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Putin Touts New Nuclear Weapons

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Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. March 1, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA Putin Touts New Nuclear Weapons The Russian president claimed that his country has developed nuclear weapons capable of avoiding missile defense systems (WaPo) and is working on adding to its arsenal cruise missiles that can strike anywhere around the world. In his annual parliamentary address, Vladimir Putin condemned a U.S. buildup of missile defense systems, saying it undermines an arms reduction treaty (TASS) between the two countries. Putin also vowed to cut poverty in half (Moscow Times) and boost funding to address a nationwide demographic crisis. The speech comes weeks ahead of a March 18 presidential election in which he is poised to win a fourth term. ANALYSIS "Giving half the time in the annual address to the Russian parliament to a graphic description of new weapons' capabilities is a measure of how close the U.S. and Russia have moved toward military collision," says Carnegie Moscow Center's Dmitri Trenin. "[Putin] is essentially repeating past election promises on which he has failed to deliver," Miodrag Soric writes for Deutsche Welle. "Russia is no longer a superpower, but rather a country of some 145 million people with an economy dependent on the price of oil and gas and no political ideology to offer the world," CFR President Richard N. Haass writes for Project Syndicate. PACIFIC RIM South Korean Conservatives Hold Pro-U.S. Rally Thousands demonstrated in Seoul to mark the country's independence from Japanese colonization (Korea Herald) and to call for stronger U.S.-South Korea ties and a preemptive U.S. strike against North Korea. Many also showed support (VOA) for ousted President Park Geun-hye, who faces a thirty-year sentence for influence peddling. AUSTRALIA: Some fifty-seven thousand illegal firearms were voluntarily surrendered (news.com.au) during a nationwide gun amnesty last year, according to new government data. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Taliban Cold on Kabul Political Deal The militant group has not replied to President Ashraf Ghani's offer to recognize them as a political party as part of a peace deal, but rejected a call for the group to recognize the Kabul government as legitimate (Reuters), calling it the "formula adopted by America to win the war." CFR's Courtney Cooper says now is the time to talk to the Taliban. KYRGYZSTAN: The son of a former Kyrgyz ambassador to the United States was arrested by U.S. authorities on charges of attempting to smuggle arms (RFE/RL) to Russia's Chechnya region. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Turkey Rejects Calls to Abide by Syria Cease-Fire A Foreign Ministry spokesperson called a U.S. statement that Turkish military operations in Syria are subject to a UN cease-fire (VOA) "baseless." President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that new U.S.-Turkey commissions will address ongoing disputes between the NATO allies (Hurriyet) when they convene this month. EGYPT: The rights group Amnesty International said a video from the Egyptian armed forces proves "beyond doubt" that Egypt used banned cluster munitions (AI) in recent strikes in North Sinai. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Ethiopian Jews Threaten Hunger Strike Thousands of Ethiopian Jews with relatives in Israel said they will stage a hunger strike (AP) if the Israeli government eliminates funding for them to reunite with family in the Middle Eastern nation. SOUTH AFRICA: An elite South African police unit raided the home of an investigative journalist who wrote an exposé about ousted President Jacob Zuma (Mail and Guardian). The writer said authorities took "nothing significant." Cedric L. Suzman discusses the State of the Nation address made by new South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. EUROPE Ukrainian Leader Says U.S. Weapons on the Way President Petro Poroshenko said a first delivery of lethal defensive weapons from the United States is expected to arrive within weeks (RFE/RL) and will include anti-sniper devices, air defense equipment, and electronic warfare tools. AMERICAS Peruvian President Accused of Kickbacks President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski denied he received funding (Andina) for his 2011 election campaign from the graft-plagued Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht. A former Odebrecht executive acknowledged the campaign contributions (Reuters) in interviews with Peruvian prosecutors this week. BRAZIL: In a move condemned by environmentalists, the supreme court upheld legislation that includes an amnesty program for deforestation carried out before 2008 (Reuters) and eases requirements for reforesting lands. UNITED STATES Trump Shocks Lawmakers in Gun Control Debate President Trump, in a meeting with lawmakers on Wednesday, called for expanding background checks and suggested looking into an assault weapons ban (NYT). Trump said the National Rifle Association has held "great power over" Congress (WaPo). Senators Mike Lee and Bernie Sanders called on the White House to end U.S. involvement in the conflict in Yemen, claiming that such participation is unconstitutional (Hill) without Congress's approval. Peter Salisbury discusses how to end the war in Yemen in Foreign Affairs.         Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. 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From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org

Date: March 01, 2018 at 11:05PM