Ukraine raises situation of Bakhmut, former Italian Prime Minister passed away

China affirms not to aid Russia, NATO holds unprecedented large-scale air exercises... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

Air Defender 2023, the largest air force exercise in NATO history, has officially opened. (Source: US Air Force)

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

Russia-Ukraine

* Russia: Ukraine steps up counterattack : On June 12, Mr. Vadim Astafiev, head of the press center of Russia's Southern Army Group, said that the country's army successfully repelled the attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) in the direction of Soledar-Bakhmut.

On the same day, Russian war blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk reported that the situation was tense as the VSU began to intensify its attacks. The fighting was particularly intense around the Urozhaynoye settlement, where the defensive line of the Operational Tactical Unit (OBTF) “Kaskad” of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) is located. According to him, the units are retreating in an organized manner to the next line of defense to preserve their forces. This tactic allows them to maintain combat readiness and prepare for further resistance. The Kaskad forces and units of the Russian army continue to fight, holding their positions and using all means to resist new attacks from Kiev.

Meanwhile, the VSU has announced the reinforcement of its positions in the DPR village of Storozhevoe, after it came under VSU control. Notably, the village is located on the Vremievsky Cape, near the border of the DPR and Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Earlier, it was reported that the VSU had reinforced its positions in Blagodatny and Neskuchnoye, which are also located in the region. This created an extremely unfavorable situation for the Russian army. According to Russian war correspondents, the VSU has begun an active offensive in the area of ​​the settlements of Makarovka and Urozhaynoye. (Sputnik)

* Ukraine reports on Bakhmut situation : On June 12, the VSU General Staff said that its forces were engaged in fierce clashes at frontline hotspots. According to the Ukrainian military, about 25 battles took place during the day near the eastern town of Bakhmut, and further south near Avdiivka and Maryinka, both in the Donetsk region, and near Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region.

A day earlier, Ukraine announced its first steps toward regaining control of its territories from Russia. Kiev said its troops were heading toward three villages in Donetsk: Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka. (Reuters)

* European official: Conflict in Ukraine could last for years: On June 12, speaking on RMS radio (Germany), European Union (EU) Commissioner for Industry Thierry Breton stated: “We are preparing for the scenario that the conflict will continue to last. Unfortunately, high-intensity conflicts in Europe have lasted for several years before and we are preparing for this.”

At the same time, this official also predicted that sanctions against Russia may not end. However, Mr. Thierry Breton also commented: "No one said that Ukraine will win thanks to those measures. If Ukraine wins, it will use military measures to take back the territories controlled by Russia. Therefore, the EU and Ukraine's allies are providing everything this country needs to win." (RMS)

* Israel, Ukraine unable to arrange defense minister talks : On June 11, Times of Israel quoted Ukrainian officials as saying that the country has been unable to arrange a phone call between Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant since Gallant took office in late 2022.

Israel Hayom also reported last week that despite a request from Ukraine, the two defense chiefs have not spoken since Yoav Gallant took office. An Israeli defense ministry official added that there were some initial exchanges at the beginning of Gallant’s tenure. However, those talks did not progress, and no further proposals were made by Ukraine. (Israel Hayom/Times of Israel)

* Japan will continue to provide aid to Ukraine : On June 12, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said: "Japan has pledged $7.6 billion in aid to Ukraine and neighboring countries. In addition, Tokyo will provide comprehensive aid in many areas, such as providing defense equipment... We will use Japan's experience and knowledge in a number of areas such as mine clearance, debris removal, ... including in the fields of energy and agriculture." At the same time, the Japanese leader also said that the government and private companies of the country have set up a council to prepare for promoting Ukraine's economic recovery after the conflict. (Sputnik)

Russia-China

* China denies supplying armored vehicles to Russia : On June 12, the country denied information that it had provided weapons or military equipment to Chechen units in Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Uong Van Binh stated: “I have no knowledge of the so-called public evidence (about selling weapons to Chechnya) you are talking about. China has always adhered to the goal and fair stance on the Ukraine issue. We are working for peaceful dialogue, not providing weapons or inciting hostility.”

In addition, he also called on media agencies to work responsibly, reporting news "objectively, fairly, professionally and based on the truth". (Reuters)

South Asia

* China hopes India will compromise on media controversy : On June 12, speaking at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: "In recent years, Chinese journalists working in India have been subjected to unfair and discriminatory arrangements. We hope India will continue to issue visas to Chinese journalists, remove unreasonable restrictions, and create favorable conditions for press exchanges."

According to him, India has not approved new visas for Chinese journalists since 2020. As a result, the number of Chinese reporters here has now dropped from 14 to one. “It is regrettable that India has done nothing,” Wang said. “China is willing to act on the principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit to maintain communication. We hope India will make a compromise on this issue.”

China has refused to renew the visas of the last two Indian journalists working there, citing India’s similar action this month against the two remaining Chinese state media journalists in India. One of the two remaining Indian journalists in China left the country on June 11 after his visa expired, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The other, a PTI employee, will leave China this month for the same reason. India had four correspondents stationed in China this year, but two of them were barred from returning in April after being told their visas had been frozen.

Another source said the Indian government had approved temporary visas for Chinese state media reporters to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers' meeting in May. India's foreign ministry also hoped China would allow its journalists to work in Beijing. New Delhi has also stressed that it allows all foreign journalists to operate in India. (Reuters)

Northeast Asia

* China will support Honduras in economic and social development : On June 12, speaking at a meeting with Honduran President Xiomara Castro in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized that Tegucigalpa's shift, abandoning diplomatic relations with Taiwan (China) and establishing relations with Beijing, marked a "historic decision and demonstrated the steadfast political will" of Honduras.

“China will unceasingly develop the China-Honduras friendly relations and provide strong support for Honduras’s economic and social development,” he said. Beijing will seek to develop the relationship “from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, turning the vision of good cooperation between the two countries into concrete results.”

Honduran President Xiomara Castro is expected to sign a series of bilateral cooperation agreements with the host country during her visit to China. (AFP)

* South Korea continues to criticize Chinese Ambassador: On June 12, the South Korean Presidential Office said that an ambassador's poor role as a bridge could harm bilateral national interests.

“Article 41 of the Vienna Convention stipulates the duty of diplomats to respect the laws of the host country. This also stipulates their duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of the host country,” the South Korean official said.

The remark was seen as a reference to Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming’s recent controversial statement on Seoul’s relations with Washington, saying that South Korea had “bet the wrong way” in the US-China rivalry. The South Korean Foreign Ministry and the South Korean Embassy in China immediately criticized the statement. (Yonhap)

Europe

* NATO's largest air defense exercise in history: On June 12, Air Defender 2023, the largest air exercise in the history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), began at the Wunstorf air base near Hannover, Germany. The exercise is expected to last until June 23, with the participation of forces from 25 countries, of which Germany is the main exercise location and takes command of the exercise. Participating in this exercise, which has been prepared for 5 years, are 10,000 soldiers and 250 aircraft, of which the US contributes about 100 aircraft and Germany 70 aircraft. On the first day, about 146 aircraft are expected to take off out of a total of about 2,000 sorties within the framework of the exercise.

The exercise will train how to rapidly deploy reinforced air forces to Germany in the event of a conflict, recapture captured areas, and practice defense and mutual assistance operations modeled on Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which commits partners to come to their aid in the event of an armed attack against one or more NATO members.

According to the plan, there are three exercise areas in German airspace, where the exercises will take place at different times for two hours each day. The three main exercise areas include the Eastern and Northeastern exercise areas, which cover the Baltic Sea and the coastal areas of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; the Southern exercise area, which covers a corridor from Lechfeld in Bavaria to the Baumholder exercise area in Rheinland-Pfalz; and the Northern exercise area, which is mainly located over the North Sea.

Due to its central location in Europe, Germany will be a major logistics hub and the main staging area for the exercise. The exercises will focus on air bases in Germany, but will also involve locations in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. (AP/VNA)

* SIPRI: Global nuclear weapons to increase in 2022 : On June 12, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said that the estimated number of nuclear warheads in military stockpiles increased by 86 over the past year, to 9,576, continuing a trend of the past few years. SIPRI Director Dan Smith warned: "We are entering the most dangerous period in human history. Governments around the world need to find ways to cooperate to ease geopolitical tensions, reduce the arms race and deal with the increasingly dire consequences of the environment and rising hunger in the world."

According to SIPRI, nine nuclear-weapon states are continuing to modernize their nuclear arsenals, and some have deployed nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems by 2022. (Reuters)

* Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi passed away : On June 12, the spokesman for former Italian Prime Minister and Senator Silvio Berlusconi confirmed that this veteran politician passed away at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, at the age of 86.

Mr. Berlusconi has had many health problems in recent years. On June 10, this leader was hospitalized in Milan for leukemia-related tests, just 3 weeks after he was discharged. Previously, in 2016, this politician, who served as Prime Minister of Italy 4 times in 9 years, underwent heart surgery. At the same time, he also had prostate cancer. In 2020, the former Prime Minister of Italy contracted Covid-19 and was hospitalized several times after that.

In addition to his position as former Prime Minister of Italy, Mr. Berlusconi is also a billionaire in the media industry. In addition, he was the President of AC Milan Football Club for 26 years, experiencing a golden period with 8 Italian championships and 5 European championships. In 2017, he sold the club to a Chinese tycoon. (TTXVN)

America

* US promotes return to UNESCO : On June 12, AP (USA) reported that the US has sent a letter of request to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote its return to this organization. The statement of the US State Department clearly stated that the above process will require the consent of the current members of this organization and Washington understands that the leadership of the above organization will send the proposal to the members in the coming days. Currently, the content of the proposal is still kept confidential.

Notably, Axios said that the US may even lobby to join the UNESCO Executive Board in the near future. There are reports that Western countries have reserved a seat for the US on the Council if the US intends to return.

The United States and UNESCO have had a tumultuous relationship over the past four decades, with disputes largely over ideological issues during the Cold War and recent Israeli-Palestinian tensions. The United States contributed about 22%, or $80 million, to UNESCO’s budget until 2011. But in 2019, then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from UNESCO, accusing the organization of unfair treatment of Israel. The country still owes UNESCO some of its contributions, but earlier this year, the Biden administration set aside $150 million in its current budget to pay the organization. (AP/Axios)

Middle East-Africa

* Iran may soon swap prisoners with the US : On June 12, in a televised press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said: "Regarding the issue of prisoner exchange with the US, negotiations are ongoing through intermediaries... If the other side shows the same seriousness and goodwill, this could happen in the near future." One of the Americans currently detained in Iran is Siamak Namazi. This person is a businessman with dual US-Iranian citizenship, sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2016 for spying and cooperating with the US government.

A day earlier, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said he had "no problem with a nuclear deal" as long as it protected Tehran's interests and did not harm its nuclear industry. (Reuters)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-126-ukraine-neu-tinh-hinh-bakhmut-cuu-thu-tuong-italy-qua-doi-230726.html