SEOUL: US President Joe Biden and South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol said after meeting Saturday that they will consider expanded military exercises to deter the nuclear threat from North Korea at a time when there’s little hope of real diplomacy on the matter.
Yoon affirmed in remarks at a news conference that their shared goal is the complete denuclearization of North Korea. The US and South Korea issued a joint statement that said they were committed to a “rules-based international order” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The statement likely sets the stage for how the US and its allies will address any challenges with North Korea.
The statement may draw an angry response from North Korea, which had defended its nuclear weapons and missile development on what it perceives as US threats and long described the U.S-South Korea military exercises as invasion rehearsals, although the allies have described the drills as defensive.
Yet Biden also reiterated his offer of vaccines to North Korea as the coronavirus spreads at a dangerously fast speed through that country. He also said he’s prepared to meet with Kim Jong Un provided the North Korean leader is “sincere” and “serious.”
“Yes, we’ve offered vaccines, not only to North Korea but China as well,” Biden said. “We’re prepared to do that immediately. We’ve gotten no response.”
The division of the Korean peninsula after World War II has led to two radically different countries. In South Korea, Biden is touring factories for computer chips and next-generation autos in a democracy and engaging in talks for greater cooperation. But in the North, there is a deadly coronavirus outbreak in a largely unvaccinated autocracy that can best command the world’s attention by flexing its nuclear capabilities.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden flew to South Korea, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the US has coordinated with Seoul and Tokyo on how they’ll respond should the North conduct a nuclear test or missile strike while Biden is in the region or soon after. Sullivan also spoke with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi earlier in the week and urged Beijing to use its influence to persuade the North to cease the tests.
As part of a five-day visit in Asia, Biden spent Saturday developing his relationship with Yoon, who assumed office little more than a week ago.
In advance of the meeting, there have been worries in Seoul that Washington is slipping back to the Obama administration’s “strategic patience” policy of ignoring North Korea until it demonstrates seriousness about denuclearization, an approach that was criticized for neglecting the North as it made huge strides in building its nuclear arsenal.
The US president opened Saturday by laying a wreath at Seoul National Cemetery, wearing white gloves and a somber expression as he also burned incense and then signed a guest book. Biden then greeted Yoon at the People’s House for a nearly two-hour meeting and brief public remarks. The pair will also hold a joint news conference and attend a leaders’ dinner at the National Museum of Korea.
In addition to North Korea, both leaders emphasized economic security and growing trade relations as two Korean industrial stalwarts — Samsung and Hyundai — are opening major plants in the US
Biden faces growing disapproval within the US over inflation near a 40-year high, but his administration sees one clear economic win in the contest with China for influence in the Pacific. Bloomberg Economics Analysis estimates that the US economy will grow faster this year than China for the first time since 1976, a forecast that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre credited to Biden’s spending on coronavirus relief and infrastructure that led to faster job growth.
The national security event that is galvanizing broader discussions between the two countries has been Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a war that has led to an unprecedented set of sanctions by the US and its allies.
South Korea joined the US in imposing export controls against Russia and blocking Russian banks from the SWIFT payments system. Its participation was key to stopping Russia’s access to computer chips and other technologies needed for weapons and economic development.
At the start of the administration, many White House officials thought that Kim’s nuclear ambitions would prove to be perhaps the administration’s most vexing challenge and that the North Korean leader would aim to test Biden’s mettle early in his time in office.
Through the first 14 months of Biden’s administration, Pyongyang held off on missile tests even as it ignored efforts by the administration to reach out through back channels in hopes of restarting talks that could lead to the North’s denuclearization in return for sanctions relief.
But the quiet didn’t last. North Korea has tested missiles 16 separate times this year, including in March, when its first flight of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017 demonstrated a potential range including the entire US mainland.
The Biden administration is calling on China to restrain North Korea from engaging in any missile or nuclear tests. Speaking on Air Force One, Sullivan said Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping could hold a phone call in the coming weeks.
Biden has fiercely criticized Beijing over its human rights record, trade practices, military harassment of the self-ruled island of Taiwan and more. And while Biden has made clear that he sees China as the United States’ greatest economic and national security competitor, he says it is crucial to keep the lines of communication open so the two powers can cooperate on issues of mutual concern. North Korea is perhaps highest on that list.
White House officials said Biden won’t visit the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula during his trip — something that’s become standard for presidents during Seoul visits dating back to Ronald Reagan. Biden visited the DMZ in 2013 as vice president. Sullivan said the president’s decision to skip the stop this time wasn’t driven by security concerns.
Instead, Biden on Sunday will visit the Air Operations Center’s Combat Operations Floor on Osan Air Base, south of Seoul. The US sees it as one of the most critical installations in Northeast Asia.
US, South Korea open to expanded military drills to deter North Korea
https://arab.news/jvq5e
US, South Korea open to expanded military drills to deter North Korea
- One mission will be reassuring South Korea about the US commitment to countering North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
Activists hold ‘die-in’ protest at Soviet monument in Warsaw
A handful of people also showed up to lay flowers at the cemetery away from the protests
WARSAW: Pro-Ukrainian activists held a protest at a Soviet memorial in Warsaw where Moscow’s ambassador placed a wreath on Friday, as Russia celebrates World War II Victory Day.
Some two dozen protesters wrapped in white sheets, their clothes and faces splattered with a red substance imitating blood, lay at the foot of a monument at the cemetery for Soviet soldiers in Poland’s capital.
They chanted “terrorists” as Russia’s ambassador to Poland, Sergei Andreyev, made his way to the monument with a wreath to commemorate the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany.
“The idea was that the path the ambassador would take to reach the monument would be lined with the graves of people who died innocently during the war” in Ukraine, Miroslaw Petryga, 70, who participated in the lie-in, told AFP.
Poland is a staunch ally of Kyiv, supporting Ukraine with military and political aid as it fends off a Russian invasion that is grinding through its fourth year.
“It was the gait of a man pretending not to see anything, with tunnel vision,” Petryga, a Ukrainian engineer who has lived in Poland for decades, said of Andreyev.
The ambassador walked past the protesters amid a heavy police presence and with a handful of supporters and security guards around him.
The activists also scattered children’s toys at the entrance to the cemetery. The teddy bears, balls and other items were also splattered with a blood-like liquid to symbolize child victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Some were wearing t-shirts with the slogan “Make Russia small again” and were collecting signatures under a petition to expel the Russian ambassador from Poland.
At the site, around a dozen people also gathered at a counter protest, wearing the St. George ribbon, a historical symbol of Russian and Soviet military successes.
Minor scuffles and verbal altercations broke out between the groups.
A handful of people also showed up to lay flowers at the cemetery away from the protests.
“We should honor the memory of those soldiers who died in the World War,” said Natalia, a 67-year-old who held a black-and-white photo that she said showed her father who had fought in the war.
The Russian citizen and longtime Polish resident declined to give her full name.
In 2022, the year Russia launched the full-scale war, protesters at the Soviet mausoleum threw a red substance at Moscow’s envoy.
A year later Andreyev was blocked by activists from laying flowers at the monument.
The Kremlin is using its annual Victory Day parade in Moscow — marking 80 years since the end of World War II — to whip up patriotism at home and project strength abroad as its troops fight in Ukraine.
But for Natalia Panchenko from the pro-Ukrainian organization Euromaidan, the day should serve as a reminder of Russia’s ongoing war.
“It is important to us that today, when people remember that there is a country called Russia, they do not remember Russia through Russian propaganda, but remember the real Russia,” Panchenko told AFP.
“And Russia is a terrorist state,” she said.
Cyprus court jails Hungarians brokering property sales in Turkish-held north
- The two women were convicted of advertising and finding buyers for coastal properties
- Friday’s verdict highlights the complexity and sensitivity over territory in Cyprus
NICOSIA: A court in Cyprus sentenced two Hungarian nationals to prison on Friday for brokering sales of properties in the Turkish-held north of the island seized from fleeing Greek Cypriots in a 1974 war.
The two women were convicted of advertising and finding buyers for coastal properties without the consent of the registered owners in the territory, which is a Turkish Cypriot state recognized only by Turkiye.
Friday’s verdict, likely to draw the ire of Turkish Cypriots, highlights the complexity and sensitivity over territory in Cyprus, where thousands of people lost property and homes from internal displacement and a 1974 Turkish invasion triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup.
Those properties have since been re-distributed, and bought and sold many times. The territory has recently seen a surge in high-end investment.
Cyprus’s Criminal Court passed down sentencing of 2.5 years and 15 months jail to the two women, the semi-official Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported. They had pleaded guilty to a number of charges, and prosecutors suspended others.
The court is based in the southern part of Cyprus run by its internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government. The women were arrested late last year after arriving in the south.
Greek Cypriot authorities have increasingly pursued legal action against foreign nationals investing in disputed properties in north Cyprus in recent years, and the issue is known to have caused friction in attempts to relaunch peace talks.
Two other cases are pending before the courts.
Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister highlights importance of ties with Japan
- Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi stated that Japan is committed to continuing its efforts toward a two-state solution for Palestine
- Iwaya stated that Jordan is playing an important role amid the fluid international situation
TOKYO: Jordanian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Al Safadi met with Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa in Tokyo on Friday and highlighted the importance of the partnership between Jordan and Japan, Japan’s Foreign Ministry reported.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi stated that Japan is committed to continuing its efforts toward a two-state solution for Palestine and establishing peace and prosperity in the region in coordination with Jordan, which, he said, was a vital part of stability in the region.
Iwaya welcomed his Jordanian counterpart and appreciated the visit to Japan and the Osaka-Kansai Expo of Crown Prince Hussein, who had “fruitful discussions” with Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on Thursday.
Iwaya stated that Jordan is playing an important role amid the fluid international situation and added that he hopes to work closely with Jordan toward achieving a “two-state solution” for Palestine and establishing long-term peace and stability in the region.
The two foreign ministers met previously in Munich and Iwaya said the high-level visits and meetings “symbolize the strategic partnership between our two countries.”
He also offered condolences for those affected by the flooding in Petra.
Foreign Minister Safadi said he appreciated support from Japan in various fields, including economic reforms. He also congratulated Japan on the success of the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
He explained the latest regional situation and Jordan’s diplomatic efforts and stated that Jordan attaches great importance to cooperation with “close partner” Japan. He also expressed his gratitude for the assistance Japan has extended to Jordan thus far.
He added that he was looking forward to “in-depth discussions about the challenges we face in the region, particularly efforts to stop the Israeli aggression in Gaza and to confront the massive humanitarian disaster it is suffering, in addition to discussing the situation in Syria and the situation in the region in general.”
“We emphasize the importance of Japan’s role,” he said. “Japan is highly respected in our region, and Japan’s policies are aimed at achieving security, stability, peace and development. These are also the goals of our policies in Jordan.”
Discussions centered on bilateral cooperation and various issues in the Middle East.
Putin and Trump exchanged World War Two anniversary greetings via aides, Kremlin says
- “These were warm words, mutual congratulations on our common great celebration,” Ushakov said
- Russia marked the anniversary on Friday
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump congratulated each other via their aides on the 80th anniversary of the Soviet and allied victory in World War Two over Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said on Friday.
’Through their aides, the Russian president and President Trump exchanged congratulations on the occasion of our common celebration,” Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to Putin, told state TV’s Channel One.
“These were warm words, mutual congratulations on our common great celebration,” Ushakov said.
Russia marked the anniversary on Friday with a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square attended by dozens of world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping.
The TASS state news agency reported that Lynne Tracy, the US ambassador to Russia, had not been present at the parade.
Weary border residents in Indian-administered Kashmir struggle to survive
- Villagers hid in bunkers, behind rocks and bushes on mountain slopes, many watched their homes being reduced to rubble
- Exchange of heavy fire has destroyed or severely damaged dozens of homes along the border, forcing many to flee
URI, India: Mohammad Naseem says his neighbors laughed when he borrowed money and built a concrete bunker under his home in a village near the disputed Kashmir border.
But this week, when mortar bombs rained in Salamabad, 38 people — men, women, and children — huddled in it as about a dozen shells exploded outside in quick succession.
One of them destroyed Naseem’s home.
“Many of us would have died had we not moved into the bunker,” Naseem, a 34-year-old hotel chef, told AFP.
“We grabbed our children and rushed inside. It got so packed that after some time we felt suffocated, two of our children became unconscious,” he said.
“The children had to be hospitalized after daybreak when the shelling stopped.”
Other villagers hid behind rocks and bushes on the mountain slopes. Some watched their homes being reduced to rubble.
Deadly confrontations between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan erupted after New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing an April 22 attack on tourists on the Indian-administered side of the disputed territory, which killed 26 people.
Pakistan denies the charge.
“We took our children out and went up the mountain slope holding them tightly as bombs exploded around us,” Naseer Ahmed Khan, 50, said outside his damaged house on Thursday.
“Our life is worth nothing. At any time, entire families could be wiped out,” Khan said. “Our children are not able to sleep and we cannot have a meal in peace.”
The exchange of heavy fire has destroyed or severely damaged dozens of homes in Uri, about 100 kilometers (66 miles) from the Kashmir capital Srinagar, forcing many to flee to safer areas in towns like Baramulla, about 50 kilometers away.
Sajjad Shafi, a local lawmaker told AFP that about 10 percent of Uri’s population — some 22,000 people — fled since the latest fighting began.
On Friday, many more were fleeing in buses and trucks provided by the government or driving off in their own cars.
“How can we stay here?” Rubina Begum said outside her destroyed home. “The government should lodge us somewhere safe.”
Begum’s daughter, Saima Talib, added: “We have nothing left except the clothes we are wearing.”
Displaced people are struggling to find food and work and many are now sheltering in government buildings in Uri.
Mohammad Lateef Bhat, a road construction worker, said: “I work as a laborer with army’s border roads organization but their work also stopped.”
“This morning I came to the market looking for work but there is nothing,” Bhat said.
Some vegetable sellers briefly set up shop before closing.
Mohammad Bashir was also despondent.
“I came to the market to find some work so I can buy some food for my family (of eight) but there is nothing,” Bashir, 60, said.
The death toll from India and Pakistan’s biggest clashes in decades passed 50 on Friday with each accusing the other of staging drone attacks in waves.
Farooq Ahmed Khan, 35, a bus driver from Sultandhaki village near the border, said “this fighting has made our life miserable.”
Nagni, a rare mixed settlement of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, sits on mountain slopes near the Indian army’s border headquarters in Uri.
Villagers say 35 of the 50 families there have fled.
Badal, a 22-year-old student who only gave his first name, was cleaning up after his sister’s wedding at his freshly painted home.
He showed a crater caused by a mortar bomb that landed a few meters away on the night of the wedding.
“Luckily there was no loss of life but a lot of damage. What we need.. is bunkers, but there are none.”
“This village has always been a target of Pakistani attacks in the past because the (Indian) army headquarters are nearby,” said Sahil Kumar, another Nagni resident.
Locals say they are fed up.
“I say there should be a war just to decide where Kashmir goes,” said Farooq Ahmed Khan, the bus driver.
“I will also go to fight in that war so that this trouble ends for good,” Khan said.
