Russia controls more villages near Bakhmut; Hamas plans a surprise attack.

Hungary refuses to send weapons to Ukraine, Israel's far-right party threatens to leave government , Sweden hopes Turkey will do this soon… these are some of the notable international news stories from the past 24 hours.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom (far left) speaks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan (far right) on the sidelines of the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on November 28, 2023. (Source: Reuters)

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

* Russia takes control of village on the outskirts of Bakhmut : On November 29, the country's Ministry of Defense announced that Russian soldiers had gained control of Khromove in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. The village is located on the western outskirts of Bakhmut, a city Russia seized control of last summer. Before the conflict, Khromove had a population of 1,000. (Reuters)

* Russia launches Kalibr missiles to attack Ukrainian military infrastructure : On November 29, TASS (Russia) reported that a Black Sea Fleet destroyer fired four Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukrainian military infrastructure: “The crew of the Black Sea Fleet destroyer received a surprise mission to conduct an attack with Kalibr cruise missiles in the shortest possible time against the enemy’s military infrastructure.” The exact timing of the attack is unclear. (Reuters)

* NATO warns Russia is stockpiling large missile supplies ahead of winter : On November 29, speaking to reporters after a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accused Russia of making new attempts to attack Ukraine's power grid and energy infrastructure in an attempt to "push the country into a dark and cold situation."

Furthermore, according to Stoltenberg, NATO has made recommendations to Ukraine on its path to full membership, including combating corruption: “The allies agree that Ukraine should become a NATO member. We have now made recommendations on priority reform programs for Ukraine, including the fight against corruption, strengthening the rule of law, and supporting human rights and the rights of ethnic minorities.” (Reuters/Sputnik)

* Ukraine reaffirms its strategic objective in the conflict with Russia : On November 29, ahead of the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Brussels, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba declared: “My message to the Allies is that we must continue. Ukraine has no intention of backing down. Our strategic objective remains unchanged: territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders of 1991. Nothing can stop us.” According to him, this strategic objective is not only about Ukraine's security but also about “the security and stability of the entire Euro-Atlantic region.” ( Ukrinform )

* Hungary will never transfer weapons to Ukraine : On November 28, in an interview with CNBC (USA), Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated: “The action we have never taken and will never take is transferring weapons. We believe that instead of weapons, peace should be brought to this region. The more weapons we transfer, the longer the conflict will last; the longer the conflict lasts, the more people will die. There is a Hungarian community, an important community, living on Ukrainian territory. Ethnic Hungarians are constantly being mobilized into the Ukrainian army. Many of them have died.”

The Hungarian Foreign Minister affirmed: "We should intensify our efforts to build peace and seek diplomatic solutions." He also emphasized the need to maintain open channels of communication, stating that this was the reason Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing last October.

Earlier, Szijjarto stated that NATO foreign ministers had acknowledged at a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, that Ukraine's counteroffensive had failed and that its results were far worse than anticipated. (TASS)

* The US and the West remain steadfast in supporting Ukraine : On November 29, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “Some are questioning whether, in reality, the US and other NATO allies will continue to stand with Ukraine as it enters a second winter. The answer here today at the NATO forum is very clear and unwavering. We must and will continue to support Ukraine.” (AFP)

* An Israeli far-right party threatens to dissolve the government : On November 29, Israeli National Security Minister and chairman of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party in the coalition government, Itamar Ben Gvir, said: "Stopping the conflict means collapsing the government."

This party currently holds six seats in Parliament and three ministerial positions. However, even if the party announces its departure, the ruling coalition will not collapse due to the recent entry of Benny Gantz's National Unity Party. Following the outbreak of conflict, this party joined the government, and Gantz became part of the Unity Cabinet. Last week, three ministers from the Otzma Yehudit party opposed the ceasefire agreement, but the agreement was still passed. (Times of Israel)

* Hamas intends to release Israeli soldiers : On November 29, the Washington Post , citing informed sources in Qatar, revealed that representatives of the Islamist movement, currently participating in negotiations in Doha, have expressed their intention to release several hostages—Israeli soldiers and reservists who were kidnapped. Previously, the heads of the Israeli intelligence agency (Mossad) and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) actively coordinated with the Qatari mediator in negotiations with Hamas. Accordingly, at least five more hostage releases are planned if an agreement is reached. However, to date, no consensus has been reached on this issue.

Five groups of hostages are expected to be released, including those past the age limit for military service, female soldiers, male reserve soldiers, active-duty male soldiers, and the bodies of Israelis murdered before being transported to Gaza or who died in captivity. According to sources, the number of hostages meeting these criteria is currently over 100, although the exact number is unclear. (Washington Post)

* Turkey welcomes temporary ceasefire in Gaza : On November 29, speaking before the Turkish Parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated: “We consider the hostage exchange and the humanitarian ceasefire as a positive development toward ending the bloodshed.” He pledged that Ankara would intensify diplomatic efforts to realize a full ceasefire and hostage exchange in the coming days. (Reuters/VNA)

* G7 Foreign Ministers Support Extension of Ceasefire and Hostage Release in Gaza : In a joint statement on November 28, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading developed economies (G7) stated: “Every effort must be made to ensure humanitarian assistance for the people… We support extending the current ceasefire and future ceasefires as they are necessary to facilitate increased assistance and the release of all hostages.” The statement also welcomed the release of some hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, when the group attacked Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people. (Reuters)

* China calls for a comprehensive and lasting Israeli-Hamas ceasefire : On November 29, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira. Wang said the two countries should strive to reach a new consensus in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and promote a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, release prisoners, and return to a two-state solution as fundamental issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For his part, Mr. Vieira said that Brazil agrees with China's position. The diplomat emphasized that the temporary ceasefire should be extended first, and ultimately, peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel should be achieved through a two-state solution. The Brazilian Foreign Minister stated that Brasilia is ready to cooperate closely with Beijing to urge the UN Security Council to take new actions and to present a unified and clear position on the situation. (Xinhua)

* The focus of the US Secretary of State's visit to Israel: On November 29, speaking after the NATO conference in Brussels, Belgium, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated: "In the coming days, we will focus on doing everything we can to extend the ceasefire in order to continue freeing more hostages and providing more humanitarian assistance." According to him, this is also the goal that Israel desires.

The U.S. Secretary of State will make his third trip to the Middle East since the Hamas-Israel conflict erupted. He will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. (AFP/Reuters)

Southeast Asia

* China hopes the situation in Myanmar will stabilize soon : On November 29, at a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated: “China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors. China has always respected Myanmar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We sincerely hope the situation in Myanmar will stabilize and the country will develop.” According to the diplomat, any actions that harm the friendly relations between China and Myanmar will be unpopular and unsuccessful. (Sputnik)

Northeast Asia

* China arranges for Japanese officials to visit detained citizens : On November 29, at a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin confirmed: “The Chinese side has arranged for officials from the Japanese Embassy in China to conduct consular visits to the relevant parties... China, as a country governed by the rule of law, has handled the case in accordance with the law, as well as protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the individuals involved.” However, he did not specify the identity of the person.

In late October, Japan announced that China had officially arrested a Japanese businessman working for the major pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma, who had been detained since March on suspicion of espionage. During a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in early November, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio sought a swift release for the individual. On November 28th, Japan's ambassador to China, Tarumi Hideo, met with the businessman for the first time. (Reuters)

* Russia warns Poland about plans to deploy troops to the Finnish border : On November 29, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserted that Poland's plan to close its border for security was completely unnecessary. According to him, there is no threat in the border area and no actual tension exists. The Kremlin spokesman also warned that tensions could arise from the concentration of additional units at the border between the two countries, as Finland must be aware that such a move would pose a threat to Russia. He stated that the planned troop deployment was unwarranted and unjustified.

Earlier this week, Poland's National Security Director Jacek Ciewiera announced that Warsaw plans to accept Helsinki's request to deploy troops to the area near the Finnish-Russian border. The Nordic country closed its border with Russia following a sudden wave of migration that Helsinki alleges was orchestrated by Moscow. However, Russia vehemently denies this accusation. (VNA)

* Conflict in the Middle East increases the risk of terrorism in Germany : On November 29, Thomas Haldenwang, President of the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), stated: “We see jihadist elements calling for attacks, and also calling on Al-Qaeda and ISIS to continue their involvement in the current conflict in the Middle East.” He noted that German authorities have increased security for Jewish organizations and major Jewish community events in Germany.

According to this official, anti-Semitism and hostility towards Israel are uniting left-wing and right-wing extremists in Germany and Turkey, as well as supporters of Palestinian extremist organizations. The image of a “common enemy, Israel” creates connections between some of these groups. (AFP/VNA)

* Sweden hopes Turkey will soon ratify its NATO membership application : On November 29, speaking at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels, Belgium, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom shared: “I had a bilateral meeting with my counterpart, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. At the meeting, he expressed hope that the ratification process would take place in the coming weeks… We expect this process to be completed without any new conditions being imposed… without any new demands from the Turkish government.” Earlier, on November 28, Mr. Fidan stated that Turkey was fully implementing the ratification process for Sweden's application and that it could be completed before the end of 2023.

Turkey and Hungary are the two remaining NATO members that have not yet ratified Sweden's accession protocol, 18 months after Stockholm submitted its application. (AFP)

* The Pentagon lacks sufficient funds to reinforce its forces in the Middle East : On November 28, Politico (US) reported that amid escalating Israel-Hamas conflict, the Pentagon has ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group, air defense systems, fighter jets, and hundreds of US troops to the region.

However, the lack of consensus in Congress regarding funding approval for this year has left the Pentagon "without sufficient funds to pay for increased troop deployments" in the Middle East. Currently, the Department of Defense only has limited funds allocated from the previous fiscal year's budget, while the standing budget for the current fiscal year has yet to be approved.

US military spokesman Chris Sherwood emphasized that the situation in the Middle East demands “exceptional measures.” Therefore, the Pentagon has had to reallocate funds from other spending areas, cutting funding for preparation, deployment, and training. Sherwood stated: “For this reason, some Department of Defense programs may be cut or canceled.” (Sputnik)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-2911-nga-kiem-soat-them-lang-gan-bakhmut-hamas-co-y-dinh-bat-ngo-251950.html