Germany provides new military aid package to Kiev, China accuses Philippine aircraft of "violating" its airspace, Russia is ready to negotiate with Ukraine, Türkiye arrests nearly 300 suspected PKK members... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.
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| US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18. (Source: theguardian) |
The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.
Asia-Pacific
*China accuses Philippine plane of 'violating' airspace: The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese military issued a statement on February 18 accusing a Philippine plane of "violating" Chinese airspace over the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
The statement stressed that the Philippines' move had "seriously violated" China's sovereignty, and affirmed that the Chinese military had deployed naval and air forces to track, monitor and chase away the aircraft. (Reuters)
*India-Russia sign agreement to simplify military cooperation: On February 18, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin met Indian Ambassador to Moscow Vinay Kumar and an agreement was signed to simplify the procedures for interaction between the military agencies of the two countries.
During the meeting, the sides noted the importance of the signed document for further deepening cooperation in the military sphere and affirmed that the two sides' focus is on continuously strengthening core cooperation in the spirit of the special and privileged Russian-Indian strategic partnership. (Sputniknews)
*China arrests former soldier suspected of spying on military secrets: On February 18, China's top counterintelligence agency announced the arrest of a former soldier suspected of helping a foreign agency spy on China's military secrets.
National security experts "meticulously sifted through" a large amount of data, gradually tracing leads and eventually identifying the suspect - a man surnamed "Ni" who had served two years in the Chinese military.
China has significantly stepped up its national security measures amid escalating tensions with the US and its allies across technology, military, security, trade and economic spheres. (SCMP)
*Philippines determined to deploy US Typhon system: According to Philippine Army Commander Lieutenant General Roy Galido, Manila has not only rejected Beijing's request to withdraw the US-made Typhon missile system from its shores but is also increasing its use of the system by including the Typhon system in a major exercise next month.
This year's exercise will involve about 6,000 troops and will be the first to take place not only on the northern Philippine island of Luzon, but also in the central Visayas and southern Mindanao. (SCMP)
*Philippines, Japan affirm commitment to "freedom of navigation" in the East Sea: On February 17, the National Security Advisors (NSAs) of the Philippines and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to "freedom of navigation and international law in the East Sea and the East China Sea".
The Philippine National Security Council (NSC) issued a statement saying that Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año had a phone call with his Japanese counterpart Okano Masataka. The two advisers affirmed the Japan-Philippines security cooperation and agreed to continue close cooperation. (Philippine News Agency)
Europe
*Russia ready to negotiate with Ukraine: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on February 18 that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia has repeatedly stressed its interest in a peaceful solution in Ukraine through diplomatic means. At the same time, President Putin has pointed out the zero sovereignty of modern Ukraine, as well as the illegitimacy of Mr. Zelensky.
The Ukrainian Constitution does not provide for postponing presidential elections during martial law, although President Zelensky's mandate expires on May 20, 2024. (TASS)
*EC plans to strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities: European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen on February 18 stated her intention to continue strengthening Ukraine's military capabilities.
In a meeting with Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, von der Leyen outlined European plans to increase defence production and spending. The EU intends to ensure its full share of military aid to Kiev and is “ready to do even more”, the statement said.
Ms. von der Leyen also affirmed the EU's stance of being ready to cooperate with the US to end the conflict and help ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. (AFP)
*Ukraine says security guarantees needed before ceasefire: Ukraine's ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky stressed that Kiev needs security guarantees as a condition for a ceasefire in its conflict with Moscow, amid concerns about US President Donald Trump's conciliatory stance towards Russia in peace talks.
According to government figures, Japan has accepted more than 2,700 Ukrainian refugees since the conflict broke out, and about 2,000 of them are still living in the country. (Kyodo)
*Russia and the US begin talks on Ukraine: On February 18, Russian and US officials began talks on the Ukraine issue. The talks took place at the Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
The talks mark another important step by the Trump administration in reversing Washington’s previous policy of isolating Russia, which was established under former President Joe Biden. The meeting also paves the way for a possible meeting between Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the near future. (Reuters)
*Germany provides new military aid package to Ukraine: The German government said it has decided to allocate a new military aid package to Kiev, including 56 MRAP armored vehicles, IRIS-T SLM and IRIS-T SLS missiles, as well as 300 HF-1 attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and many other weapons.
Germany is Ukraine's second-largest arms supplier after the United States. A German cabinet spokesman said earlier this month that Germany had provided Ukraine with nearly 44 billion euros ($46 billion) in aid since the conflict began in early 2022. (RIA Novosti)
Middle East-Africa
*Egypt to host Gaza summit: Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced on February 18 that the country will host an emergency Arab summit on March 4 to discuss developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On the same day, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the country would begin negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, including the exchange of remaining Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Negotiations for phase two of the deal were supposed to begin before phase one ends on March 2, but Qatar said talks had not formally begun. (Reuters)
*Israel demands Hamas leave Gaza and hand over weapons: On February 17, speaking before a cabinet meeting to discuss the next phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that Hamas fighters must hand over their weapons and leave Gaza.
Mr Smotrich said he would ask ministers to vote on a clear ultimatum to Hamas: "Immediately release all hostages, leave Gaza for other countries and lay down arms according to the plan of US President Donald Trump". Mr Smotrich warned: "Israel will open the gates of hell" if Hamas refuses the above demand. (Arab News)
*Turkey arrests nearly 300 suspected PKK members: On February 18, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that the country's police had arrested 282 suspected members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK - banned in Turkey) in raids over the past 5 days.
The raids come as Turkey continues to remove elected pro-Kurdish mayors over their links to the PKK, in a campaign that has raised hopes of an end to the 40-year conflict between the PKK and the government. (Al Jazeera)
*Israel withdraws from villages in southern Lebanon: A Lebanese security source said on February 18 that the Israeli army has withdrawn from villages in southern Lebanon but still maintains five positions, as the deadline for withdrawing troops under the peace agreement with Hezbollah gradually ends.
"The Israeli army has withdrawn from all border villages except five positions, while the Lebanese army is deploying gradually due to mines in some areas and damaged roads," the unnamed source told AFP. (AFP )
*US and UAE airstrikes against IS in Somalia: The US and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) carried out new drone strikes on February 16 in Puntland.
In recent weeks, Somalia’s semi-autonomous region has been waging a major counter-terrorism campaign targeting the Islamic State (IS), which is based in the Calmiskaad Mountains in northeastern Puntland. Authorities estimate they have killed more than 100 militants in the past week. (Al Jazeera)
*Israel accuses Turkey of transferring money to Hezbollah: On February 17, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Turkey of cooperating with Iran in transferring money to Hezbollah.
“There is an Iranian effort to transfer money into Lebanon to help Hezbollah restore its power and status. This effort is being carried out in cooperation with Turkey,” said Gideon Saar. (Al Jazeera)
America - Latin America
*US businesses lost 300 billion USD when leaving the Russian market: On February 18, Director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev said that US companies lost 300 billion USD when stopping doing business in Russia.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Dmitriev - who is also an important member of the Russian delegation to Saudi Arabia to negotiate with the US, said that Washington has begun to understand the importance of the Russian market.
Contrary to Western media, Russian media said that resuming economic cooperation was the most important content of the Russia-US meeting in Saudi Arabia on February 18. ( Sputnik)
*Russia releases US citizen ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia: The New York Times (NYT) reported on February 17 that the Russian government released an American citizen, arrested for possessing a small amount of marijuana, ahead of talks between Russian and US officials in Saudi Arabia.
Kalob Byers Wayne, 28, was detained at Moscow's Vnukovo airport during a baggage check on February 7, after customs officials discovered orange marmalade laced with cannabis in his luggage. (Reuters)
*Africa calls on the US to end embargo on Cuba: At the 38th General Assembly of the African Union (AU), the leaders of the black continent unanimously adopted a resolution asking the US to lift the economic, financial and trade embargo on Cuba. This is the 16th consecutive time the AU has made this request, reflecting the consistent stance of African countries in supporting Cuba.
According to African leaders, the situation has become more serious in the context of Cuba facing many challenges from recent severe natural phenomena, which have severely affected the economic and social life of the Cuban people. (AFP)
*Mexico and the United States aim for a comprehensive agreement on trade and security: On February 17, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexico and the United States are preparing to enter a high-level round of negotiations this week, focusing on key issues of trade and border security.
In addition to trade, the two sides will also hold a separate meeting to plan a comprehensive bilateral cooperation strategy, including in the areas of security, border control and migration management. (AFP)
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