China calls for preparation for military conflict at sea, Russia summons US ambassador in Moscow for "interference" in internal affairs

A sanctioned Russian ship docks in China, Israel adds fuel to the fire, wants to build 3,500 more houses in the West Bank, Malaysian Prime Minister warns against containing China... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

A Russian Navy anti-submarine ship prepares to dock. (Source: Arab News)

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

Russia-Ukraine

*Ukraine enters new phase of war with Russia: According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Ukraine is building defenses and changing tactics in the Black Sea to enter a new phase of war with Russia.

According to WSJ, the Ukrainian command has also significantly changed its combat tactics in the Black Sea, actively using mass launches of unmanned surface vessels (USVs). The Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) have begun using unmanned surface vessels in a “swarm” tactic, significantly increasing the threat to the Russian navy.

The VSU's constant improvement in attack methods, using USVs of various sizes in a larger and more organized manner, has posed a serious challenge to the Russian Navy. (WSJ)

*The war in Ukraine could last at least two more years: Lithuania's intelligence agency said on March 7 that factors such as high oil prices, sanctions evasion and state investment are providing Russia with enough resources to continue the war in Ukraine at its current intensity for at least two more years.

Russian Defense Minister Serrgey Shoigu also said on March 5 that Russia has increased its military forces in Northern and Eastern Russia in response to the increase in NATO forces on the border with Russia.

Lithuanian intelligence also said that since deploying military warheads in Belarus in 2023, Russia has been continuously building infrastructure for use in this allied country. (Politicol Europe)

*First Indian citizen fighting for the Russian army killed: The Indian Embassy in Moscow confirmed on March 6 that Mohammed Afsan, an Indian citizen recruited by the Russian army to fight in Ukraine, was killed.

Local media quoted relatives and another Indian soldier on the front line as saying the 23-year-old from Gujarat state was killed in a Ukrainian air strike while working as a “security aide”.

India's foreign ministry also said it was working to rescue about 20 Indians "trapped" in the Russian military. Some Indian recruits said they were lured into joining the military with promises of high salaries and Russian passports before being sent to the front lines. (Reuters)

Asia-Pacific

*Chinese President Calls for Preparations for Military Conflicts at Sea: On March 7, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the country's armed forces to coordinate preparations for military conflicts at sea, safeguard China's maritime rights and interests and the development of the maritime economy.

Chinese state television quoted President Xi Jinping as saying the country needs to build a cyber defense system and improve its ability to maintain national cybersecurity.

Xi made the statement as he met a delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force at the annual meeting of China's parliament. (Reuters)

*Malaysian Prime Minister warns against containing China: On March 7, in a speech at the Australian National University in Canberra on the occasion of attending the ASEAN-Australia Summit, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that efforts to contain China's rise would only further anger the country and sow discord in the region.

Also in his speech, Mr. Anwar declared that Malaysia and Australia have an obligation to encourage China, the United States and other major countries in the Asia-Pacific region to behave in ways that are conducive to economic cooperation and integration. (AFP)

*Russian Navy conducts drills in the Sea of ​​Japan: The corvettes "Gromky" and "Perfect" of the Russian Pacific Fleet conducted live-fire firing in the Sea of ​​Japan at targets simulating enemy warships.

The Fleet's press service reported that the two ships conducted tactical exercises in different formations and performed all forms of defense and protection of the seagoing detachment.

The Pacific Fleet said the fire was fired from the A-190 multipurpose naval gun platform. The ship's gunnery team also used standard machine guns to practice firing at simulated enemy surface mines. (Yonhap)

*The US needs to have an "objective view" of China: On March 7, responding to a press conference on the sidelines of the Chinese National People's Congress, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the US needs to have an "objective and rational view" of China, adding that Beijing regards peaceful coexistence with Washington as a principle, and warned that the country "will eventually harm itself" if it becomes obsessed with suppressing China.

Regarding the issue in the East Sea, Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that differences need to be "properly handled and resolved through dialogue" between directly concerned parties and advised countries outside the region "not to cause trouble".

Wang Yi's comments came after the latest clash between Chinese and Philippine ships in disputed waters earlier this week.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China will continue to strengthen strategic cooperation with Russia and the European Union (EU), saying that “autonomy” is an important value, in order to prevent the risk of becoming part of a US-led bloc. (Kyodo)

*Sanctioned Russian oil tanker docks in China: The sanctioned Russian oil tanker Liteyny Prospect has docked at Huanghua port, near Cangzhou city in China's Hebei province, to unload a cargo of 700,000 barrels of Russian Sokol crude oil.

Shipping data from analytics firms LSEG, Kpler and Vortexa show that the Liberian-flagged Liteyny Prospect docked at Huanghua, a northern Chinese port that handles mainly coal and iron ore shipments, on March 6.

The ship's owner, Russia's largest shipping company, Sovcomflot, did not comment on the report. (Reuters)

Europe

*Russia summons US Ambassador for "interfering" in internal affairs: The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on March 7 that it had summoned the US Ambassador to protest "Washington's interference in internal affairs" as well as "funding anti-Russian non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated: "Attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation, including through subversive actions and the spread of disinformation in the context of elections and special military operations, will be resolutely and decisively stopped."

The Russian Foreign Ministry has handed over a note of protest to the US Ambassador, demanding that Moscow stop supporting US NGOs (including the American Council for International Education, Cultural Perspectives and the Institute of International Education), and that if they continue, Moscow will consider this a violation of Russian law. The Russian Foreign Ministry has also asked the US Embassy to remove the list of unwanted NGOs from its website and social media. (AFP/Sputniknews)

*Ukrainian businesses begin to withdraw from Poland: Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper reported that many Ukrainian businesses have begun to close in Poland due to financial insolvency and lack of prospects.

According to the Polish Economic Institute, in 2022, Ukrainians opened 15,900 new companies in Poland and 28,600 new companies in 2023. Among the leading sectors are construction and repair, information and communication technologies, services, trade and industrial activities and logistics.

According to the newspaper, Ukrainians enter areas where, in their opinion, they have the expertise and can provide quality services. Doing business in Poland is extremely difficult because it requires constant compliance with new requirements and regulations, the article said. (TASS)

*Sweden will be NATO's logistics and troop transfer center: The British Financial Times (FT) reported on March 6 that Sweden, as a member of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO), could become a logistics center and a troop transfer point for NATO.

According to the FT, Sweden’s membership in the alliance opens up new opportunities for supply and reinforcement by sea. This is because NATO will have the island of Gotland, located in the middle of the Baltic Sea, at its disposal. The island can be used by alliance members as a transport hub. According to the author of the article, this will strengthen the defense capabilities of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Earlier, Hungary's new President, Tamas Szuyok, signed into law Sweden's membership in NATO. Meanwhile, TV4 reported that Sweden could officially join the alliance on March 11. (FT)

*Russia kills Belarusian terror suspect: Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on March 7 that it had killed a Belarusian man who was planning "a terrorist act" on behalf of Ukraine in the Karelia region in northern Russia.

The FSB, the main successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, confirmed that it had seized weapons and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) after a shootout with the suspect, who was planning to blow up an administrative building in the city of Olonets, about 250 km from the border with Finland.

The agency said that during the arrest, the suspect opened fire on special forces officers and was killed after the clash.

The IED was made using a plastic explosive made in the UK and a detonator made in the US, according to the FSB. Russian media identified the dead man as Nikolai Alekseev, 49, from Belarus, who had participated in opposition protests in Russia's neighboring ally in 2020. (TASS)

Africa-Middle East

*Nigeria wants to join BRICS: In an interview during his recent visit to Russia, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said that the country plans to apply to join BRICS after holding necessary meetings domestically.

Mr. Tuggar highlighted the importance of the presence of Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima in South Africa during the latest BRICS Summit held in August last year.

Also, referring to the possibility of Nigeria joining the Russian payment system, Mr. Tuggar said: “This is a very interesting system (the Russian system that replaces SWIFT).

This does not mean that SWIFT is a bad system, but if there are other alternatives, Nigeria will consider them... And if the system is beneficial to us, we will definitely adopt it." (Sputnik)

*Israel adds fuel to the fire, building 3,500 more settler homes in the West Bank: The Israeli government is pushing ahead with plans to build nearly 3,500 homes for settlers in the occupied West Bank, Settlement Affairs Minister Orit Strock said in a post on social network X on March 6.

Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said the planning committee had granted construction permits for 3,426 homes across Maale Adumim and Kedar, east Jerusalem, and Efrat, south of the city.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that any expansion of Israeli settlements would be "counterproductive to achieving lasting peace" with the Palestinians.

Despite international opposition, Israel has built dozens of settlements across the West Bank in recent decades, which is now home to more than 490,000 Israelis and some 3 million Palestinians. (Al Jazeera)

*More than 100 missing after kidnapping in Nigeria: On March 7, local authorities in Nigeria said more than 100 people were missing after jihadists in the northeast of the country carried out a mass kidnapping of women and children in migrant camps.

Ali Bukar, an officer at the Ngala Local Government Information Unit, said families had confirmed 113 missing people. Shehu Mada, the leader of the anti-jihadist militia, also said women from the displacement camps were “rounded up by ISWAP insurgents” on March 1.

Borno state police spokesman Nahum Daso Kenneth said the attack occurred at about 4pm on March 1, but police could not give an exact figure on the number of people kidnapped.

Anti-jihadist militia leaders have named the Islamic State (IS) West Africa Province (ISWAP) group as responsible for last week's attack in Borno state, the epicentre of a jihadist insurgency that has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced two million since 2009. (Al Jazeera)

America-Latin America

*Many countries oppose US sanctions against Venezuela: The governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas (ALBA-TCP) on March 6 unanimously rejected the White House's decision to extend sanctions against Venezuela for another year based on an Executive Order that considers this South American country a threat to US national security.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla denounced Washington's unilateral coercive measures against Caracas and its use of "baseless pretexts" that threaten the national security and foreign policy of the United States.

Meanwhile, the Nicaraguan government issued a statement strongly condemning the US's "interventionist policy" against peoples around the world, especially Venezuela.

On the same day, ALBA-TCP Executive Secretary Jorge Arreaza affirmed that the US extension of the 2015 Executive Order against Venezuela is a continued violation of international law, affecting not only the Venezuelan people but also the economy and people in the region. (AFP)

*Caribbean Community fails in efforts to find solution for Haiti: Guyana President Irfaan Ali, rotating chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said the regional organization has failed in its efforts to find consensus among the various powers in Haiti.

Mr. Ali commented that “the situation is very complicated” and is being aggravated by “the lack of key functioning institutions such as the President and the National Assembly”, escalating violence and a lack of humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry is in Puerto Rico and is under FBI protection. Puerto Rico's Foreign Minister Omar Marrero confirmed that Henry intends to return home, although it is unclear when.

Meanwhile, the leader of Haiti's most powerful armed gang, Jimmy Chérizier, alias 'Barbecue', warned that if Mr Henry did not resign and the international community supported the prime minister, the Caribbean nation would continue to sink into civil war and move towards genocide. (Reuters)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-ngay-73-trung-quoc-keu-goi-chuan-bi-cho-xung-dot-quan-su-tren-bien-nga-trieu-dai-su-my-tai-moscow-vi-can-thiep-noi-bo-263353.html