Thời sự quốc tế 3/2 | Binh sĩ Ukraine ví các trận giao tranh tựa như ‘phim zombie’ | FBNC
HAS ANYTHING SPECIAL AT EU-UKRAINE WAR-TIME SUMMIT? THE NEW LEADERS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC SAY UNLIMITED IN UKRAINE ASSISTANCE SPECIALIST: UKRAINE WANT RUSSIA TO EXHAUSTED IN BAKHMUT BINH SĨ UKRAINE NÓI CÁC TRẬN GIAO TRANH VỚI QUÂN WAGNER TỰA NHƯ ‘PHIM ZOMBIE’ CHINA EXPANDED THE FLEET OF COASTAL GUARD TO 150 VESSELS US SAID CHINA'S SPY BALLOON FLY IN THE US AIR SPACE JAPANESE AID PHILIPPINES MORE 1 BILLION USD FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT NANCY PELOSI SUPPORTS ADAM SCHIFF RACING FOR THE SENATE 2024 HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF JOB CUT IN US IN JANUARY 2023 All will be here soon Welcome to the international news program. European Union leaders will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kiev on Tuesday, February 3, local time, delivering a pledge of new sanctions against Russia but disappointing Ukraine with a quick move to become a member of the EU. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kiev by train on February 2 a symbolic journey, to show support for Ukraine on the 1st anniversary of the war.
Senior EU leaders met with Ukrainian government officials. Ms von der Leyen and EU council president Charles Michel will hold talks with President Zelenskiy on Friday. Mr. Zelenskiy called on the European Union to impose more sanctions on Russia,
but the new sanctions that the bloc is preparing, are said to not meet Kiev's demand. Zelenskiy said in a video broadcast on February 2: "Today we reached a new and very important level of mutual understanding. Only together - a strong Ukraine and a strong European Union - can we protect people's lives. Through further integration, as Ukraine joins the EU
and is supplied with energy and other resources, our people can fight, despite obstacles and threats." While the EU supports Ukraine's economic and democratic reforms, the EU has not yet acknowledged that a country at war can join and in any case the process takes years. The last country to join the EU was Croatia in 2013, a decade after officially applying Ukraine's neighbor Poland took more than 10 years until its accession in 2004. Ukraine applied immediately after the attack and, in June 2022, received official candidate status from the EU.
The United States and its Western allies have committed to providing more weapons to Ukraine by January 2023. The talks included discussions on supplying Ukraine with more weapons and money, as well as greater access to Ukrainian products to the EU market, helping Kiev, EU officials said. cover energy needs. The EU has demanded more anti-corruption measures from Ukraine, which is believed to be endowed with widespread bribery, saying Ukraine must build a more credible anti-corruption apparatus. To that end, Mr. Zelenskiy this year announced investigations and fired several officials, and demanded that the Ministry of Defense be transparent.
Authorities are investigating senior military officials in two suspected cases of corruption. According to the State Investigation Department, a group of criminals suspected of embezzling public funds, by secretly selling expensive foods to the outside, have been arrested. Czech President-elect Petr Pavel, a retired NATO general, on Thursday said there should be no limit to military aid to Ukraine, and called on allies to be more courageous. Pavel, who led NATO's military committee from 2015 to 2018, won the vote over the weekend and will be sworn in next month. In an interview with AFP, the 61-year-old leader said the West should provide Ukraine with all types of weapons, except nuclear weapons, to help it fend off a Russian attack.
He said: "When it comes to conventional weapons, I really don't see any reason for a limit. Ukraine cannot fight an opponent as strong as this, without armored vehicles, planes, artillery and long-range missiles but possibly supersonic aircraft." Western allies have provided substantial military aid to Ukraine, since the full-scale offensive began in February 2022. But Mr. Pavel said more courage is needed because some countries have a reticent stance on transferring modern weapons. He continued: "If we have a single consensus view, it will give the best chance of success.
We should be united in action on these issues. We should provide Ukraine with every convenience to help them repel the Russian army.” The day after the election, Mr. Pavel spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,
to secure Czech support. He said he was planning to visit Ukraine with his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Caputova this spring. He continued: "It's important to continue to show support for Ukraine, highlighting our good and steadfast will. I think that's what Ukraine wants to hear." The Czech Republic, an EU and NATO member with 10.5 million inhabitants, has so far provided Ukraine with military aid worth $217 million. Mr. Pavel also endorsed Ukraine's attempt to join the EU and NATO, after the war ended.
He said: "If we see NATO and the EU as a region of stability, cooperation, and good relations then we should allow another major European country to participate. We also benefit from this, and so will Russia, once they can re-establish normal relations with the West n terms of values, long-term strategic interests, public interoperability technology between NATO and the Ukrainian army, Ukraine has met the conditions. In view of the protracted conflict and the final stage of this really tough war, Ukraine will be the most experienced, prepared army in Europe." According to Newsweek, some experts believe that even if Bakhmut is controlled by Russia, the Russian side will need several weeks to restore strength after huge losses. Dan Soller, a retired US colonel who worked in the Army intelligence service told Newsweek that whether Russia can control Bakhmut "remains an open question".
He said: “Ukraine is firmly defending Bakhmut to prevent Moscow from gaining more territory In addition, they also want to hold back Russian soldiers, cause as much damage as possible, and make Russia exhausted in this battlefield. Both sides have suffered heavy losses in the past month.” If Russia captures Bakhmut, it will have an offensive advantage in the next cities of Donetsk, including Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. However, Soller said that the Moskva side "does not seem to have enough strength to continuously attack, after the bloody battles in and around Bakhmut this winter". Soller added: "It will probably take a few weeks for Russia to recover before continuing its offensive momentum." In January, Russia announced that it had taken control of many areas around Bakhmut, including the city of Soledar, the settlement of Klishchiivka and the village of Blahodatne. When the fighting raged, in the southwestern city of Bakhmut, two Ukrainian soldiers, Andriy and Borisych, were living in a bunker dug deep in the frozen ground They have shared about their battle and that of their comrades against the mighty Russian Wagner mercenary force over the past few weeks.
Covering his face in a headscarf, Andriy told CNN of an endless gun battle, as Wagner's troops stormed into Ukraine's defenses. "We fought for more than 10 hours straight,” he said. That battle was not like waves or interruptions. The enemy forces have been advancing relentlessly.” Mr. Andriy said that his and his teammates' AK-47 guns became very hot due to continuous firing. People were constantly changing guns.That battle pitted only 20 Ukrainian soldiers against about 200 Wagner soldiers. Andriy said the Wagner force's way of attacking was to send a first wave of soldiers, mostly fresh out of prisons in Russia.
They knew little about the battlefield and were poorly equipped. Only when the first wave was exhausted did the Wagner group send more experienced fighters to capture Ukrainian positions. Soldier Andriy said that facing Wagner's attack was a terrifying and unimaginable experience. He compared the battle to zombie movies.
Brother Andriy further noted: “It appears that the Wagner warriors used some kind of drug before the attack.” CNN has not been able to independently verify this detail at this time. Ukraine, Russia and the West are all racing against time Will the heavy weapons of many NATO countries reach Kyiv first, or will Russia launch the attack first and be ready to respond to a new set of weapons? That is the question that causes headaches for strategic planners, when looking at the situation in Eastern Europe.
Doha-based radio station Al Jazeera reported that Ukraine's allies are rushing to prepare tanks and armored vehicles to send to Kyiv, because they see that Russia is stepping up its operation in the Donbass region, and possibly expanding the scale of combat in the spring-summer this year. Ukraine is about to get powerful weapons from the West, . creating favorable conditions for a major counterattack in the next few months However, Russia is also finding momentum moving forward, in the 49th week of the fierce conflict. In addition to the fierce battles in Donetsk mentioned above, Russian forces also carried out massive reconnaissance operations throughout the neighboring Luhansk province, and also broke through Ukrainian lines near the village of Ternova - Al Jazeera reported. On January 27, Russia was accused of launching S-300 missiles at the town of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk, killing three people and injuring 14 others. The attack prompted President Zelenksy to reiterate his call for the West to provide long-range weapons.
He said: "We desperately need long-range missiles, to prevent the enemy from placing missile launchers far away from the line of defense, and from there bombarding Ukrainian cities." Responding to Zelensky's request, two US defense officials told Reuters news agency that in a new military aid package worth more than $2 billion Washington would provide some of the long-range weapons Kyiv wanted. These include the "Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb" (GLSDB) with a range of 150 km, twice as high as the rockets for the HIMARS system that the US supplied last June. This type of bomb will put the entire Russian-controlled area of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson within the range of Ukraine.
The deputy director of Ukraine's military intelligence service, Vadym Skibitskyi, said that long-range weapons are extremely important to Kyiv Because Russia has learned from experience, and now places the weapon system about 80-120 km from the front line, which is beyond the reach of the HIMARS rocket that Ukraine has. The intelligence chief in Kyiv added that long-range weapons could also help Ukraine erode the strength of Russia's defenses before launching a counterattack. The question is whether the US can deliver weapons to Ukraine in time and Kyiv can use them effectively. In addition, Ukraine Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said that the country will receive Aster surface-to-air missiles developed by France and Italy,with a range of about 150 km. Italy's sending of this missile may be a coordination with Washington's aid to the GLSDB bomb. The US has so far not agreed to provide Ukraine with an "Army Tactical Missile System" with a range of 300km - the kind of weapon Kyiv aspires to have.
On the Russian side, the Kremlin said on February 1 that long-range missiles that the United States can provide to Ukraine will escalate the conflict, but will not change Moscow's goals in the special military operation. Immediately after South Korea announced joint military exercises with the US, the North Korean side responded warning that it would have the toughest response according to the principle of "nuclear-to-nuclear and all-round confrontation to respond to global confrontation.” North Korea's foreign ministry said on February 2 that joint exercises by the United States and its allies were pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula to an "extreme red line", as well as turning the area into a military arsenal. "If the United States continues to send strategic assets to the Korean peninsula and surrounding areas, the DPRK will more clearly demonstrate its response strategy," The KCNA statement said. DPRK will not be interested in any dialogue as long as Washington pursues a hostile policy and a confrontational line."
Over the past time, the US and South Korea have continuously conducted joint gatherings in the context of North Korea's increased ballistic missile testing,with a record number of about 70 tests in 2022. Notably, during the meeting of the Workers' Party of Korea at the end of the year, Chairman Kim Jong Un called on the country's military to exponentially increase its nuclear arsenal and develop intercontinental ballistic missiles. According to Japanese media, China's coast guard has commissioned an expanded fleet of about 150 ships, with an additional 20 ships delivered from the navy. They are modified battleships. Each vessel weighs at least 1,000 tons, the Chinese coast guard currently has more than double the number of 70 patrol boats of the Japanese coast guard. Photos obtained by Kyodo News confirmed a fleet of Chinese patrol boats, including many armed with artillery similar to warships anchored in China's eastern Zhejiang province in late January. It has been two years since China allowed its coast guard to use weapons, when foreign ships engaged in illegal activity in waters claimed by China.
With China's coast guard increasingly resembling the navy, there are concerns that Sino-Japanese tensions over the Senkaku Islands now administered by Tokyo, could escalate further. Chinese ships have repeatedly entered Japanese territorial waters around the uninhabited islands, known in Chinese as the Diaoyu. According to the photos obtained, a total of nine ships were moored at the end of January at a wharf in Zhejiang province where the construction and retooling of the coast guard vessels was underway.
The photos show crew members moving on deck and inspecting equipment, as well as several men in camouflage uniforms carrying supplies. Although China does not disclose the number of its coast guard vessels, the Japan Coast Guard estimates China's fleet is about 132 ships as of December 2021. About 20 ships were added to the fleet after the refurbishment, bringing the total to about 150.
These ships were deployed for surveillance and training. Late last November, a Chinese coast guard vessel armed with a 76mm cannon - the largest ever seen on such a ship, entered Japanese territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands. The ship was also seen moored at a jetty in Zhejiang. The Japanese government is increasingly concerned about China's expansion of its coast guard, as well as its plans to strengthen its power around the Senkaku, by building more large patrol boats for 2022 and 2023. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in his policy speech last month also announced that they would strengthen cooperation between the Japanese coast guard and the Maritime Self-Defense Force, to prevent any encroachment on sovereignty at sea. A suspected Chinese spy balloon has flown over US airspace over the past few days Senior officials have advised President Joe Biden not to shoot it down, because debris could pose a threat to civilian safety.
This old-fashioned method of intelligence gathering, like a spy movie, recalls the long time Beijing and Washington were willing to spy on each other, as tensions rose. "Clearly the purpose of this balloon is surveillance and spying," a senior US defense official told reporters on Monday. China and the United States, the world's two largest economies, have recently experienced tensions and conflicts of interest on a range of issues, such as the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea corridor, human rights record and trade war. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China in the coming days. Washington has been monitoring the balloon since it entered US airspace a few days ago, including by manned military aircraft.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, while visiting the Philippines, convened a meeting of senior officials to discuss the hot air balloon incident. US military leaders considered shooting down a hot air balloon over Montana, but ultimately advised President Joe Biden not to do so, because of the potential safety hazard from the debris. The US defense official also said that the current flight route will take the balloon through some sensitive locations, but did not provide details. Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana is home to 150 silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles. Officials declined to say how high the balloon was flying, but acknowledged it was operating above civilian air traffic.
US officials raised the issue with the Chinese side. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the press. China recently expressed strong opposition to the alleged US plan to impose a complete ban on technology exports to telecommunications equipment giant Huawei Technologies. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning criticized Washington's decision to abuse state power to hinder Chinese companies by expanding the concept of national security. This is an example of US technological hegemony.
The Financial Times reported earlier this week that the administration of President Joe Biden had stopped providing US companies with licenses to export to Huawei, as it moved to impose a complete ban on the sale of US technology for Huawei. In May 2019, President Donald Trump's administration added Huawei to a list of companies banned from buying components and technology from the United States, without government approval, citing security threats, because Huawei equipment could be used for espionage. However, the US Department of Commerce continues to license some companies to provide Huawei with technology unrelated to 5G high-speed wireless networks. Huawei denies any espionage charges.
Japanese media reported on February 2 that the country was considering providing more than 200 billion yen ($1.6 billion) in annual aid to the Philippines for infrastructure development. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Junior who is scheduled to visit Japan next week, to strengthen security cooperation, amid China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific.
Tokyo and Manila, which have maintained friendly relations in recent years, are stepping up security and economic cooperation,as they are both embroiled in territorial disputes with China in the East and South China seas. On the bilateral side, the two leaders are likely to confirm that the two countries will continue the dialogue with the participation of the foreign and defense ministers, which will be held for the first time in April 2022, and leave the door open for the possibility of joint exercises in the future. In 2017, Japan agreed with the Philippines, under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Rodrigo Duterte, that Tokyo would provide a 1 trillion yen aid package to Manila. But the duration of the aid, to support infrastructure projects, is five years. On an annual basis, the latest planned support is worth more than 200 billion yen, which will be larger than the previous fiscal package.
US media reported that former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi supported the Democratic Representative for California, Adam Schiff, to run for the US Senate in 2024, if Senator Dianne Feinstein decides to resign. She said: “If Senator Feinstein decides to run for re-election, I will wholeheartedly support her. If she doesn't run, I support Mr. Schiff, who understands the relationship between a strong democracy and a strong economy. While serving in the House, he focused on strengthening our democracy with justice, building an economy that works for all." Senator Dianne Feinstein, 89, said she would reveal her plans this spring. The oldest sitting senator,
who is also the longest serving senator representing the state of California, is expected to announce her retirement after a long career in public service. Schiff, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who became nationally known during his impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump said last month that he had made the announcement about the campaign to the Senate, after speaking with Mrs. Feinstein. He continued: “I would not have done this without her blessing. We are fighting for the future of our country. Our democracy is being attacked by extremists who are only interested in gaining and keeping power. Our economy simply doesn't protect the interests of millions of Americans, who are working harder than ever to make ends meet."
Republicans have targeted Schiff, seeking to remove him from the House Intelligence Committee, in retaliation for Democrats' decision to kick far-right Republicans from several committees. House of Representatives committee in the last session. The race to replace Ms. Feinstein is expected to be crowded. Radical Representative Katie Porter first announced her campaign last month and several other House Democrats are considering running, including Ro Khanna and Barbara Lee.
Mr. Schiff's one big advantage, beyond Ms. Pelosi's endorsement, is his vast experience in politics. In California, the two candidates with the highest number of votes in the primary election, will advance to the final election, regardless of party affiliation. US companies announced about 103,000 job cuts in January 2023, the highest monthly rate in years.
Last month was the worst month for job cuts since the Great Recession in 2009, according to a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas About 40% of the job cuts last month came from the tech industry, where Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce have announced plans to lay off thousands of parks Many companies say they have grown too quickly in recent years, and have had to cut costs to stay profitable. Andrew Challenger, vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas said “We are now on the other side of the hiring frenzy during the pandemic years,” Companies are bracing for an economic downturn, job cuts and slowing hiring.” According to the report, retailers have announced 13,000 job cuts, the second most after the technology sector amid slowing demand for non-essential goods. The real estate industry cut 2,200 jobs, while construction companies cut about 1,100 jobs.
The layoffs come as companies brace for an expected economic downturn, as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates. Consumption has decelerated in recent months after years of growth. Despite companies laying off large numbers of employees, the job market across the country remains strong.
Weekly jobless claims fell to a nine-month low, according to Labor Department data released on February 2. The specific number is 183,000, the lowest since April 2022. Job opportunities, too, remain at near-record highs. The number of job vacancies rose to 11 million in December, up 5.5% from the previous month.
The unemployment rate also remained near a 50-year low, reaching 3.5% in December. Economists expect the January 2023 jobs report, to be released soon, to continue to show the bustle of the labor market.
2023-02-03 18:35
