China
Xi Jinping strengthens ties with Putin
“Dear friend, welcome to Russia,” Vladimir Putin told his counterpart Xi Jinping, greeted by a red carpet and military band, for a three-day visit from March 20-22. Beijing will continue to make strategic relations between China and Russia “a priority”, said Chinese President Xi Jinping, who invited Vladimir Poutine to visit China this year.
“The public comments of Messrs. Xi and Putin [au sujet de la guerre en Ukraine] have been low-key, despite the cascading consequences of the past year. Instead, the leaders went to great lengths to flatter each other and display their unity,” the leader noted. New York Times.
Russia
Arrest warrant against Putin
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against the Russian president on March 17 for war crimes. Vladimir Putin is “presumed responsible” for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russian territory. If Russia is not a member of the ICC, this arrest warrant is not without consequence. “Putin’s world has become much smaller”, comment CNN. In fact, if he travels to one of the 123 signatory nations of the Rome Statute governing the Court, he risks extradition. As a snub to this decision, the Russian president went on March 19 to Mariupol, in occupied Ukrainian territory.
Turkey
NATO: Erdogan opens the door to Finland
After months of negotiations, Recep Tayyip Erdogan finally gave his agreement, on March 17, for Turkey to ratify Finland’s accession to NATO. However, the Turkish president continues to block Sweden’s candidacy. “Ankara believes that Finland has kept its promises regarding the security guarantees required, but that Sweden still has measures to take”, reports news site Al-Monitor. Erdogan calls in particular for the extradition by Sweden of 210 people – including Kurds – whom Turkey considers to be “terrorists”. The Swedish justice, sovereign on this subject, refuses to launch these procedures.
Syria
Red carpet for Assad
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was received in the United Arab Emirates with full honors on March 19, just days after his state visit to Moscow. This reception by his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed ben Zayed (MBZ), shows Abu Dhabi’s desire to see Syria “return to Arab rule”, after twelve years of civil war and diplomatic isolation.
Assad is taking advantage of the humanitarian support received after the February 6 earthquake to renew ties with his neighbors. “Aid efforts for Syria after the earthquake were led by Abu Dhabi, which helped to break its isolation”, relates The East-The Day.
Swiss
Credit Suisse saved in extremis
Redemption rather than a dangerous bankruptcy for world finances. Crédit Suisse, which its customers were fleeing, will be absorbed for barely 3 billion euros by its great rival, UBS, the two banks announced on March 19. To extinguish the fire, the authorities granted them a credit line of 100 billion euros. “Too many errors, procrastination, half-lies and clumsiness have got the better of a legendary establishment, at the origin of the industrialization of Switzerland in the 19th century, moves The Tribune of Geneva. Switzerland finds itself smaller today. This is not the end of the story, but a slap in the face of his pride.”
Poland and Slovakia
MiG-29s for Ukraine
Military support for Ukraine is taking a new step. Poland announced on March 16 to deliver a first batch of four MiG-29 fighter jets to the Ukrainian forces. The next day, Slovakia followed suit, adding 13. A first for NATO member countries.
“The successive decisions of Poland and Slovakia will probably put pressure on other Western countries to provide in turn military aircraft requested by Ukraine, in anticipation of a probable counter-offensive in the spring”, underline the magazine Time.
UNITED STATES
Complaints against an oil project
Environmental associations fear that the Willow oil exploitation program in northwestern Alaska is turning into an ecological and social disaster. Six of them announced that they were suing the US government on March 14, the day after the green light was given to this controversial project. “Despite the safeguards announced by the Biden administration, can we read on the website of the Anchorage Daily Newsthe development of Willow could lead to more drilling” within this area classified as a national reserve, untouched by any extractive activity, and mainly inhabited by indigenous populations.