Diplomacy & Crisis News

Emblématique des accords de pêche entre l'Union européenne et les pays d'Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique (ACP), celui signé avec le Sénégal - contesté aussi bien à Strasbourg qu'à Dakar - ne se veut pas seulement commercial mais entend contribuer au développement des pays concernés. Reste à savoir, (...) / Afrique, Sénégal, Mer, Pêche - 1997/09

The end of the Second World War in Europe defined Soviet citizens and the Russian people in the 20th Century as those that saved the world from fascism. Despite the negative press during the Cold War in the West on Russia’s contribution to the end of Nazism, it is likely the case that every Russian family lost at least one close family member to save Russia, Eastern Europe and the world. Even today, the pride that Russians feel about their fight against Germany colours much of the dialogue on Russian foreign relations today. This goes beyond official state policy and reflects the sentiments of the people themselves.

Since the Sochi games and evidently into the World Cup taking place next month in Russia, negative press on Russia has pushed Russian public opinion towards a leader that claims its main goal is the defense of its people, but also spurns on popularity by claiming it is the sole entity that will give Russians due pride in themselves. While there are several reasons to target the Putin Administration, the actions taken against Russia often appear to focus not just on their government, but effects the people themselves. While the Vancouver Olympics were seen as successful, there was the death of one athlete during the 2010 games in Canada. Sochi was consistently shown in a negative light, despite it being an overall well done event. The expansionist policies of their government began soon after Sochi, with added support from a narrative coming from Western countries of a Russian failure.

Very recently, Russian claims that it was going to supply Syria with the S-300 anti-air system were altered, stopping the installation of the S-300 after a meeting between the Israeli PM and President Putin, notably during the days of the May Day/Victory Day Parade. While Russia had spent gold, weapons and blood fighting ISIS in support of Assad’s government in Syria, extended support after a US, UK, French and Israeli strike in Syria may not follow a simple foreign policy plan in the region. With Russia living rent free in the narrative of many media organisations from the US and the West, that negative press can be buoyed in a populist light in Russia by its government. Another victory over fascist elements in the Middle East brings added context to VE Day many years ago. Moves to counter terrorist attacks in Russia itself, regain pride from the war in Afghanistan and challenging negative media from abroad will extend Putin’s time in power as long as Russians themselves are also targeted in a negative light. Traditional pride defining the Russian people mixed with evident skepticism in Western media on Russians themselves pushes many to the side of the current government in Russia. Meeting Putin while respecting Russian history and its people now seems to be how the future of the Middle East will be determined. Respecting the Russian people while challenging its current government will also be how the future of Russian relations will develop as well.

The post Foreign Policy of the Russian People appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

The president's reckless move reversed decades of sensible bipartisan policy. Holding out the possibility of a Palestinian capital in the holy city can keep hope for a negotiated settlement alive.

If French President Emmanuel Macron is serious about pushing back against xenophobic populists, he needs to revamp his own legislative agenda.

>> Retrouvez l’article dont est extraite cette citation : « Le Venezuela peut-il sortir de l’impasse ? », écrit par Thomas Posado dans le numéro de printemps 2018 de Politique étrangère. < <

New research indicates that people who are genetically prone to being overweight have a higher risk of taking up smoking - and they are likely to smoke more than average — UN scientists said on Wednesday.

Describing a viable two-state solution to end the Palestine-Israel conflict as “very much in doubt”, a leading Palestinian legislator called on Wednesday for “new international engagement” to move the process forward.

The economics of a major oil deal seemed to make sense. But when energy companies are arms of the state, economics aren't the only factor.

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria on Wednesday detailed his most recent efforts to revive stalled peace talks which could end the brutal conflict that has been raging there for more than seven years.

In an increasingly dangerous world, the European Union (EU) need to make its voice “more and more heard” as a “central pillar” of multilateralism, said the United Nations Secretary-General on Wednesday.

A la fin de ces années 1960, circulaient largement dans le pays de petits livres rouges qui codifiaient en quelque sorte les pensées de l'époque. Ils répandaient des préceptes subversifs affirmant comme but ultime de la société l'égalité entre les hommes et la quête du bonheur. « Le citoyen est en droit (...) / France, Idées, Intellectuels, Libéralisme, Mouvement de contestation - 1996/01

Two truckloads of urgently needed medical supplies have been delivered to Gaza, where scores of Palestinians were injured during demonstrations along the border fence with Israel earlier this week.

Donald Trump meets with Indonesian partners, 2015 (South China Morning Post).

President Donald J. Trump’s overseas business dealings have once again come under scrutiny with reports that the Chinese government will provide financing to the tune of $500 million for construction of a theme park in Indonesia featuring a Trump-branded golf course and resort-hotel. This news comes on the heels of Trump’s surprise announcement that he will offer concessions to Chinese telecommunications company ZTE, recently hit with a U.S. components ban after violating sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

Trump’s concessions to ZTE prompted “bipartisan rebuke,” accusations of “putting China first and letting sanction-breakers off the hook,” and suspicions that the concessions might be linked to China’s financing of the Trump-branded Indonesian deal worth millions of dollars to Trump. The White House refused to answer questions from media on whether the deal might violate the U.S. Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause and Trump’s own pledge not to pursue new foreign business deals while serving as president.

As Agence France-Presse via the South China Morning Post and the National Review report, the billion-dollar theme park project featuring the Trump brand is part of MNC Lido City, an “integrated lifestyle resort” outside the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta. The project developer, MNC Land, features its “partnership with The Trump Hotel Collection” on its company website (archive), boasting that the “Trump International Resort” in Lido City is “the first Trump Collection Resort in Asia bearing the prestigious Trump brand name, known for unparalleled luxury and quality” (archive).

MNC Land CEO Hary Tanoesoedibjo (aka Hary Tanoe) and his wife Liliana, pictured above, visited Trump in New York in 2015 to finalize the deal for Trump resorts in Lido City and Bali. Tanoesoedibjo has boasted about his access to Trump and attended Trump’s presidential inauguration in January 2017. While in Washington for the inauguration, Tanoesoedibjo and his family stayed at the Trump International Hotel, a noted magnet for foreign emoluments concerns. Tanoesoedibjo has also suggested a possible run for president of Indonesia in 2019.

Hary and Liliana Tanoesoedibjo attend Trump inauguration (DetikNews).

Never far from their father’s conflicts of interest and foreign emoluments concerns, Donald Trump’s daughter and “senior adviser” Ivanka, and sons Eric and Donald Jr., also appear to be involved in the Indonesia project. “Each of them has different roles” says Tanoesoedibjo, “Don Jr. has responsibility for the overall project, Eric the design and golf, and Ivanka more of detail – the fit-out of the hotel.” Tanoesoedibjo posted photographs of a meeting with the Trump sons in New York on Twitter two days before their father’s inauguration.

Hary and Liliana Tanoesoedibjo meet with Trump sons (Twitter, archive).

In April 2017, The Intercept reported Tanoesoedibjo’s alleged involvement with an ISIS-backed militia in an effort to oust current Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Linked to this effort also was Indonesian politician Fadli Zon, “Trump’s main political booster in the country,” who made an unexpected appearance at a U.S. Trump campaign event in 2015. Then-speaker of the Indonesian parliament Setya Novanto, who appeared with Fadli Zon at the event and is also noted as “a Trump admirer,” has since been imprisoned for graft. The two politicians’ appearance at the event was reportedly arranged by Tanoesoedibjo and linked to Trump’s business interests in Indonesia.

China’s financing for half the cost of the project comes from Central Research Institute of Building and Construction Co., Ltd. (中冶建筑研究总院有限公司), a subsidiary of state-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation (中国冶金科工集团有限公司 or 中国中冶集团), also known as Metallurgical Corporation of China (中国冶金科工股份有限公司, MCC) and managed by senior members of the Chinese Communist Party. According to the National Review, China’s involvement in the deal is “part of Beijing’s global influence-expanding ‘Belt and Road’ infrastructure initiative,” seen by many observers as part of a broader effort by China to “supplant the United States” as a leader in world affairs.

It is not certain that Trump’s “odd” and “stunning reversal” on ZTE was prompted by China’s agreement to provide financing for the Trump-Indonesia project. Trump is certain to profit from from the deal, however, and announced his concessions to ZTE a mere 72 hours after China agreed to finance the project. Former White House ethics counsels from both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations commented that the move by Trump was suspicious at the very least and constituted a possible violation of the foreign emoluments clause.

In addition to its sanctions violations, ZTE is seen as a potential national security threat to the United States given its close ties to the Chinese government and the possibility that its smartphones and other devices might be used for surveillance or espionage. In 2016, Chinese-authored spyware was found on Chinese-made smartphones including phones manufactured by ZTE.

This is not the first time that the Trump family’s business dealings with China and Indonesia have come under scrutiny. Donald and Ivanka Trump have both been awarded valuable trademarks for their businesses by the Chinese government since the Trump inauguration, prompting constitutional concerns regarding foreign emoluments. Many of the products sold by Ivanka Trump’s fashion company are produced at factories in China and in Indonesia where horrifying sweatshop conditions have been reported.

The family of Trump son-in-law and “senior adviser” Jared Kushner has also come under fire for touting its presidential connections to lure Chinese investors for its New York-area real estate projects through the controversial EB-5 “visa-for-sale” scheme for wealthy foreign investors. China’s “courtship” of Jared Kusher and Ivanka Trump as conduits of influence on the Trump administration has been noted with alarm.

Concerns that the President of the United States and his “senior advisers” might be making foreign policy decisions on the basis of their business interests rather than U.S. national interests have become an everyday fact of life for Americans in the Trump era. Trump’s Indonesian resort deal, and the latest news of China’s financing for the deal, have only made the mountain of Trump-Kushner conflict-of-interest concerns a little bit higher.

The post China Funding for Trump-Indonesia Deal Draws Scrutiny appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

Deadly chlorine gas was likely used in an attack that took place in a Syrian town in rebel-held Idlib last February, said the United Nations-backed chemical weapons watchdog on Wednesday.

Depuis dix-sept ans, à raison de 13 000 personnes par représentation, des centaines de milliers de citoyens ont pu assister à la grandiose reconstitution du passé de la Vendée, mise en scène par M. Philippe de Villiers, dans son fief du Puy du Fou. Plus qu'un Son et lumière d'ampleur exceptionnelle (...) / Tourisme, Loisirs, Culture, Identité culturelle, Histoire - 1994/08

By 2050, two out of every three people are likely to be living in cities or other urban centres, according to a new United Nations report, highlighting the need for more sustainable urban planning and public services.

LA technique du salami a-t-elle pour but de sérier les problèmes pour mieux les appréhender, ou de les séparer pour éviter de s'interroger sur leurs interactions ? La question est en apparence malvenue lorsqu'elle a trait aux conférences mondiales qui se succèdent : à Rio-de-Janeiro, l'accent ne (...) / Démographie, Développement, Libéralisme, Relations Nord-Sud - 1994/08

China's vast foreign investment program comes at a sharp cost to human rights and good governance

Aux Etats-Unis, la droite républicaine a bien tort de croire que les leaders du mouvement des droits civiques égrènent les dernières mauvaises nouvelles venues du front des Noirs parce qu'elles permettraient aux « chasseurs d'ambulances » qu'ils sont d' « attirer les journalistes à leurs conférences (...) / États-Unis (affaires intérieures), Cinéma, Afro-Américains - 1992/01

After Washington exits the Iran deal, U.S. secondary sanctions could harm European companies. EU leaders should retaliate by reviving a tool used successfully in the 1990s.