Ukrainian President Bitter, Russia Makes Important Decision in Syria, Nepal Prime Minister's Unusual Choice

World and Vietnam Newspaper reviews some international events in the past 24 hours.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an exclusive interview with Japanese news agency Kyodo News in Kiev on December 1. (Source: Kyodo)

Europe

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that it would be difficult to regain some of the lands that Russia currently controls: "Our army is not strong enough to do that. We have to find a diplomatic solution."

Calling membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) indispensable for Ukraine's security and prosperity, the leader affirmed that Kiev is ready to negotiate for peace after Kiev is certain to join NATO, and then seek to regain lost territories through diplomacy. (Kyodo)

* Speaker of the Russian Senate Valentina Matvienko is cautiously optimistic about the prospects for negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine by 2025, saying that the likelihood of starting substantive negotiations next year is much higher than no negotiations at all.

However, Ms. Matvienko warned that the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden could hinder this process by complicating the dialogue. (Pravda)

* German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a surprise visit to Kiev nearly three years after Ukraine entered conflict and met with President Zelensky.

During the visit, Mr. Scholz pledged to provide a new military aid package worth 650 million Euros and affirmed that Berlin will continue to be Ukraine's strongest ally in Europe. (AFP)

* Germany has successfully conducted a two-week test in the Baltic Sea of ​​the BlueWhale unmanned submarine, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

The submarine weighs 5.5 tons and is equipped with a mast with radar and electro-optical systems, allowing it to carry out complex missions for weeks, identifying targets at sea and on land, and transmitting data to global command posts. (Ynetnews)

* The Romanian Social Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections, with 22.78% of the vote in the Senate and 23.41% in the Chamber of Deputies. The Alliance for Romanian Unity came in second with about 18% of the vote. The Nationalist-Liberal Party came in third with more than 13% of the vote. (Romania Insider)

Asia-Pacific

* Nepali Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli visited China on his first bilateral trip, breaking with the practice of leaders of the Himalayan Republic choosing India as their first official destination.

The two leaders will "have an in-depth exchange of views on strengthening traditional friendship, expanding cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and other fields, as well as international and regional issues of mutual concern." (AFP)

* German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited China on December 2 and warned her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Beijing's support for Russia would affect bilateral relations.

According to a statement from the German Foreign Ministry, during the meeting between the two foreign ministers, Ms. Baerbock emphasized: "China's growing support for Russia's conflict against Ukraine has an impact on our relations" and "affects the core security interests of Germany and Europe". (AFP)

* Australia and Singapore have strengthened their strategic partnership, as the two countries prepare to hold a Joint Ministerial Committee meeting to promote the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries on December 3.

The meeting will focus on enhancing cooperation in many areas such as defence and security, trade and investment, green and digital economy, science and innovation, education and the arts. (Australian Defence Minister)

* China protests Lithuania's expulsion of three Beijing diplomats from the Charge d'Affaires Office in Vilnius on November 30.

In a statement, China said Lithuania had not given a reason for expelling the diplomats and that Beijing firmly opposed the decision. China said it reserved the right to take countermeasures. (Reuters)

Middle East-Africa

* Russia has reappointed Colonel General Alexander Chaiko as commander of its military group in Syria, amid rising tensions in the Middle Eastern country.

This is not the first time Chaiko has held this position. He previously held the position from September 2019 to November 2020, February to June 2021 and September to December 2022. Chaiko's previous stints were notable for effectively dealing with rebel forces and stabilizing the situation in many provinces. (Reuters)

* The Syrian opposition has refused to cease fighting without a commitment from the government to the UN process and a political transition, Syrian opposition leader Hadi al-Bahri said on December 2. He stressed that they are "ready to negotiate as early as December 3". (Reuters)

* Israel used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to attack a military bulldozer carrying out reinforcement work at the Al-Abbara military base near the Lebanon-Syria border. One soldier was injured in the incident, according to a statement from Beirut on December 2.

On the same day, a five-member monitoring committee on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon will begin its work within the next 48 hours, chaired by US General Jasper Jeffers, along with a Lebanese general and other members from France, Israel and the United Nations. (Reuters, THX)

* Israel is committed to the ceasefire in Lebanon and is closely monitoring the situation in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. He said any violation would be met with a strong response from the Israel Defense Forces. (TASS)

America

* US President Joe Biden visits Angola from December 1-4. This is the first time a US President has visited an African country since 2015 and also the first time a sitting US President has visited Angola.

President Biden will meet with his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço in the capital Luanda, where he will address the nation's strategy for sub-Saharan Africa and stress the need to improve the economy, maintain peace, and strengthen security in the African region. (CBS News)

* Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with US President-elect Donald Trump last weekend in Florida. This is considered an important step in the effort to persuade Mr. Trump to abandon his intention to impose a 25% tax on all products from Canada, a major US trading partner.

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