Putin's Record Win | Saudi Prince Tours U.S. | Turkey in Afrin

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. March 19, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA Putin Secures Another Six Years Vladimir Putin won a fourth six-year term in a Sunday presidential election with nearly 77 percent of votes, a record victory for the Russian leader. A communist candidate and an ultra-nationalist candidate took second and third place, respectively. TV anchor Ksenia Sobchak, the only contender who openly opposed Putin (Guardian), won less than 2 percent of votes. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to send a congratulatory message to Putin while other Western leaders remain quiet (BBC) amid tensions over Moscow's suspected poisoning of a former spy in the United Kingdom. An independent election monitor reported widespread voter pressure (FT) by authorities. ANALYSIS "Despite Mr. Putin's strong showing in the elections, Russian political experts warn that the population's patience with economic pain and international isolation will not last forever," Kathrin Hille writes for the Financial Times. "For a leader thought to have profited from foreign adventures, Putin's support for specific policies has also started to look shaky. Polls show an astonishing 49 percent of Russians want out of Syria," CFR's Stephen Sestanovich writes for the Washington Post. "The temptation to rebuild the relationship with Russia is being juxtaposed with growing frustration by European leaders over how Trump runs America," Judy Dempsey writes for Carnegie Europe. PACIFIC RIM Sweden, North Korea in Talks on U.S. Detainees Sources with knowledge of negotiations between North Korean and Swedish officials said Stockholm, acting as an intermediary for Washington, has "engaged heavily" in talks (CNN) regarding the release of three U.S. prisoners in North Korea. CFR's Sheila A. Smith discusses what a proposed U.S.-North Korea summit would mean for Japan (Foreign Affairs). SOUTH KOREA: Prosecutors are seeking an arrest warrant (Korea Times) for former President Lee Myung-bak, claiming he is likely to destroy evidence in an ongoing bribery probe. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Goal Is to End Afghan War, Says Ghani Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, meeting in Kabul with Pakistan's national security advisor, called on parties to not be "prisoners of the past" and said he has great hopes that Pakistan can help end the war in Afghanistan (APP). SRI LANKA: President Maithripala Sirisena ended a state of emergency (Daily Mirror) that was imposed following communal violence against Muslims earlier this month. At least three people died (Al Jazeera) and mosques and Muslim-owned businesses were vandalized. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Turkey Claims Control of Afrin City President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Turkish military and the allied Free Syrian Army took control of the city center of Afrin (Hurriyet) in northwest Syria in an ongoing offensive against Kurdish forces there. A British woman died last week fighting alongside Kurdish forces (BBC). SAUDI ARABIA: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in the United States today (WaPo) for a two-week visit that will include meetings with Trump administration officials and a cross-country tour of U.S. businesses. F. Gregory Gause III discusses the crown prince's vision in Foreign Affairs. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA UN Backs July Election in Zimbabwe A top UN Development Program official endorsed a plan for a July vote to choose a successor (Al Jazeera) to ousted President Robert Mugabe, who ruled the country for thirty-seven years. MAURITIUS: President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Africa's only female head of state, announced she will step down (DW). The resignation, effective on Friday, followed a dispute over her use of a credit card from a nongovernmental organization for personal expenses. EUROPE Germany: Russia Poison Attack in UK a Bilateral Issue Germany's new foreign minister said a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain is an issue between London and Moscow (EUobserver) but noted continued dialogue with Russia is important despite it being a "difficult partner" for Europe. CIA veteran Jack Devine discusses spy-craft norms in this CFR interview. AMERICAS Hague Court to Hear Bolivia-Chile Dispute The International Court of Justice at The Hague will hear arguments from the South American nations (Mercopress) regarding 236 miles of disputed Pacific coastline. Tensions over the territory have gone on since landlocked Bolivia was defeated in a nineteenth-century war. VENEZUELA: Facing a hyperinflation crisis, the city of Elorza near the Colombian border began issuing its own currency (Reuters) for use by city residents and tourists. UNITED STATES Facebook Under Fire for Data Misuse The Massachusetts attorney general announced an investigation into Facebook (NYT) as U.S. and UK lawmakers called on the social media giant to explain reports that a political data firm tied to President Donald J. Trump's campaign had access to the private information of more than fifty million users. A bomb in Austin, Texas, left two men injured late Sunday, the fourth such incident in the city this month (ABC). In the earlier attacks, which killed two people and injured two others, bombs were concealed in packages left on victims' doorsteps.         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 19, 2018 at 09:59PM