WORLD ROUNDUPAfrica’s Faltering Counterterrorism Strategy | China’s Mistakes & America’s Gains | Afghanistan Lessons & Ukraine, and more
·· U.S. Warns Russia of ‘Catastrophic Consequences’ if It Uses Nuclear Weapons
U.S. to Russia: Don’t even think the unthinkable
·· Italy’s Election Paradox
A strong Giorgia Meloni may be preferable to a weak one.
·· For China’s Auto Market, Electric Isn’t the Future. It’s the Present.
China’s EV market now looks more like a market
·· The Right-Wing Turn Against Ukraine May Be Around the Corner
Western democracies see Russian allies on the rise
·· China’s Mistakes Can Be America’s Gain
Washington should be grateful Xi is sticking around
·· What Can Russia’s Failure in Afghanistan Teach Us About Its War in Ukraine?
Histories of military culture can be overly determinative.But culture matters.
·· Japan Bans Export of Chemical Weapons Goods to Russia
Japan is worried about Russia’s willingness to use WMDs
·· The Imminent Election Crisis in Brazil
PresidentBolsonaro isn’t likely to hand over power willingly if he loses this October’s election
·· G5 Sahel Seeks ‘New Strategy’ After Mali Withdrawal
Five countries agreed to jointly fight jihadist terrorism in Africa’s vast Sahel region. Now there are four.
·· Putin’s Nuclear Threats Are Reaching Beyond Ukraine
As Ukraine gains ground, the threat of Russia using nukes increases
U.S. Warns Russia of ‘Catastrophic Consequences’ if It Uses Nuclear Weapons (David E. Sanger and Jim Tankersley, New York Times)
The comments by the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, illustrate how quickly the rhetoric has intensified as Russia has faltered on the battlefield in recent months.
Italy’s Election Paradox (Elettra Ardissino and Erik Jones, Foreign Affairs)
Why America and the EU should root for a far-right populist.
For China’s Auto Market, Electric Isn’t the Future. It’s the Present. (Daisuke Wakabayashi and Claire Fu, New York Times)
More electric cars will be sold in the country this year than in the rest of the world combined, as its domestic market accelerates ahead of the global competition.
The Right-Wing Turn Against Ukraine May Be Around the Corner (Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post)
Even as Russia’s international standing takes further hits, Ukraine may have reason to worry about shifting winds in the West’s democracies. Analysts have long fretted over the West’s stamina in the defense of Ukraine, aware of mounting concerns over surging energy prices and old suspicions of the liberal establishment in Brussels and Washington.
Electorally, Europe is seeing a mini-surge for traditionally Euroskeptic, Russia-friendly political factions. The far right has emerged as kingmakers in ongoing coalition talks in Sweden. And on Sunday, Italians voters elected what will likely be a coalition of right-wing parties led by the far-right Brothers of Italy and the charismatic politico Giorgia Meloni.
Meloni herself has rhetorically backed Kyiv in recent months, but key allies have made no secret of their affinity for the Kremlin. Matteo Salvini, head of the nativist League, has questioned the efficacy of sanctions on Russia. Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister, took to Italian TV this month to defend Putin, a longtime buddy on the world stage. (Cont.)
