Trump's sentencing postponed, eastern Ukraine front at risk of collapse, US criticizes China's actions in the East Sea

The Canadian and US embassies in Kiev closed, South Korea resumed supplying artillery shells to Ukraine, President Biden canceled Ukraine's $4.7 billion debt, Russia announced it shot down a British Storm Shadow cruise missile... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours

US Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood vetoes a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, during a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East, November 20. (Source: AFP)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some international news highlights in the past 24 hours.

Asia-Pacific

*Japan-China defense chiefs meet amid tensions: The Japanese government confirmed that the defense ministers of Japan and China began talks in Laos on November 21, as the two Asian neighbors seek to stabilize relations amid air and maritime tensions.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun held their first meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting and Regional Partners in Vientiane. The talks came after the Japanese government said on November 19 that China admitted that a Y-9 military reconnaissance aircraft had violated Japanese airspace on August 26 over the East China Sea.

This is the first Japan-China defense ministerial meeting since Nakatani took office in Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru's cabinet. The previous meeting was held in June in Singapore. (Kyodo)

*US announces task force to support Philippine military in South China Sea: The US said on November 21 that its forces are supporting Philippine military operations in the disputed South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing have overlapping sovereignty claims.

"Task Force Ayungin enhances coordination and interoperability between the US-Philippine alliance by allowing US forces to support Armed Forces of the Philippines operations in the South China Sea," said Kanishka Gangopadhyay, spokesperson for the US Embassy in Manila.

In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Austin said he “met with several U.S. military personnel deployed to the U.S. Ayungin Special Forces,” in what appears to be the first public acknowledgement of the force’s existence. (Bloomberg)

*China criticizes US statement on nuclear attack: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on November 21 that the Pentagon's statement on accepting the use of counter-nuclear attacks while Washington still maintains part of its arsenal reflects the backward thinking of the US - a country that is seeking absolute strategic superiority.

The United States needs to fulfill its commitments on nuclear disarmament and work to reduce strategic risks, the Chinese diplomat said, adding that Washington has increased the role of nuclear weapons in its national security policy, strengthened its military, and increased nuclear risks. (Sputniknews)

*South Korea resumes supplying artillery shells to Ukraine: South Korea has resumed supplying artillery shells to Ukraine. This information was confirmed by the Flightradar service, which specializes in monitoring flights.

According to experts, the supply may include not only standard ammunition but also missiles similar to the US ATACMS.

South Korea has previously held a restrained stance on the direct supply of weapons to Ukraine, limiting it to humanitarian aid and non-lethal military equipment. However, the resumption of ammunition supplies may signal Seoul is reconsidering its approach amid a reported increased presence of North Korean troops on the border with Ukraine. (Yonhap)

*US criticizes China's actions in the East Sea: According to ASEAN sources, the US has described the aggressive actions of Chinese ships in the East Sea against ships of some ASEAN member countries as "illegal bullying" and a challenge to the sovereignty of these countries.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the remarks on November 21 at a conference in Vientiane, as ASEAN members such as the Philippines, which has overlapping territorial disputes with China, have faced increasingly provocative behavior from Chinese coast guard and navy vessels since last year.

The meeting within the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) was attended by Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, who declined a request for a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Austin on the sidelines of the meeting. (Kyodo)

*North Korea, Russia sign protocol to expand economic cooperation: The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on November 21 that North Korea and Russia signed a protocol on expanding cooperation on November 20 after holding the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation.

According to KCNA , North Korean Foreign Economic Affairs Minister Yun Jong-ho and Russian Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov signed the protocol amid efforts by Russia and North Korea to boost bilateral partnership, including military cooperation.

Earlier, on November 18, Russian Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov - Head of the Russian delegation, was warmly welcomed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. This was the first time the North Korean leader met with a head of the Russian intergovernmental commission. (KCNA)

Europe

*Russia claims to have shot down British Storm Shadow cruise missiles: The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on November 21 that its air defense systems had shot down two British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles, a day after British media reported that Ukraine had used this weapon for the first time to attack deep into Russian territory.

According to an announcement from the Russian Ministry of Defense, in addition to two Storm Shadow missiles, the country's air defense forces also shot down six US-made HIMARS rockets and 67 unmanned aerial vehicles in the special military operation area. (AFP)

*Ukraine confirms first Russian long-range ballistic missile attack: Ukraine's Air Force confirmed that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Astrakhan region in the south of the country in an attack on the morning of November 21, marking the first time Moscow has used such a powerful long-range missile in the war.

The attack came after Ukraine used US and British missiles to strike targets inside Russia this week - a move Moscow has warned for months would be seen as a serious escalation. (Reuters)

*Canadian and US embassies in Kiev close for security reasons: According to Canadian media, on November 20, the Canadian embassy in Kiev was temporarily closed due to security concerns. The decision was made amid warnings of a potential Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian capital.

The US Embassy in Kiev also announced the closure and attack warning, which came amid ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks on Kiev.

The moves come after Russia said it would respond to US President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to attack targets on Russian territory with US-made missiles. (AP)

*Russia accuses Biden administration of continuing to fan the conflict in Ukraine: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on November 21 that the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden continues to fan the conflict in Ukraine and a new escalation is underway.

A day earlier, the Times newspaper quoted a source from the London government as saying that the US planned to allow Ukraine to use British long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, as Washington no longer objected to the issue.

"A new escalation is underway. This is a very irresponsible stance of the outgoing US administration. They continue to fan the Ukrainian conflict, prevent any moves towards ending it by all means and at the same time use Ukraine as a tool in their hands," Peskov told reporters on November 21. (Sputniknews)

*Russia ready to consider "realistic" peace initiative on Ukraine: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on November 21 that Moscow is ready to consider any "realistic" peace initiative on the conflict in Ukraine that takes into account Russia's interests and the situation on the ground.

"We are ready for negotiations, we are ready to consider any practical, non-politicized initiatives," Zakharova said, stressing that Russia is only considering a solution "based on taking into account our interests."

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Russia is ready to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine with Donald Trump but ruled out major territorial concessions and insisted Kiev must abandon its ambitions to join NATO. (Reuters)

*Eastern Ukraine front at risk of collapse: BBC quoted experts warning that the eastern Ukraine front may not be able to withstand increasing pressure from the Russian army.

The US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimates that Russian troops have seized about 2,700 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2024 - nearly six times more than in all of 2023.

The main direction of the Russian army's offensive is focused on two key areas - Kupyansk in the Kharkov region and Kurakhovo in Donbass, which serves as a "gateway" to the strategic logistics center of Pokrovsk.

In this context, Russia has a more favorable position in the negotiations that may take place, coinciding with the time when US President-elect Donald Trump's new foreign policy team prepares to take office. (AFP)

Middle East – Africa

*Russia and Iraq discuss trade cooperation: During a phone call on November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani discussed the implementation of major projects in the energy sector.

"Issues of current interest in bilateral cooperation in the trade, economic, transport, logistics and humanitarian spheres were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the implementation of major projects in the energy sector," the Kremlin statement said.

A joint commitment was expressed to further expand the traditionally friendly and mutually beneficial relations based on the agreements reached during the talks between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in Moscow in October 2023." (TASS)

*Hamas demands an end to the war before exchanging hostages: On November 20, in an interview broadcast on Al-Aqsa TV channel, acting leader of the Hamas movement in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya declared that there would be no agreement to exchange hostages for prisoners with Israel unless the war in this Palestinian land ended.

Mr. Hayya reiterated Hamas's stance on how to end the fighting: "There can be no prisoner exchange without ending the war. If the aggression does not stop, why should the resistance and especially Hamas release prisoners? How can a normal person lose a powerful card they hold while the war continues?" (Reuters)

*70 pro-Iranian fighters in Syria killed by Israeli airstrikes: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an independent organization based in London, said on November 21 that Israeli airstrikes a day earlier killed 71 pro-Iranian fighters in the Syrian city of Palmyra, of which more than a third of the dead were identified as fighters from Iraq and Lebanon.

Responding to the incident, the Syrian Foreign Ministry stated: "Israel's brutal aggression against the city of Palmyra reflects the continuous crimes of Zionism against the countries of the region and their people."

For its part, Israel rarely comments on individual air strikes in Syria but has repeatedly said it will not allow Iran to expand its presence in the country. (Al Jazeera)

*Palestine condemns US veto of Gaza ceasefire resolution: On November 20, the Palestinian Authority condemned the US veto of a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip at the United Nations Security Council, saying that this move "encourages Israel to continue its crimes".

According to Wafa news agency, the Palestinian Authority stated: "The fourth US veto has encouraged Israel to continue its crimes against innocent civilians in Palestine and Lebanon." (AFP)

America - Latin America

*US to establish space force outpost in Japan: Jiji Press reported that experts consider the US move to open a Space Force office in Tokyo an important step forward in security cooperation with Japan.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani confirmed plans to launch the Space Force headquarters in December at the US military's Yokota Air Base, on the outskirts of Tokyo, when he met US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Australia on November 17.

Discussions on the new headquarters began in February, with the office initially expected to house 10 Space Force personnel to handle communications and coordination with the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The establishment of a Space Force outpost in Japan comes after the US established a similar unit at Osan Air Base in South Korea in December 2022. (Jiji Press)

*US Senate rejects resolution to block arms sales to Israel: On November 20, the US Senate voted to reject a resolution to block the sale of more than $20 billion worth of weapons to Israel, including Taka ammunition, high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, JDAM ammunition and tactical vehicles.

If passed, the resolution could block more than $20 billion in arms sales to Israel. In particular, the documents propose blocking the sale of JDAMs, tank shells, high-explosive mortar shells, and tactical vehicles.

“Sending additional weapons is not only immoral, it is illegal,” Sanders said in a statement in September when he introduced the resolution. “The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act set clear requirements for the use of US weapons – and Israel has blatantly violated them.” (Sputnik)

*Mr. Donald Trump's sentencing postponed: On November 20, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced that it had agreed to postpone the sentencing of President-elect Donald Trump in the hush money case to have time to consider the defendant's request to dismiss the case.

In a letter to Judge Juan Merchan, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office also acknowledged that Mr. Trump would likely not be sentenced “until the end of his next presidential term.” However, the office still maintained its conviction on the charges. A source close to the prosecutor’s office said the agency was willing to pause the case for four years.

In May, Mr. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying economic records. Mr. Trump's spokesman, Steven Cheung, called the document "a complete and decisive victory for President Trump." (CNN)

*The US mentioned the possibility of using nuclear weapons: Rear Admiral Thomas Buchanan, spokesman for the US Department of Defense's Strategic Command, affirmed that the US would only allow a counter-nuclear attack when Washington could preserve part of its arsenal to continue to deter potential opponents.

Mr. Buchanan added that he considered the most acceptable conditions were those in which the United States “continues to lead the world,” meaning preserving its strategic stockpile of weapons. According to him, the U.S. government needs to engage in dialogue with other countries aimed at preventing nuclear war.

US officials recommend that Washington should dialogue with countries such as Russia, China and North Korea, because no one wants nuclear war. (Sputniknews)

*Biden administration forgives $4.7 billion debt for Ukraine: US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on November 20 that President Joe Biden's administration is working to forgive about $4.7 billion in debt for Ukraine.

In April, the US Congress passed a funding bill that included more than $9.4 billion in forgivable loans to support the Ukrainian government’s economy and budget, half of which the president could forgive after November 15. The bill allocated a total of $61 billion to help Ukraine respond to Russia’s special military operation launched in February 2022.

President Biden has directed officials to quickly get as much aid to Ukraine as possible before he leaves office on January 20 amid concerns that President-elect Donald Trump could limit US support for the Eastern European country. (Reuters)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-2111-ong-trump-duoc-hoan-tuyen-an-mat-tran-mien-dong-ukraine-nguy-co-sup-do-my-chi-crich-hanh-dong-cua-trung-quoc-o-bien-dong-294532.html