Russia warns Israel of serious consequences, Biden's "bad night", Philippines hopes for the best with China

The Hungarian Prime Minister's first visit to Kyiv after more than two years of conflict in Ukraine, the situation in the South China Sea, the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula, and Democrats' concerns about US President Joe Biden's standing after the first presidential debate... are some of the prominent international events of the day.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (left) meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on July 2. (Source: AP)

Europe

Israel must be prepared to face serious consequences if it continues with its plan to supply Ukraine with US-made air defense systems, according to Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia.

Nebenzia argued that this move could seriously affect relations between Israel and Russia, especially given Moscow's current rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.

The Russian diplomat emphasized: “I believe that this decision will inevitably have serious political consequences. Weapons, regardless of who sends them to Ukraine, will eventually be destroyed, just like other Western and American weapons. That is obvious.” (RT)

* Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is visiting Ukraine for the first time since Russia launched a special military operation in Hungary's eastern neighbor in February 2022.

The visit took place on the morning of July 2nd, just one day after Hungary officially assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).

In Kyiv, Prime Minister Orban met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials to discuss opportunities for achieving peace in Ukraine and current issues in bilateral relations. (AP)

* The Netherlands is proceeding with the delivery of the first batch of F-16s to Ukraine: In a letter to the Dutch Parliament, Defense Minister Kaisa Ollongren stated that the permits for supplying the aircraft to Kyiv have been granted.

However, for security reasons, she declined to specify the number of aircraft in the first batch or the timeframe for their delivery to Ukraine. (Reuters)

The US has allocated a $2 billion credit line to Poland to purchase missile defense and air defense weapons from Washington, according to an announcement by the Polish Ministry of Defense.

This is the second loan that the US government has granted to Warsaw recently. The Polish military did not disclose the details of the loan, only saying that it was signed on “very favorable financial terms.” (PAP)

America

* US reassures allies after President Biden's debate performance: Speaking at the Brookings Institute on July 1st, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended President Joe Biden's position on the international stage after the White House occupant's unconvincing performance in the live debate with former President Donald Trump on June 28th.

Blinken stated clearly: “It was just a bad night. If you look at surveys around the world, you’ll see time and time again that confidence in American leadership has increased significantly over the last three and a half years. That’s a result of our choices, our policies, and our approach.”

The US Secretary of State also stated that surveys consistently show President Biden's leadership in all areas. (Politico)

* Donald Trump enjoys absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for official actions taken while in office, but this does not apply to actions taken in his personal capacity.

The ruling, issued on July 1st, marks the first time since the nation's founding in the 18th century that the U.S. Supreme Court has declared that former presidents can be protected from criminal charges in all circumstances.

President Joe Biden warned that the ruling sets a "dangerous precedent" that Trump would exploit if elected in November, as the decision "almost certainly means there are no limits to what the president can do." (AFP)

The risk of a coup in Bolivia remains latent due to its vast lithium reserves and other natural resources, according to the country's Foreign Minister, Celinda Sosa.

Noting that Bolivia is "a country with great wealth, so attempts to seize power by force to achieve those interests are real," Sosa stressed the need for "extreme vigilance."

Furthermore, according to Foreign Minister Sosa, the Bolivian people are "very conscious" of not allowing the coup attempt by the dismissed army commander-in-chief, General Juan José Zúñiga, to take place on June 26th. (EFE)

Venezuela has agreed to restart direct negotiations with the United States , according to an announcement by the South American nation's president, Nicolas Maduro.

Speaking on his Monday broadcast on the state-run Venezolana de Television , Maduro said: “On July 10, negotiations will resume with the US government to ensure they comply with the agreements signed in Qatar.”

Asia-Pacific

* Philippines hopes for a meeting with China : Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo is "hoping for the best" as diplomats from China arrive in Manila today, July 2nd, to attend a meeting within the framework of the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism (BCM).

The meeting took place against the backdrop of ongoing controversies surrounding the South China Sea. Mr. Manalo described the relationship between Manila and Beijing as “unstable,” while his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, stated that the two countries are at a “crossroads” in their bilateral relations.

Earlier, speaking before a Philippine Senate committee, Manalo stated: "We have made every effort to bring China back to the negotiating table to resolve our differences." (Rappler)

* Japan wants to establish a "sister army" relationship with the Philippines: The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Fleet Command is studying a mechanism for establishing a "sister army" relationship with the Philippine Navy.

In a speech on July 1st, Commander of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Satoshi Saito, stated that the Philippines had raised the proposal while participating as an observer at a meeting between the fleet commanders of Japan, the United States, Australia, and South Korea on May 10th.

Mr. Satoshi emphasized: “This is very effective in strengthening relations with the Philippine Navy, and we hope this relationship will be established as soon as possible.” (Global Times)

* North Korea launches missile, South Korea resumes artillery drills at land border: On July 2nd, North Korean media reported that the country had test-fired a new Hwasong-11Da-4.5 tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a super-large warhead the previous day.

The test was conducted with a simulated missile fitted with a heavy warhead to verify flight stability and accuracy in hitting the target at a maximum range of 500 km and a minimum range of 90 km. Pyongyang will conduct another missile test this month.

On the same day, South Korea resumed live-fire drills at artillery sites near the border with North Korea, for the first time in six years. The drills, involving K9 and K105A1 self-propelled artillery, took place at frontline locations in Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces. (Yonhap, KCNA)

Malaysia is ready to cooperate with Indonesia in UN-mandated peacekeeping missions, according to a post by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on his personal Facebook page, following a phone call with Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto.

Mr. Anwar stated that Kuala Lumpur is ready to cooperate with Jakarta to deploy peacekeeping forces to Gaza if authorized by the UN, and also mentioned the possibility of expanding this cooperation to the regional level of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The two leaders also discussed Mr. Prabowo's role in representing Indonesia on the international stage recently, as well as his efforts to promote regional and global vision, cooperation, and peace. (CNA)

* Chinese President Xi Jinping paid an official visit to Kazakhstan on July 2nd to attend the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and to conduct a state visit to this Central Asian country.

In an article published by the media, President Xi Jinping stated that China "is ready to work hand in hand with Kazakhstan in the face of the historically significant changes taking place in the world and in our time."

He affirmed that China will cooperate with Kazakhstan to maintain the international system with the UN at its core and an international order reinforced by international law, as well as to act in accordance with genuine multilateralism.

According to the leader, Beijing and Astana will work together "to build an equal and orderly multipolar world, promote comprehensive and mutually beneficial economic globalization, and bring about more positive and certain results for world peace and stability." (Kazinform)

* Australian Prime Minister declines attendance at NATO Summit: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has decided not to attend the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington, instead sending a delegation led by Defence Minister Richard Marles.

This decision was made after the Albanese Prime Minister had not yet received confirmation of a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden ahead of the summit. The Prime Minister's office advised him against going to avoid controversy. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Middle East

* Iran threatens further attacks on Israel, pledges support for Hezbollah : Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Forces of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Tehran is ready to launch another major attack on Israel when "conditions are ripe."

General Hajizadeh stated that Iran hopes to have the opportunity to carry out a second version of Operation True Promise – the codename given by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and IRGC leaders to the April 13 attack on Israel in retaliation for the airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria. The attack involved at least 300 missiles and drones.

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Khamenei's advisor Kamal Kharrazi declared that all members of the "axis of resistance" would support the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon in every way possible should a conflict with Israel occur.

He also emphasized that Tehran is calling on the US to pressure Israel to prevent further escalation, noting that war benefits no one – including Iran or the US. (Tasnim)

* Russia accuses US-led coalition of violating Syrian airspace: On July 1st, Yuri Popov, Deputy Director of the Center for Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria under the Russian Ministry of Defense, stated that an MQ-9 Reaper drone belonging to the US-led coalition had "dangerously" approached a Russian An-30 fighter jet in the airspace of Homs province, Syria.

According to him, the Russian pilot demonstrated high professionalism and reacted promptly to avoid a collision. (TASS)

Africa

* Ethiopia and Somalia seek to ease diplomatic tensions: On July 1st, Somali media reported that Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and his Ethiopian counterpart Taye Atske Selassie were in Ankara, Turkey, to address and explore possibilities for easing ongoing diplomatic tensions.

The meeting between the two sides was held after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on January 1, 2024, between Ethiopia and Somaliland caused much controversy and strained relations between Ethiopia and Somalia.

Under this MoU, Ethiopia was granted control of a major naval base for 50 years in exchange for diplomatic recognition of Somaliland, a disputed territory, particularly by Somalia, which does not recognize Somaliland as an independent state.

This agreement increased tensions between the two neighboring countries, requiring diplomatic intervention.

The talks in Turkey are expected to provide a platform for both sides to express their concerns, explore common ground, and work towards a mutually beneficial solution. The outcome of this meeting is seen as potentially having far-reaching implications for stability and cooperation in the Horn of Africa. (Daily Sabah)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-27-nga-canh-bao-israel-cac-hau-qua-nghiem-trong-dem-toi-te-cua-ong-biden-philippines-mong-dieu-tot-dep-cung-trung-quoc-277174.html