga-de-doa-tra-dua-eu-254764.html