- The Guardian
- Issue #2072
USA: The second US-Pacific Summit took place in the USA. Two Pacific countries decided to stay away from the meeting – the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Last year’s summit with 14 Pacific Island nations was aimed at countering China’s growing influence in the region which the US considers to be vital for its strategic and military interests. The US pledged $810 million in new aid over the decade, including $130 million to deal with climate change issues. However, in reality the US was more interested in opening new embassies and sending coastal patrol boats to the region. The US is going to propose that the Pacific Island states should join the Quad, which includes the US, Australia, India, and Japan to coordinate maritime surveillance. Preparing for a major conflict with China, the US hopes to establish close military and security relations with the Pacific Island nations and at the same time disrupt their partnership relations with China.
FRANCE: French president Emmanuel Macron has announced the withdrawal of French troops from Niger in the coming months. At the moment France has about 1500 troops stationed in Niger. The former president was overthrown at the end of July, and the new military authorities are keen for French troops to leave the country. “Any person, organisation or structure whose presence threatens the interests of our country must leave the land of our ancestors whether they want it or not. The sovereign people of Niger recall the firm and inviolable principles of the withdrawal of foreign forces of the French junta. Imperialist and neo-colonial forces are not welcome on our national territory,” the new government said in a statement.
ISRAEL: The Israeli anti-fascist movement strongly condemned the honouring of a Ukrainian Nazi veteran in the Canadian parliament. “First of all, we condemn the invitation. The West has forgotten what fascism and Nazism are … We hope that, just like us, our authorities will condemn this action, since the Jewish people have not forgotten those crimes,” the chairman of the Israeli anti-fascist movement said. The anti-fascist movement will send a letter to the Israeli ambassador in Canada pointing out the unacceptability of such actions.
ARGENTINA: Argentina wants to create a national park in the Malvinas Islands. The government has sent a bill to the parliament for the creation of a national park in the Malvinas Islands. The environment minister highlighted the richness of the Malvinas ecosystem. “Malvinas is the claim for our historical sovereignty. But the islands are also an ecosystem with albatrosses, marine fauna, wetlands and peat bogs. In the Southern Patagonia region, these peat bogs are of the most important carbon capturers that the planet has,” the minister stressed.
RUSSIA: Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia was prepared to return to negotiations with Ukraine but will not entertain any proposal for a ceasefire. “We will not entertain ceasefire proposals because we have done so before and were deceived,” Lavrov said.” Do they want negotiations on the battlefield? Very well, then it will be on the battlefield”.
