US$40 billion Ukraine aid package faces delay

According to reports, Sen. Rand Paul hit the brakes Thursday on bipartisan hopes that the Senate could quickly pass nearly US$40 billion in Ukraine aid before leaving town for the week. 

Paul objected to a deal offered by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that would have set up votes on Thursday afternoon on the funding and on an amendment from Paul, who wanted to include language in the bill to expand an Afghanistan Inspector General role to include oversight of the Ukraine funds. 

Paul blocked the votes because he wants his language inserted into the text of the bill instead of having to take his chance with an amendment vote, which could be blocked. The stalemate will delay the Senate’s passage of the Ukraine package until at least next week, and potentially beyond. 

“I think they’re going to have to go through the long way,” Paul told The Hill about what comes next after the floor standoff. 

The roadblock comes after senators and staff haggled privately for hours on Thursday to try to find a path toward passing the Ukraine aid before they wrapped up their work for the week. Senators were also eager to avoid making changes to the bill, which would require it to go back to the House for a second vote. 

Though, senators say they were told during closed-door lunches to hang around, by mid-afternoon members of leadership and senators were spotted leaving the Capitol. 

Schumer and McConnell then appeared on the Senate floor to try to set up votes on the Ukraine aid. Under the Senate’s rules any one senator can try to quickly set up a vote or pass a bill, but it only takes one senator to object. 

Under the deal offered by Schumer and McConnell, the Senate would have first voted on stand-alone legislation from Sen. John Kennedy to establish a Special Inspector General for the Ukraine aid. 

After that the Senate would have taken up the US$40 billion in Ukraine assistance, with a vote on Paul’s amendment. To get included in the Ukraine assistance, Paul’s proposal would have needed 60 votes. 

“There is now only one thing holding us back, the junior senator from Kentucky is preventing swift passage of Ukraine aid because he wants to add, at the last minute, his own changes directly into the bill … He is not even asking for an amendment. He is simply saying my way or the highway,” Schumer said. 

“I’m offering to hold a vote on his amendment, even though I disagree with it. Let the chamber speak its will. Let both sides of the aisle have input and for heaven’s sake, let Ukraine funding get done ASAP,” Schumer added. 

McConnell had signaled that he wanted to get the Ukraine package passed on Thursday. He added that while he understood that Paul wanted to change the bill that the “simple way to solve this” was to have a vote on Paul’s amendment and then a vote on the Ukraine aid, as Schumer offered. 

“Ukraine is not asking us to fight this war. They’re only asking for the resources they need to defend themselves against this deranged invasion, and they need help right now,” McConnell said. 

Paul, however, warned about the pace of spending, arguing that “we cannot save Ukraine by dooming the US economy.” 

“Americans are feeling the pain from inflation and Congress seems intent only on adding to that pain by shoveling more money out the door as fast as they can,” Paul said. 

 

Fifty years of Nepal-Bangladesh relations

Nepal and Bangladesh celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations on April 8, 2022. Nepal was the seventh country to recognize Bangladesh as an independent country in 1972. 

During Bangladesh’s Liberation War, Nepalese political leaders provided ideological and material support for a free Bangladesh.

With Nepal recognizing Bangladesh’s independence, the then Pakistani leadership broke off its relationship with the former. The Bangladesh government has always regarded Nepalese politicians highly for their contribution to the independence of Bangladesh.

Since establishing diplomatic ties, the two countries have enjoyed excellent relations and supported each other on various international and regional political and economic forums. Nepal and Bangladesh began their official trade with the opening of the Kakarvitta-Phulbari-Banglabandha transit route in 1997.

Bangladesh welcomed Nepal to use the Mongla Port facilities for its third country trade as well as rail corridor transit via Rohanpur for easy and cost-effective bilateral trade. In 1978, the two countries established a Joint-Economic Commission (JEC) at the Finance Ministry level to enhance bilateral trade and investments. Foreign office consultations mechanism was also established in July 2012 in Dhaka at the Foreign Secretary level to discuss and review bilateral ties.

Power is the key to strengthening ties in the days to come, due to the huge energy requirements of Bangladesh for its rapidly growing industries. Bangladesh could invest in Nepal’s hydropower and import surplus energy from Nepal, as the latter has the potential to generate 43,000 MW, whereas Bangladesh’s requirements in 2035 will be 35,000 MW.

Dhaka has already formulated a strategic energy policy to import 10,000 MW from Nepal. Last year, the Bangladesh Power Development Board requested the Indian Ministry of Energy to permit Bangladesh to import 450 MW of hydro power from Nepal. India has given a positive response towards the proposal and soon the cross-border power trade may begin.

The first Nepal-Bangladesh Business Forum was jointly hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy led by the then Ambassador Mashfee Binte Shams and the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA) in Kathmandu some years back. AIDIA facilitated field visits of various hydropower sites for business leaders. AIDIA played a key role in bringing FNCCI-FBCCI onto one table for signing an MoU on January 24, 2016.

The government of Nepal aims at signing the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) with Bangladesh to secure the US$ one billion FDI from the Bangladesh government, and another US$2 billion from the private sector which will help generate and export power to Bangladesh from Nepal. It will enable Nepal to be a net energy exporting country in South Asia and help reduce its trade deficit with Bangladesh and improve its foreign currency reserves.

To take the bilateral relationship forward and create a strong bond, the two countries are reviewing the last five decades of their experience to formulate active policies in the field of hydropower, trade, infrastructure development, and more. Nepal aims at learning from the rapid rise of Bangladesh and harnessing the potentials in bilateral engagements.

For instance, Bangladeshi conglomerate Summit Power invested in West Bengal for power generation and another company Summit Alliance Port Limited is operating the inland waterways terminals in Kolkata and Kalughat. Likewise, Pran RFL has been establishing food processing plants in some states of Nepal, but has not been able in exploiting the opportunities Bangladesh offers due to our weak economic strategies. Therefore, the government is encouraging and supporting the private sector of Nepal to engage with Bangladeshi companies.

 

Black Sea agri-bulk exports fall 35% in April 2022 due to Ukraine war

Assessing the impact of the conflict on exports S&P Global Market Intelligence said total seaborne agri-bulk shipments from the Black Sea region in April fell 35% year-on-year to 4million tons.

Shipments of corn and barley from the Black Sea area were hard hit, down 76% to 891,000 tons, and down 82% to 65,000 tons respectively. However, wheat shipments were reported to be up 44% at 3million tons.

S&P noted that Black Sea agri-bulk shipments declined to almost all import regions and territories in April including North Africa, Middle East, Northwestern Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, mainland China, Southeast Asia and West Africa. The only region to see a rise in shipments was the Mediterranean, with an increase in agri-bulk exports from the Black Sea region of 15% to 1.2m tons

A report issued this week by insurers Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) highlighted that the biggest impact of the war on shipping so far had been on vessels trading to the Black Sea and Russia, with Ukraine’s major ports, including Odessa closed by a Russian blockade. The insurer noted that Ukraine moves 70% of its exports by sea and some 99% of its grain exports are moved by ship.

With the war in Ukraine increasingly looking to be a drawn out conflict there could be further negative impact on agri-bulk exports.

Pranay Shukla, Associate Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence said, “There could also be further significant downside risks to the Black Sea agri-bulk forecast for this year depending on how long the war extends and if Ukraine can manage its exports from Romania and Poland, while upside risks could arise from Russian wheat exports on expected strong domestic wheat harvest.”

S&P currently forecasts that agri-bulk shipments from the Black Sea region will decline 37% year-on-year to 11.2, tons in the second quarter of 2022, and by 20%YoY to 83.9 million tons for the full year in 2022.

“The insurance industry is likely to see a number of claims under specialist war policies from vessels damaged or lost to sea mines, rocket attacks and bombings in conflict zones,” explained Justus Heinrich, Global Product Leader, Marine Hull, at AGCS. Insurers may also receive claims under marine war policies from vessels and cargo blocked or trapped in Ukrainian ports and coastal waters.

 

United States condemns killing of journalist during Israeli military raid

The United States government on Wednesday condemned the killing of a journalist during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank and called for an immediate and thorough investigation to determine who is accountable. 

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the death of Shireen Abu Akleh represented “an affront to media freedom everywhere.”

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre echoed Price’s comments, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the administration strongly condemns the killing of the journalist. Jean-Pierre did not say whether President Joe Biden planned to call Abu Akleh’s family.   

Abu Akleh was shot and killed while covering an Israeli military raid in Jenin, a city administered by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Israel has launched an investigation into Abu Akleh’s death and called for participation of the Palestinian Authority, which has refused. The Palestinian health ministry blamed the Israeli military for the journalist’s death.

Israeli Army Chief Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said that the army could not yet determine whether Abu Akleh was hit by Israeli or Palestinian gunfire. The Associated Press reported, walking back an earlier statement from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that the journalist’s death likely came from gunfire from armed Palestinians. 

The Israeli Defense Forces said it was conducting counter terrorism operations in the West Bank city when tens of Palestinian gunmen fired at and hurled explosive devices toward the soldiers and soldiers responded with gunfire. There were no injuries among Israeli forces, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Abu Akleh, 51, was a veteran Middle East journalist who reported for Al Jazeera’s Arabic language channel. She was reportedly shot in the head.

Al Jazeera reported that another one of their journalists, Ali al-Samoudi, was wounded by a bullet in the back at the scene and is in stable condition.

Al-Samoudi told Al Jazeera that there were no Palestinian fighters present when the journalists were shot. 

“We were going to film the Israeli army operation and suddenly they shot us without asking us to leave or stop filming,” al-Samoudi told the Qatari-based news outlet. 

“The first bullet hit me and the second bullet hit Shireen … there was no Palestinian military resistance at all at the scene.”

Abu Akleh’s death comes amid an escalation in Israeli counterterrorism operations in response to a series of attacks made by Palestinians, with at least 18 Israelis and 30 Palestinians killed in recent weeks.

 

Humiliating Russia will not bring peace, says French President

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against humiliating Russia for its military offensive in Ukraine, if and when any peace deal is agreed upon.

Speaking to reporters in the French city of Strasbourg, Macron said, once the war ends, Moscow and Kyiv will eventually have to sit down and negotiate peace terms. Therefore, any further tensions will only serve to the detriment of the situation.

"We will have a peace to build tomorrow, let us never forget that," Macron said, "I mentioned this earlier. We will have to do this with Ukraine and Russia around the table. The end of the discussion and the negotiation will be set by Ukraine and Russia."

However, Macron says this will not be done in denial, or in exclusion of each other, nor even in humiliation.

In what may come as a blow to the government in Kyiv, Macron also said it would take decades for Ukraine to join the European Union. 

"I am saying this in all honesty; honesty that we owe to the Ukrainians," Macron said, "we can have an accelerated process... to accept candidate status for Ukraine but we know that given our standards and the criteria, it would probably take decades for Ukraine to really join the European Union."

Ukraine had been seeking a quick route to EU membership and Macron’s remarks will come as another setback for Kyiv, which has also been refused membership in NATO. 

The French leader laid out his vision of a broader club of European nations that would allow for deeper cooperation between non-EU countries.

Under this new wider political community, nations like Ukraine and even the United Kingdom could be included, Macron explained. 

The French President whose country currently holds the EU’s presidency said a new organization would try and achieve objectives beyond the scope of the EU.

"The European Union, given the level of its integration and ambition, cannot be in the short term the only means of structuring the European continent," he pointed out.

The initiative was immediately supported by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was standing alongside the French President. 

Vladimir Medinsky, the Russian chief negotiator said that peace talks with Ukraine had not stopped and were being held remotely. 

Moscow has accused Kyiv of stalling the talks and using reports of atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine to undermine the negotiations. Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls its special military operation.

Asked when-in-person talks might be held with Ukrainian negotiators, Medinsky said, "We need more specifics on hand in order to meet in person."

Since March 29, Ukraine and Russia have not held face-to-face peace talks, but have been meeting via video conferences. 

Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that there was a risk the peace process could collapse.  

Russian President Vladimir Putin calls Moscow's actions a special military operation in the face of NATO's eastward expansion on Russian borders. Putin has also previously claimed the special military operation is designed to disarm Ukraine, defend Russian speakers from persecution and prevent the United States and its allies from using the country to threaten Russian security. 

Ukraine dismissed Moscow’s claims of persecution and denied any threat to Russia from Ukraine or Western countries.

Meanwhile, during his address at the Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square to mark Russia’s victory over Germany in the Second World War, Putin said Russia’s military operation in Ukraine was a preemptive move against future aggression. 

Putin praised the achievement of the Soviet people during World War II and further addressed the Kremlin's reasons for the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kyiv. 

Putin insisted Russia had to act because of a security threat in the eastern Donbass region and added “we saw the military infrastructure unfolding in Ukraine; hundreds of foreign advisers starting their work; there were regular deliveries of the most modern weapons from NATO countries. The danger grew every day,” the president explained.

“Russia gave a preemptive rebuff to aggression – this was a forced, timely, and the only right decision by a sovereign, strong and independent country,” he added, referring to the launch of the military operation.

“Despite all the disagreements in international relations, Russia has always advocated the creation of a system of equal and indivisible security,” Putin continued. 

The Russian leader highlighted Moscow’s attempts to engage in dialogue on security guarantees with Washington late last year, which the latter failed to address. 

Experts say providing those guarantees could have, in essence, prevented a war, had the White House responded to reassure Russia and address its security concerns. 

“NATO countries didn’t want to hear us, which means that, in fact, they harbored completely different plans, and we saw it,” Putin added. 

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has resurrected a World War II act to accelerate weapons shipments to Ukraine for its battle against Russian forces.

Weapons sent under this act are separate from the nearly US$4 billion in military aid that the US has already sent to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s military operation in February, and from the US$33 billion worth of military aid that the president recently asked Congress to approve.

He also signaled that he is ready to make a political concession in Congress to win quick approval of a request for another US$33 billion in funds to send more weapons to Ukraine.

Biden said he is ready to drop funding for the Covid-19 pandemic for Americans and just get the money for weapons to Ukraine through.

Some Democrats have expressed disappointment the COVID-19 aid would be considered separately.

Senior Senate Democrat Dick Durbin told reporters, "It would have been so much better for us to protect the United States as well as worked to protect Ukraine,"

Asked if separating Ukraine aid hurts prospects for COVID-19 aid, Durbin said, "It doesn't help. Putting those two together would have been positive."

The act, which passed Congress last month with 417-10 votes in the House and flew with flying colors in the Senate, suspends limitations on the number of weapons and other military supplies Biden can send to Ukraine or other Eastern European countries.

However, it does stipulate that Kyiv must subsequently pay for whatever it receives. Kyiv’s ability to later repay the US has been under the spotlight, considering Zelensky had recently asked the US and the EU for US$7 billion per month to keep the country’s economy afloat. 

Critics have accused the US and its NATO allies of prolonging the war and suffering of Ukrainians by sending weapons, instead of backing the peace process to end the war. 

Even the unprecedented sanctions imposed against Russia have been questioned as the measures have failed to end the conflict. 

Experts argue Washington triggered the war and is trying to ensure the fighting stays at an impasse in a bit to confront Russia’s rising economy and military strength as well as its growing ties with other EU nations.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden was not happy with leaks to American news outlets in which US intelligence took credit for helping Ukraine target a Russian ship and Russian generals in Ukraine.

"The president was displeased with the leaks… and he did not feel they were constructive," she said.

The American news reports do not indicate how many Russian generals had been killed in Ukraine using the US intelligence to locate their whereabouts.

India trying to lure Bangladesh

According to an article by Abhinav Singh, India’s eastern neighbour, Bangladesh in clear words and through its firm actions has sent a message to both China and Pakistan that despite their best efforts to turn Dhaka against New Delhi, the Sheikh Hasina administration is standing ever so stronger with the Narendra Modi government.

With access to Chittagong port, Bangladesh and India put the final nail in the coffin of China’s ‘String of Pearls’

Reportedly, in what comes as a major development, India has now gained access to the crucial Chittagong Port after it was offered by the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the north-eastern Indian states of Assam and Tripura for trade and uninterrupted commerce.

The announcement came after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the Bangladeshi PM for a brief meeting in Dhaka lately. During the meeting, Hasina told Jaishankar that enhanced connectivity through the Chittagong Port was needed for mutual benefit which would particularly benefit India’s north-eastern region.

She said, “If the connectivity is increased, the Indian north-eastern states -like Assam and Tripura- can have access to the seaport in Chattogram.”

New Delhi invites Hasina

Returning the favour and thanking Hasina for the reception, Jaishankar on PM Modi’s behalf, extended the invitation to Hasina to visit India. He said, “I conveyed (her) that we look forward to her visit to India at a time of her convenience.”

The EAM also took to Twitter to remark, “Thank Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her warm reception. Conveyed personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Our bilateral relations are moving from strength to strength under the guidance of the two leaders.”

It is pertinent to note that the Chittagong Port is the main seaport of Bangladesh located in the port city of Chittagong on the banks of the Karnaphuli River. The port handles 80% of Bangladesh’s export-import trade and has been used by India, Nepal, and Bhutan for trans-shipment.

China’s string of pearls strategy

As reported extensively by TFI, when it comes to the maritime tussle between India and China, the past one decade has been all about the “String of Pearls”– Beijing’s strategy of jeopardizing India’s interests in her own vicinity by building naval bases in the strategically located points of the Indian Ocean Region.

The Dragon has been concentrating on the Strait of Malacca, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Maldives and the Strait of Hormuz in order to checkmate India in the area of its traditional influence, viz. the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Hambantota and Gwadar Ports

It was under this strategy that China usurped control over Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port and Pakistan’s Gwadar port. Thus, Bangladesh and its strategically important ports also appeared to be the next target for Beijing.

However, New Delhi, in recent times has upped its bilateral engagement with Bangladesh and managed to outpace China. As reported by TFI last year, Gowher Rizvi, international affairs advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had remarked that Dhaka was more interested in joining the “Indo-Pacific relationship”, rather than being a part of Beijing’s neo-colonial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Gowher had said, “India is our most important partner and you cannot conceive of anything different. It would be suicidal to think differently.”

Gowher also pointed out that China had a role to play in Bangladesh’s growth story but it didn’t come at the expense of New Delhi. “China has a role in Bangladesh. They are an important part of our many development projects. But this is not in any way at the expense of our relationship with India.”

New Delhi extending credit line to Dhaka

Moreover, in December last year, India extended a US$500 million line of credit to Bangladesh, under which Dhaka will soon import Indian defence equipment. China sells substandard defence equipment in the name of cutting-edge defence technology to Bangladesh. By extending the credit line, India is aiming to nullify China’s control and bring the Eastern neighbour closer to its corner.

With India gaining access to the Chittagong Port, China’s evil ambition of surrounding India has been dealt a cruel blow. In fact, New Delhi is on a red-hot form currently regarding its foreign policy. It has already sorted Nepal and Sri Lanka despite China’s desperate attempts to breed chaos. Similarly, the bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh are at their highest in recent history.

 

Israel plans 4,000 new settler units

Defying international law, Israel plans to build around four thousand new settlement units in two areas across the occupied Palestinian West Bank. 

The regime’s announcement of approving the planning and building of 3,988 settler units has alarmed human rights organizations and the international community. 

An official with the Tel Aviv regime claims there is a "growing need" for settlements as the Israeli settlers increase in occupied Palestine in the latest bid to deprive the Palestinian natives from their land.

More than half a million Israeli settlers live in the occupied Palestinian territories, “with many more even wanting to move there”, the Israeli official added.

The regime’s Planning Council for the occupied West Bank is set to give its final approval for building 2,536 new settler units and approve plans for an additional 1,452 settlement units.

The 2,536 settlement units are said to include 761 units for the Beitar Illit settlement, 534 units for Shvuet Rachel, 364 for Dolev, 168 for Neria, 156 for Kiryat Arba, 136 for Givat Ze'ev, 114 for Ma'aleh Michmash, 106 for Tal Menashe, 92 for Zofim, 64 for Revava and 40 for Efrat.

Meanwhile, the 1,452 settlement units include 500 units for the Elkana settlement, 286 units for Kedumim, 192 for Sha'are Tikvah, 170 for Immanuel, and 110 for Mevo Horon, 90 for Dolev, 56 for Negahot, 32 for Nokdim and 16 for Ma'aleh Adumim.

Regime officials say initial intentions were to advance plans for close to 6,000 settler units but were told to cut around 1,800 to 2,000.

Qatar has been among the latest country to condemn the motion calling on the international community to act urgently to prevent the occupation authorities from approving the plans and forcing them to stop their settlement policies in the Palestinian territories.

Israel has reportedly told its top ally the United States that this measure would likely shore up Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's fragile coalition ahead of the return of the Knesset from the summer session.

Israeli settlements and their expansion in the occupied territories are illegal under international law, yet the regime continues to violate the UN charter.

This comes on the backdrop of an Israeli decision last week to uphold an expulsion order that would force at least 1,000 Palestinians out of their ancestral homes in the occupied southern West Bank where they have been residing for decades.

According to a publication by Doctors without Borders In the occupied West Bank “systematic repression and discrimination by Israeli authorities against Palestinians continue, with home demolitions, forced relocations, and violence on the rise.”

“For many people, such experiences have long-term consequences, particularly when they come on top of pre-existing trauma from previous episodes of violence.” the international medical NGO added.