Russia strengthens its position along the front line, Israel affirms its determination to fight Hamas.

Indian ships arrive in the Philippines, another UAV crashes in Romanian territory, the State of Israel calls for a coalition against the Houthi rebels… these are some of the notable international news stories from the past 24 hours.

Russian President Vladimir Putin interacting with the Russian people on December 14. (Source: AP)

The World & Vietnam newspaper highlights some of the day's most prominent international news.

* President Putin : Russian troops consolidate their position along the front line in Ukraine : On December 14, speaking at an event with citizens and the press, President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Ukraine had lost some of its best soldiers in an effort to secure a firm position on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region. In addition, President Putin also stressed the important need to maintain mechanisms within the framework of the United Nations, such as the veto power of permanent member states in the Security Council. (Reuters)

* Russia adds Ukrainian military intelligence chief to wanted list : On December 14, Russia added Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian military intelligence agency (GUR), to its "wanted list," accusing the GUR of carrying out attacks inside Russian territory. Russia alleges Budanov orchestrated the 2022 attack that destroyed part of the bridge connecting Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia.

Late last month, Ukraine publicly questioned whether Russia had poisoned Budanov's wife, Marianna Budanova, with mercury and arsenic. Budanova is an advisor to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The Kremlin has denied the accusation. (AFP)

* Russia closely monitors US reduction in aid to Ukraine : In an interview on December 13, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The Kiev authorities promised that if you gave us $100 billion, we would win on the ground. The Americans now understand that they have been deceived. There is no victory on the ground. It is certain that Ukrainian forces are rapidly losing ground. This is an inevitable process. The Americans “actually started asking themselves from the beginning: what are they spending this money on?” He also expressed doubts about the US continuing military aid to Ukraine. (Reuters)

* Ukraine claims to have shot down several Russian drones overnight : On December 13, writing on Telegram, the Ukrainian Air Force stated: “Air defenses shot down 41 out of 42 Shahed-136/131 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The majority were shot down in the Odessa region.” Debris from the UAVs damaged more than a dozen buildings in Odessa and injured 11 civilians, including three children. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia also attacked port infrastructure in the Danube region. Debris damaged warehouses at two grain storage facilities. (Reuters)

* US: Ukraine conflict significantly damages Russian economy : On December 14, the Financial Times (UK) quoted Rachel Lyngaas, a leading economist on sanctions at the US Treasury Department, as saying that the Russian economy would grow by more than 5% if Russia had not launched its military campaign in Ukraine. She added that Russia is underperforming compared to other energy exporting countries, including the US. The US Treasury Department has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Russia spent over $100 billion, equivalent to nearly one-third of its total defense spending in 2023. The mainstay of the Russian economy, oil and gas revenues, have been severely impacted this year, despite a slight recovery in recent months as oil prices stabilized. Furthermore, Western sanctions on Russian oil trade have not had the significant impact anticipated. (Financial Times)

* Israel declares it will continue fighting Hamas despite international pressure : On December 14, speaking to soldiers at a military base in southern Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will continue until the very end. There is no doubt about this. I say this in the face of great pain, but also under international pressure. Nothing can stop us. We will go all the way, until we win, no more, no less.” The Israeli government press office released a video of the visit.

On the same day, speaking to the press, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen made a similar statement: “Israel will continue to fight Hamas, with or without international support… A ceasefire at this stage would be a gift to Hamas. We will not allow this organization to return or threaten the Israeli people.” He also called on the international community to act more “effectively and proactively” to protect shipping lanes. (TASS/Times of Israel)

* Israel's offensive in the West Bank enters its second day : Over the past 30 hours, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and border police have launched a major military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin to apprehend suspects believed to have attacked the country.

Starting on December 12th, Israeli soldiers searched 400 buildings in the Jenin refugee camp, forcing schools to temporarily close and students to switch to online learning. The IDF used drone strikes that killed seven Palestinians, including four militants and a 13-year-old boy. Simultaneously, Israel arrested hundreds of Palestinians on the wanted list and seized dozens of different weapons.

There are currently no signs that the IDF will halt its offensive in the West Bank. Since October 7th, the IDF has arrested 2,000 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank, including more than 1,100 accused of links to Hamas, while approximately 280 have been killed in clashes with Israeli armed forces. (Times of Israel)

* Hamas leader ready to discuss ceasefire with Israel : On December 13, speaking on television, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh declared: “We are ready to discuss any ideas or initiatives that could end Israel’s actions and open up opportunities to put Palestinian homes in their proper place in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.” He also stated that any settlement in Gaza without Hamas is “an illusion.” (Xinhua/Reuters)

* Russia increases medical aid to Gaza at Israel's request : On December 14, speaking to the public, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would increase the delivery of medical equipment and medicines to those affected by the Hamas-Israel conflict in the Gaza Strip, at the request of the Jewish state. He stated: “We agreed on an agreement with the Israeli side, according to which they requested us to take this action to increase the supply of medical equipment and medicines. We will fulfill that request.”

At the same time, he emphasized the need to ensure the well-being of the people in the Gaza Strip and called for large-scale humanitarian aid to the territory. President Putin also said he had discussed with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the possibility of opening a Russian-operated hospital in the Gaza Strip, but the plan was not yet secure.

Furthermore, at the event, the Russian leader also spoke in defense of the United Nations, explaining that the multilateral organization was seen as inactive in the Hamas-Israel conflict due to a lack of consensus among member states.

President Putin asserted that the field of sports should not be politicized, because sports are meant to unite people. Referring to calls to suspend Israel's participation in the Olympics, he noted: “In this regard, you just mentioned Israel, about Israeli athletes, and despite the events taking place in Gaza, I would agree with international sports officials. Sports are outside of politics; this field aims to unite people.” (Sputnik)

Southeast Asia

* Indian warship arrives in the Philippines : On December 13, an Indian warship made a visit to the capital Manila. Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran stated that the anti-submarine escort ship INS Kadmatt docked in Manila on a “goodwill visit” to underscore the strong bilateral relationship between India and the Philippines as “democracyes”.

He said, “We share a common interest in peace and stability in the region… We fully support our Filipino friends in their efforts to ensure that whatever happens at sea respects the constitution of these waters.”

According to the schedule, the INS Kadmatt will participate in a “maritime partnership exercise” with the Philippine Navy’s offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon in the South China Sea. (VNA)

Northeast Asia

* China and Russia continue joint patrols in the East China Sea : On December 14, the website of the Chinese Ministry of Defense confirmed that China and Russia conducted their seventh joint patrol in the Sea of ​​Japan and the East China Sea that day.

The statement read: “In accordance with the annual cooperation plan between the armed forces of China and Russia, on December 14, the two sides conducted their 7th joint strategic air patrol in the airspace of the Sea of ​​Japan and the East China Sea.” However, the statement did not provide further details.

Previously, the joint naval exercise "Northern Interaction-2023" took place from July 20-23. A total of 20 combat training exercises were conducted, including artillery firing at targets at sea, along the coast, and in the air. (TASS)

* South Korea on alert for security threats : On December 14, speaking during a visit to the Defense Counterintelligence Command in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-Sik highlighted the agency's role in protecting military and defense industry secrets. He stated, "As the only unit dedicated to security and counterintelligence operations, I expect you to always be prepared to protect military and defense secrets."

Later, South Korea's Defense Minister visited the Cyber ​​Warfare Command to urge military personnel to actively prepare for the increasing threats in the cyber domain. Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Park Ansu, also held a meeting with key commanders at the Ground Operations Command in Yongin, south of Seoul, urging practical training and instilling a strong fighting spirit in soldiers. (Yonhap)

* Russia is attracting widespread support in both Europe and the US : On December 14, speaking at a public and media event, President Vladimir Putin said: “I know that not only in German cities, but also in many cities in Europe and America, people believe we are doing the right thing, we are not afraid to fight for our national interests.” He pointed out that Russia has a large number of supporters worldwide who advocate for the protection of traditional values, and this number is increasing exponentially.

Furthermore, President Putin warned that over-reliance on the US dollar is causing serious socio-economic problems. The leader emphasized: “Russia is not abandoning the US dollar, but we are beginning to feel discouraged by the problems in payments between the US dollar and the euro.” (Sputnik/VNA)

* Another UAV crashes in Romanian territory near the Ukrainian border : On December 14, the Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed that, based on information from the scene, its forces conducted a search operation overnight.
That morning, they discovered a 1.5-meter-deep crater, identified as the result of an "uncontrolled collision" by the UAV used in the attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure.

This is an uninhabited area, located approximately 4 km upstream from the Romanian town of Grindu. The Romanian Ministry of Defence has secured the scene and notified the relevant authorities to collect evidence and conduct an investigation into the incident according to proper procedures.

In the early morning of December 4th, Russian forces repeatedly used drones to attack Ukrainian port infrastructure near the border with Romania. The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed that it had monitored the situation in the border region and activated an air raid alert, while also notifying the Inspector General of the emergency situation regarding the potential impact on the Tulcea and Galati districts from the risks associated with the incident.

Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jets from Air Base 86 in Fetesti and German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from Air Base 57 were deployed to monitor Romanian airspace. The alert was lifted at 2:00 AM on December 14 (local time).

Since the beginning of September, four more drones have crashed into Romanian territory near the border with Ukraine. In October, Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tilvar acknowledged the deployment of additional aerial surveillance systems in the Danube Delta region near Ukrainian ports frequently attacked by Russian forces. (VNA)

* Israel calls for the formation of an international coalition against the Houthi : On December 13, Israeli President Isaac Herzog emphasized that the continuous acts of terrorism and piracy by Houthi forces against ships of all nationalities require the entire international community to act, unitedly, strongly, and decisively to quell this threat. Furthermore, the leader stated that the US-led international operation against the Houthi terrorist pirate group must be strengthened and enhanced in the form of a genuine international coalition.

The Houthi rebels, who control much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, declared their involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict in late October by launching missiles and drones toward southern Israel. In recent weeks, they have also attacked ships heading toward Israeli ports on the Red Sea. (Al-Jaazera)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-1412-nga-cung-co-vi-tri-doc-tuyen-dau-israel-khang-dinh-quyet-tam-chong-hamas-253913.html