EU will not send troops to Ukraine, North Korean leader wishes Chinese President a happy birthday

Russia will hold elections in annexed territories, more candidates join the US presidential race, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister visits Iran… these are some of the notable international news stories of the past 24 hours.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has registered to run for the Republican presidential nomination. (Source: Getty Images)

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

Russia-Ukraine

* Russia considers holding elections in annexed regions of Ukraine : On June 15, TASS (Russia) quoted the head of Russia's election commission as saying that the country's Ministry of Defense and the Federal Security Service (FSB) are considering the possibility of holding mayoral elections in September in regions of Ukraine that Moscow declared annexed last year.

Currently, all four regions, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, are hotspots in clashes between the two sides in recent days. (Reuters)

* Russia pessimistic about the prospects of the Black Sea grain deal : Speaking on June 15, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated: “Work is underway, but frankly, we don’t see any particularly positive prospects. Everything previously agreed upon concerning us has not been implemented.” The official also warned that the current situation cannot last forever.

On the same day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia intended to return to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to request an international investigation into the September 2022 explosions targeting Nord Stream gas pipelines. Previously, Russia accused Ukraine and the West of being behind the explosions, but these parties have denied the allegations. (Reuters)

* EU rules out deploying NATO troops in Ukraine : On June 14, speaking on French television, Vice Admiral Herve Blejean, Chief of Staff of the European Union (EU) Military Staff, stated: “Deploying ground troops to Ukraine would mean becoming a party to a conflict with Russia. No one wants to participate in that confrontation, neither the EU nor the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). We do not want a confrontation with Russia.” According to Blejean, Ukraine’s counter-offensive will “not be the end point, regardless of the outcome.”

Earlier, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen suggested that individual member states of the alliance, such as Poland and the Baltic states, could decide to deploy troops to Ukraine. (RT)

* NATO : Aid to Ukraine is making a difference: On June 15, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated: “The support NATO allies have given to Ukraine for many, many months now is really making a difference on the battlefield.”

Regarding the NATO Defense Ministers' meeting in Brussels, he said that ministers and partners in the defense industry would discuss solutions to further boost production. At the same time, the senior NATO official emphasized that the common standard for member states to allocate 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense budgets “is not a ceiling, but only a minimum level for investment to ensure common security.” (Reuters)

* US urges allies to supply more weapons to Ukraine : On June 15, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Luu opened the meeting of defense ministers of the US-led Contact Group within NATO in Brussels, Belgium. He stated that the Contact Group had provided Patriot, IRIS-T, and NASAMS air defense systems to protect Ukraine against Russian missile attacks.

However, the US Secretary of Defense stressed that Ukraine needs more than that: “I urge members of the Contact Group to continue increasing the supply of air defense equipment and ammunition that (Kyiv) desperately needs to protect its citizens. We will also continue to adjust support to meet changing circumstances on the ground according to the evolving needs of Ukrainian forces.”

This was the 13th meeting of the Contact Group that Washington established last year to coordinate Western aid to the Kyiv government. (Reuters)

* European countries step up arms supplies to Ukraine : On June 15, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence announced that Oslo and Copenhagen had agreed to supply an additional 9,000 artillery shells to Kyiv. The statement clarified that Norway would provide the warheads, while Denmark would donate fuses and propellant charges.

On the same day, NTV (Germany) reported that the Dutch Ministry of Defence would purchase four VERA-EG radar systems worth 150 million euros to equip Ukraine's air defenses.

Amsterdam stated that the VERA-EG radar system can be used to detect, locate, track, and identify targets in the air, on the ground, and at sea. The Dutch Ministry of Defence stated that with this purchase, Amsterdam is “contributing to Ukraine’s integrated air defense system.” (NTV/Reuters)

Southeast Asia

* Cambodia continues preparations for general election : On the morning of June 15th, the Cambodian National Election Committee (NEC) announced and introduced the ballot printing process for the 7th National Assembly election in 2023. Mr. Hang Puthea, a member and spokesperson for the NEC, stated that the committee has printed over 13 million ballots in preparation for the 7th National Assembly election. Of these, over 11 million ballots will be used directly at polling stations, and over 1 million reserve ballots will be stored at election organizing offices in the capital and provinces.

The ceremony to inspect and introduce the ballot printing process for the 7th National Assembly election, held on the morning of June 15th, was attended by representatives of political parties, non-governmental organizations, and the press and media. The 7th National Assembly election is scheduled to be held on Sunday, July 23rd, 2023, with 17 political parties competing against the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). (VNA)

* Philippines: Attack on police vehicle leaves multiple casualties : On June 15, Philippine police confirmed that two police officers were killed and four others injured when an armed group ambushed a police vehicle in the southern part of the country.

Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, police chief of the Bangsamoro Muslim Autonomous Region of Mindanao (BARMM), said the incident occurred at 8:30 p.m. local time on June 14 in Shariff Aguak town, Maguindanao del Sur province, as a group of police officers were returning to their station after a routine patrol. According to Nobleza, the ambush took place just meters from the police headquarters.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Police are investigating the motive. (Xinhua News Agency)

Northeast Asia

* Chinese Premier visits Germany and France : On June 15, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced that Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit Germany and France from June 18-23. According to the announcement, Premier Li Qiang will attend the 7th round of intergovernmental consultations between China and Germany, as well as a summit on a global financial treaty in France. (Reuters)

* Japan significantly increases imports of Russian grains : On June 15th, the Ministry of Finance announced that in May, imports of grains from Russia increased by 2,098.7% compared to the same period in 2022. Also in May, Japan reduced imports of vegetables (82%), coal (76.3%), medical supplies (99.7%), steel (42.5%), and non-ferrous metals (85.5%) from Russia, while imports of fish and seafood increased by 14.6%. Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia to Japan increased by 9.1%.

According to TASS (Russia), Russia's share of LNG in Japan's total imports of this fuel increased to 13.22%, compared to a monthly average of around 9%. At the same time, bilateral trade in May decreased by 34.5%, to 130.75 billion yen (approximately $931 million). Exports to Russia increased by 34.8%, to 35.57 billion yen (approximately $253 million), while imports decreased by 46.5%, to 95.19 billion yen (approximately $678 million). (VNA)

* South Korea and Japan: North Korea just launched two short-range ballistic missiles : On June 15, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced that it had detected these launches from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at approximately 7:25 PM and 7:37 PM (local time). Seoul is currently continuing to analyze the situation.

Meanwhile, Tokyo said both missiles launched by Pyongyang landed within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Defense Ministry stated that one North Korean missile flew at an altitude of 50 km and had a range of 850 km, while the other also reached an altitude of 50 km and had a range of 900 km.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio criticized the launch as a serious violation of United Nations resolutions. However, he stated that there were no reports of damage to aircraft or ships as a result of the operation.

Earlier that day, a spokesperson for North Korea's Defense Ministry criticized the joint US-South Korea military exercises as "provocative and irresponsible," and warned of an appropriate response. (Kyodo/Reuters/Yonhap)

* North Korean leader congratulates Chinese President on his birthday : On June 15, KCNA (North Korea) reported that Kim Jong-un sent a letter congratulating the Chinese leader on his 70th birthday. In the letter, he emphasized that Beijing has “built a comprehensively prosperous society” and that “China’s national strength and international standing have been significantly enhanced” under President Xi Jinping.

KCNA reported: “The letter expresses confidence that the struggle for China’s prosperity will surely be victorious under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, with the party and the Chinese people united around the Central Committee of the Party, of which Xi Jinping is the core.” (KCNA/Reuters)

Europe

* NATO Secretary General mentions possibility of succession : On June 15, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that alliance members would decide whether he would continue in the aforementioned position.

Ahead of the leaders' summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, next July, the 31 NATO countries are reportedly discussing finding a successor to replace him as the alliance's secretary-general.

Previously, Stoltenberg, 64, who has headed NATO since 2014, extended his term by one year until October 2023 after Russia began conflict in Ukraine in February 2022. The official stated that he "does not want to seek any extension, but the decision rests with the NATO members."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is currently emerging as a leading candidate to succeed NATO Secretary General. However, there is still no consensus on a clear choice among NATO members, while diplomats are discussing the possibility of asking Stoltenberg to remain in the position. (AFP)

* Slovak government fails confidence vote : On June 15, Prime Minister Ludovit Odor's government failed a confidence vote in Parliament. The Slovak government received only 34 votes out of 136 participating MPs. Therefore, according to the country's Constitution, President Zuzana Caputova will dissolve the cabinet and entrust the task to an interim government with limited powers.

Previously, Prime Minister Odor's technocratic government took office last May and was expected to govern the country until the snap parliamentary elections in September. Prior to that, on May 7th, interim Prime Minister Eduard Heger submitted his resignation after ministerial resignations weakened his cabinet. (VNA)

America

* US Presidential Election 2024: Miami Mayor Runs : On June 14th, Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami, the capital of Florida, filed his candidacy with the federal election authorities. This officially marks his entry into the race for the Republican Party's nomination to run for President of the United States in 2024.

Francis Suarez, born in 1977, a Cuban-American, will become the only Latino candidate among the Republican nominees.

Currently, among the numerous candidates of this party, former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are the most prominent. However, despite the double-digit number of Republican candidates, public opinion considers this a two-way race between Trump and DeSantis. (VNA)

Middle East-Africa

* Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister to visit Iran : On June 15, Tasnim (Iran) reported that Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan would visit Tehran two days later.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are currently pushing forward with the normalization of relations. Previously, in 2016, the two countries severed bilateral diplomatic ties after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi Arabian diplomatic missions to protest Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite cleric. (Reuters)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-156-eu-se-khong-dua-quan-toi-ukraine-nha-lanh-dao-trieu-tien-chuc-mung-sinh-nhat-chu-tich-trung-quoc-231111.html