Germany "turns around" following France, Russia issues warning of "playing with fire"; Trump faces historic verdict

Revolving around the possibility of Ukraine being allowed to use Western weapons to attack military targets in Russia, Mr. Trump and the 2024 US presidential election, the situation on the Korean peninsula and the Gaza Strip... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met on May 28 in Meseberg, eastern Germany. (Source: DPA)

Europe

* France and Germany have agreed to let Ukraine use Western weapons to attack military targets in Russia, but only in places Moscow uses to fire missiles at the Eastern European country.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made the announcement at a joint press conference, stressing that Ukraine must not attack other locations.

Mr. Macron said the decision would not escalate the current conflict in Ukraine.

Chancellor Scholz's move marks a change in stance, as just a few days earlier the leader had affirmed that there were no plans to allow Kiev to attack military targets on Russian territory with weapons supplied by Germany.

In recent days, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has also repeatedly called for lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western weapons to attack military targets on Russian territory.

However, the White House ruled out such a possibility for US-supplied weapons, stating: “There is no change in our policy at this time. We do not encourage or permit the use of US-supplied weapons for attacks inside Russia." ( AFP)

* Russia warns NATO is "playing with fire": Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that NATO member countries are "playing with fire" if they allow Ukraine to use weapons aid from the West to attack deep into Russian territory, which could even cause "serious consequences".

Noting that Europe “should realize what game they are playing,” Putin added , even if Ukraine carried out attacks, Moscow would hold Western arms suppliers responsible.

Regarding the West sending military instructors to Ukraine, the Russian President stressed that any official move to send troops would be another "escalation" and "another step towards a serious conflict in Europe and a global conflict". (The Sun)

* Belarus officially suspended the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty after the country's President Alexander Lukashenko signed it into law.

The law, passed by the Belarusian lower house on April 17 and the upper house on May 6, states that the suspension is aimed at ensuring Belarus' national interests and responding to similar decisions by NATO members. (TASS)

* EU-Norway sign new Security and Defence Partnership Agreement, covering existing areas of cooperation such as continued joint support for Ukraine; Oslo's participation in missions and activities within the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), as well as participation in EU defence initiatives.

In addition, the agreement also promotes practical cooperation in areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity, countering foreign manipulation and interference in information, including disinformation, and introduces new consultations on peaceful mediation.

The partnership also identifies new opportunities for joint actions, for example on critical infrastructure resilience and underwater infrastructure protection, as well as promoting on-the-ground cooperation between EU Delegations and the Norwegian Embassy. (EEAS)

* Poland will re-establish a 200m buffer zone on its border with Belarus early next week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

The border area has become a hotspot since migrants began arriving in 2021. In recent weeks, the number of migrants attempting to cross illegally has increased and Polish border guards have recorded several violent incidents.

Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poland is ready to increase the number of troops on the border with Belarus, which currently stands at 5,500. In addition, Poland plans to spend 10 billion zlotys ($2.55 billion) to strengthen border security with Belarus. (TASS)

Asia-Pacific

* South Korea and UAE sign Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEAP) : On May 29, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a summit with his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is visiting Seoul.

The leaders of the two countries discussed cooperation plans in four areas: conventional and clean energy; nuclear energy; economy and investment; defense and defense technology.

During the summit, the two sides signed the CEAP Agreement to establish a foundation for strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries in all areas, including trade liberalization and investment expansion. The UAE is the first Arab country with which Korea has signed this agreement.

After the Summit, the Presidents of the two countries attended the signing ceremony of a total of 19 agreements, memorandums of understanding and letters of intent for cooperation. (KBS)

* US-South Korean Air Forces conduct live-fire drills in the Yellow Sea from May 27-30. This exercise is hosted by the Air Combat Command of the Republic of Korea Air Force, with about 90 aircraft.

The exercise was planned in advance, focusing on establishing a readiness posture to deal with provocations from opponents, improving the pilots' ability to operate weapons and attack targets.

Air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-9X and AIM-120B, bombs and air-to-ground missiles such as the GBU-31 and AGM-65G hit the simulated targets. (Yonhap)

* North Korea-South Korea tensions over leafleting: On May 29, military sources revealed that the South Korean military discovered more than 150 balloons believed to have been launched by North Korea across the border between the two countries.

The move comes after North Korea warned of "tit-for-tat action" against leaflets sent by South Korean activists to spread propaganda against Pyongyang.

Some of the balloons fell to the ground, but they were not carrying leaflets but rather trash and other waste. The South Korean military and police are now collecting the balloons, the source said. (Yonhap)

* Indonesia plans to host the 5th Multilateral Exercise Komodo (MNEK), scheduled to take place in Bali in February next year. The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has invited navies from 56 countries to participate in the exercise, which aims to practice humanitarian assistance for disaster relief.

Affirming that all countries, including those with conflicts with each other, can be invited, Navy Captain Lukman Kharish said: “We hope this exercise can bring countries together and we want to show them that this exercise is feasible and has high value for the navy.”

Thirty countries have confirmed their participation in the exercise. (Antara News)

* China and Japan have agreed to resume talks between their ruling parties for the first time in six years, a source in Japan's coalition government said on May 29.

Accordingly, Secretary General of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Motegi Toshimitsu reached an agreement with Liu Jianchao, Head of the Central Committee's International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, on the above issue during the Chinese official's visit to Tokyo.

However, details of how and when the talks will begin have yet to be finalized. (Reuters)

Middle East-Africa

* The fighting in Gaza will last at least another seven months , according to Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi on May 29.

Mr. Hanegbi also said that the Israeli army has controlled 75% of the Philadelphia Corridor running along the border of the Gaza Strip and Egypt. (12TV)

* Israel has not yet crossed the "red line" after the airstrike in Rafah that killed 45 people, for the US to change its policy on aid to this Middle Eastern ally, according to a statement from the White House.

However, Washington is "actively engaging" with officials in Israel to determine exactly what happened in Rafah, and has asked its close ally to conduct a full investigation into the incident.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the Israel Defense Forces had promised to conduct a prompt investigation into the airstrike. (The Guardian)

* Aid deliveries via the US pier have been suspended after a section of the pier collapsed, possibly due to bad weather.

The pier broke on May 28 and will be towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod for repairs, which are expected to take more than a week, after which the pier will be returned to its original location off the coast of Gaza, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.

Earlier in the day, several US officials who requested anonymity said the pier collapsed possibly due to bad weather.

According to a spokesman for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), since the pier came into operation, it has served 137 truckloads of aid, equivalent to 900 tons, for Gaza.

Meanwhile, the transportation of aid into Gaza by land has also been difficult. Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan said there was no indication from Israel that the Rafah crossing could be reopened soon. (Daily Sabah)

* The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has formed a new government, ending months of political deadlock. The new cabinet of the DR Congo includes 54 ministers, down from 57 ministers in the previous government. (Reuters)

* The US and Sudan discussed ending the conflict in the East African country during a phone call between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The two sides also discussed measures to “allow unhindered humanitarian access to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people,” the resumption of peace talks and the protection of civilians, as well as the de-escalation of hostilities in the city of al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur state. (Reuters)

America

* Donald Trump faces a pivotal moment in his 2024 presidential campaign, as 12 members of the New York criminal jury - which is trying him on 34 counts - will make their final decision on May 29 (local time).

If Mr Trump, the Republican nominee, is found guilty on any of the 34 counts, it would threaten to upend a presidential election that has so far largely favored him.

In a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll earlier this year, 53% of voters in key battleground states said they would not vote for Mr. Trump if the former president were convicted.

If convicted, the judge could sentence Mr. Trump to probation or sentence him to up to four years on each count in state prison, up to a maximum of 20 years. (AP)

* Argentina and Chile discussed strengthening strategic relations during talks between foreign ministers Diana Mondino (Argentina) and Alberto van Klaveren (Chile).

The foreign ministers agreed to implement specific measures to address outstanding issues in improving operations at border gates between the two countries.

In addition, the two sides also emphasized the importance of completing infrastructure works to promote the project "Road Corridor connecting the two coasts of the Pacific and the Atlantic" within the expected time, allowing for increased integration and connection of economic centers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay.

* Venezuela has withdrawn its invitation to the EU to monitor the presidential election taking place in the South American country next July. Venezuela has accused the EU of “interfering”.

The move comes after the EU eased sanctions on the head of Venezuela's electoral council, while Caracas demanded the sanctions against him be lifted completely. (AFP)

* Haiti's transitional council appoints interim prime minister Garry Conille, who briefly held the position of head of the Haitian government a little over a decade ago.

Notably, Haiti's new interim prime minister has more than two decades of experience working in the development sector, mainly in international NGOs and the United Nations. Since January 2023, Mr. Conille has served as the regional director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for Latin America and the Caribbean. (Reuters)

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