WORLD BRIEFING: April 10, 2024
Europe must prepare for potential war, as a full-scale conflict on the continent beyond Ukraine is “no longer a fantasy”, the EU’s chief diplomat has warned. “Russia threatens Europe,” both through its ongoing war in Ukraine and hybrid attacks on EU member states, Josep Borrell said on Tuesday in a speech in Brussels.“War is certainly looming around us,” said Borrell. “A high-intensity, conventional war in Europe is no longer a fantasy.” It is the first time the former Spanish foreign minister has laid out the Russian threat so explicitly, after recent warnings from military chiefs and leaders in northern Europe about the risk of more Russian attacks beyond Ukraine. The Danish defence minister in February said Russia could test Nato’s solidarity within three to five years. “The Berlin Wall has been replaced with a ring of fires around us,” he said, referring also to the Israel-Hamas war and instability in northern Africa.- FT
David Cameron’s attempt to persuade Donald Trump to permit the US Congress to push through $60bn in military aid for Ukraine appears to have failed, after the British foreign secretary was not even granted a meeting with congressional speaker Mike Johnson, who could in theory put the package to a vote.At a private dinner in Trump’s Florida base, Mar-a-Lago, Cameron had urged Trump to recognise that it was in the US’s interest that Vladimir Putin not be rewarded for seizing land from Ukraine. He also insisted that by the time of a Nato summit in Washington this July, plans would be in place for every Nato member to reach or pass the target of defence spending. He was hoping Trump would signal a change of course at least by easing the path to him meeting Johnson. But Cameron’s arguments – both rational and emotional – seem to have run up against the continued power struggle inside the Republican party, as hardliners, who have cooled on continuing to support Ukraine financially, threaten to oust Johnson if he puts the aid package to a vote when Congress returns from its two-week vacation - Guardian
The southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa has been under repeated Russian missile and drone attack since yesterday. Throughout the night, air raid sirens were triggered several times as air defense forces worked to down incoming threats. Local Telegram channels reported this morning that critical and transport-logistic infrastructure facilities were hit and two railway workers were injured. On at least two occasions, explosions could be heard while alarm sirens were off, indicating an incoming fast missile or low flying drone
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the war in Gaza is a “mistake,” said US president Joe Biden as he called for a ceasefire. “I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach,” Biden told Univision, a US Spanish-language TV network. “What I’m calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into the country - Telegraph
China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, met in Beijing on Tuesday, in a session seen as laying the groundwork for an expected visit to China by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and pushing back against mounting pressure from the United States and its allies. Mr. Lavrov’s visit came just days after Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen warned of “significant consequences” if Chinese companies provided material support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. It also took place as President Biden was set to host the leaders of Japan and the Philippines on Wednesday to boost economic and security ties to counter China’s growing assertiveness in Asia. Earlier in the day, Mr. Lavrov met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, and said the two sides had talked about deepening security ties to resist the West’s “anti-Chinese” and “anti-Russian orientation.” In a sign of the Kremlin’s continued deference to China, Mr. Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s rejection of any “outside interference” over Beijing’s claims to the de facto independent island of Taiwan. - NYT
Federal regulators are investigating a whistleblower's claims about flaws in the assembly of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Longtime Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour went public Tuesday with claims that he observed problems with how parts of the plane's fuselage were fastened together. Salehpour warns that production "shortcuts" could significantly shorten the lifespan of the plane, eventually causing the fuselage to fall apart in mid-flight. "If left unchecked, this could result in catastrophic failure," Salehpour said Tuesday during a press briefing to discuss his claims. A spokesman for the FAA confirmed that the agency is investigating those allegations, which were first reported by the New York Times, but declined to comment further on them - NPR
