April, 2023

• 14 April

  Trump spins legal woes into donation gold. Less left for GOP?

  

  When Donald Trump flew to New York last week to face criminal charges, he was ready – and so was the MAGA merchandise. For $47, supporters could buy a white T-shirt printed with “Not Guilty” above a mug shot of the former president with the date of his April 4 …

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• 14 April

  China’s Sinopec acquires stake in Qatar gas project

  

  Chinese energy firms are increasingly cooperating with their Qatari and Saudi counterparts as the People’s Republic makes further inroads into the region. The Chinese oil giant Sinopec acquired a stake in a field owned by Qatar’s state-owned energy firm on Wednesday as Beijing increases its influence in the region. The …

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• 14 April

  Further Curbing Russia’s Efforts to Evade Sanctions and Perpetuate its War Against Ukraine

  Today, the Department of State and the Department of Treasury are imposing sanctions on more than 120 entities and individuals across more than 20 countries and jurisdictions in connection with the Russian Federation’s unlawful and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, including facilitators of sanctions evasion. More than one year into Russia’s …

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• 14 April

  Poland Aims to Host Production of Depleted Uranium Ammo for US Abrams Tanks

  Poland wants to host production of ammunition containing depleted uranium for US Abrams tanks, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday. “We are trying to make Poland a host of the production of ammunition for Abrams tanks, ammunition with depleted uranium, state-of-the-art ammunition,” Morawiecki said in a speech, aired by …

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• 14 April

  PM Shmyhal Meets U.S. Defense Chief As Ukraine Prepares For Expected Counteroffensive

  Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on April 12 made another major push for modern and sophisticated U.S. weapons in a meeting at the Pentagon with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Shmyhal said Ukraine “still needs intensive military support — more air-defense systems that minimize the impact of Russian air strikes, …

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• 14 April

  US Concerned About Continuing Rights Violations in South-East Europe

  

  Restrictions on media freedom, unpunished violations by officials and alleged violence by police continued to be problems in south-east European countries in 2020, said a new US State Department report. The US State Department’s 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which was published on Tuesday, warned that countries in …

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• 14 April

  Dragging about the elections in the north of Kosovo scheduled for April 23: Kurti is buying time

  

  Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also spoke about the political situation and the announced elections in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo at a meeting with Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija in Raška. He said that the elections were scheduled even though Belgrade requested that the ZSO be formed first …

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• 14 April

  The Saudis’ New Geostrategic Doctrine – OpEd

  

  The resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the Saudis’ diplomatic overtures toward Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, are part and parcel of the Saudis’ overall reassessment of their geostrategic interests, which rest on three distinctives goals: regional stability, exerting greater regional and international influence, and uninterrupted oil …

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• 14 April

  Can China Deliver In Middle East? – Analysis

  

  As the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran met in China to commence a thaw in relations, Beijing has positioned itself as an ‘alternate’ power, keeping a policy of cooperation, consultation, and non-interventionism at the forefront. With serious discussions over the conflict in Yemen now underway, can China deliver …

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• 14 April

  Who Controls the Narrative: The Power Dynamics Behind Qatargate

  “Qatargate” Background Since the scandal related to allegations of bribery and corruption among a group of MEPs in Brussels broke out four months ago, European media zeroed in on a relatively small cast of ringleaders and the NGOs surrounding them. Much of the media investigation has focused on human rights …

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