WORLD BRIEFING: September 11, 2023

Today marks 565 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

  • More than 2,000 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck the North African country of Morocco on Friday night. Thousands have been injured. The quake is the strongest to hit the nation’s center in more than a century, and its epicenter was not far from popular tourist and economic hub Marrakech. At least 2,122 people have been killed in the disaster and 2,421 have been injured, state-run broadcaster 2M said Sunday - CNN

  • President Joe Biden on Sunday affirmed that the United States and Vietnam would elevate their relationship to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” — a move the White House described as "unprecedented and momentous,” and that brings the U.S. level with its main adversary, China, which has the same upper-tier diplomatic status with Vietnam.

    “Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time,” Biden said during his first meeting after arriving to a triumphant welcome in Vietnam’s verdant capital, Hanoi, where thousands of residents watched his motorcade pass by. “I'm not saying that to be polite. I'm saying it because I mean it from the bottom of my heart." - VOA

  • Two foreign aid volunteers have been killed and two others injured in a Russian missile attack in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv has said. Emma Igual, the Spanish director of Road to Relief, and Anthony Ihnat, a Canadian colleague, died on Saturday as their vehicle drove towards Bakhmut - BBC

  • UN Secretary-General António Guterres has offered Russia sanctions relief in exchange for the Kremlin rejoining the grain deal, according to German news agency DPA. The offer from Guterres came in the form of a secret letter dated August 28 to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Among other things, the proposals call for Russia’s Agricultural Bank to regain access to the SWIFT international payments system, which could allow the nation to begin some exports of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products within 30 days In return, the UN chief hopes that Russia will then agree to renew the grain agreement. But Russia, for its part, has expressed skepticism towards Guterres’ proposal. “These new proposals contain no new elements and cannot stand as a basis for making any tangible progress in restoring our agricultural exports to normal.”

  • The Biden administration is likely to send Ukraine long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, to help in its fight to repel the Russian invasion of its territory, according to U.S. officials. "They are coming," said one official who had access to security assistance plans. The official noted that, as always, such plans are subject to change until officially announced. A second official said the missiles are "on the table" and likely to be included in an upcoming security assistance package, adding that a final decision has not been made. It could be months before Ukraine receives the missiles, according to the official. But pressed on the matter by ABC News, White House spokesman John Kirby said a decision hasn't been made - ABC News

  • Russia’s ruling party and candidates backed by the Kremlin were expected to win elections held in 85 regions across the country as well as parts of occupied Ukraine, preliminary results showed. Voting for local mayors, local legislatures, regional governors, city councils, and even a handful of members of Russia's lower house of parliament wrapped up on September 10, the day designated for in-person ballot casting. The elections come amid a struggling invasion with Ukraine and the worst political repression since Soviet times. Criticism of the war has been outlawed and opposition candidates largely banned, turning the elections into little more than a Kremlin propaganda exercise - RFE/RL

Michael BociurkiwComment