Ukrainian President is determined not to give up an inch of land, NATO "ruffled feathers" after news about Russia, tanker explosion kills nearly 100 people in Nigeria

The World and Vietnam newspaper highlights some of the most prominent international events of the day.

The 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) took place in Islamabad, Pakistan, on October 16. (Source: The News Today)

Europe

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is determined not to cede any part of his country's territory or sovereignty to Russia in the Victory Plan he just submitted to the Parliament.

The solution is not to freeze the conflict, he stressed, and that if plans were implemented now, the conflict with Russia could end by next year at the latest.

Speaking before lawmakers, the Ukrainian leader said: “The plan for victory is a plan aimed at strengthening our country and our position. Strong enough to end the military conflict.” (AFP)

It is too early to comment in detail on President Zelensky's "Victory Plan," but Kyiv needs to "wake up" and realize the futility of the policies it is pursuing, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. (Reuters)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the organization is ready to confront any enemy, any force that wants to attack. He affirmed that NATO is investing more in defense and the defense industry now and in the future.

The statement comes shortly after senior German intelligence officials warned Moscow could attack the military alliance by 2030, despite the Kremlin's repeated denials of any plans to attack NATO member states. (Sputnik)

* Russia has sharply reduced the temporary residence quota for foreigners in 2025, with the number of permits being 5,500 compared to 10,595 in 2024. The quota will be distributed among Russia's regions, with the capital Moscow and Moscow region receiving the largest number, 1,000 and 350 people, respectively. (TASS)

The European Union (EU) is preparing for the possibility of halting Russian gas transit through Ukraine without causing shortages in the domestic market. Gas reserves in EU member states have reached 95%, helping to avoid fuel shortages and control prices in the event of supply disruptions. (AFP)

* Italy immediately suspended the issuance of all new permits related to the export of military materials to Israel since the conflict broke out on October 7th. Consequently, any contracts signed after that date are not permitted.

For export licenses issued before October 7th, the Italian government will conduct a case-by-case review. (Sputnik)

Asia-Pacific

* Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his willingness to become a partner and friend with the United States, emphasizing that this would benefit not only the two countries but also the world, in a letter submitted to the 2024 annual awards ceremony of the National Commission on China-U.S. Relations.

According to him, China-US relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world, having a profound impact on the future and destiny of mankind. Beijing has always handled relations with Washington based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. (CCTV)

* South Korea, the United States and Japan set up a new multilateral sanctions monitoring group (MSMT), including France, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, to monitor United Nations (UN) sanctions against North Korea, after Russia vetoed the end of the UN monitoring panel's mandate on April 30. (Yonhap)

Myanmar's military junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, will visit China next month, according to two sources close to the military on October 16. This will be his first trip to China since the 2021 coup. (AFP)

* Kazakhstan has not yet applied to join the BRICS group of leading emerging economies, despite receiving an offer of membership. The President of Kazakhstan was invited to attend the expanded BRICS summit in Kazan from October 22-24 as a guest. (Anadolu)

* The 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State took place in Islamabad, Pakistan, on October 16. The meeting issued a joint communiqué expressing concern about economic challenges and strongly opposing protectionist measures, unilateral sanctions, and trade restrictions.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also announced the handover of the chairmanship of the SCO (Supreme Council of Heads of State) to the Russian Federation. (THX)

Middle East-Africa

A fuel tanker explosion in Nigeria killed at least 94 people and injured 50 in the northern state of Jigawa on October 16. The death toll could rise. The Nigerian Medical Association has urged doctors to rush to emergency rooms near the scene to provide medical assistance. (AFP)

Lebanon has filed a complaint with the UN Security Council regarding Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure. (Sputnik)

Iran is ready to respond "decisively and severely" if it is attacked in retaliation by Israel following recent missile launches by Tehran against its adversary, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. However, Araghchi affirmed: "Iran is always striving to protect regional peace and security." (AFP)

Qatar does not allow foreign troops to operate within its territory to attack other countries and "will not tolerate any attempts" to achieve this goal, according to Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. (TASS)

America

The 16th Conference of the Americas Defence Ministers (CMDA) opened in Mendoza province, Argentina, with the participation of high-level representatives from 25 countries, aiming to strengthen coordination in ensuring regional security, cybersecurity cooperation, and disaster prevention. (Reuters)

* Georgia, USA, is holding a record number of in-person early voting, with approximately 252,000 voters casting their ballots as of 4:00 PM on October 15th. (CNBC)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-1610-tong-thong-ukraine-quyet-khong-tu-bo-mot-tac-dat-nato-xu-long-sau-tin-ve-nga-no-xe-bon-giet-chet-gan-100-nguoi-o-nigeria-290309.html