Reuters, 03.02.2025
U.S. tariffs on Mexico paused for a month after border deal, Trump says
U.S. President Donald Trump has paused new tariffs on Mexico for one month after
Mexico agreed to reinforce its northern border with 10,000 National Guard members to stem
the flow of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, he said on Monday. The agreement also includes
a U.S. commitment to act to prevent trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico, Mexican
President Claudia Sheinbaum said on X. The two leaders spoke by phone on Monday, just
hours before U.S. tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada were set to take effect. The two
countries will use the month-long suspension to engage in further negotiations, Trump said.
Reuters, 03.02.2025
Rubio tells Panama to end China's influence of canal or face US action
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday warned Panama's President Jose
Raul Mulino that Washington will "take measures necessary" if Panama does not immediately
take steps to end what President Donald Trump sees as China's influence and control over
the Panama Canal. Mulino, after the talks with the top U.S. diplomat in Panama City, signaled
he would review agreements involving China and Chinese businesses, and announced
further cooperation with the U.S. on migration, but reiterated that his country's sovereignty
over the world's second busiest waterway is not up for discussion.
BBG, 03.02.2025
Trump and Musk’s USAID ‘Shut Down’ Threat Opens Door for China
The US Agency for International Development (USAID), an organization that dates to
President John F. Kennedy’s attempts to fight Soviet influence in the developing world, is on
the brink of collapse. The US is the world’s largest donor and spent about $68 billion on
foreign assistance in 2023 — within a week of taking office, the administration froze it all
before partially reversing itself with a waiver that the humanitarian, development and
diplomatic worlds are still struggling to interpret.
The move has ground one of the engines of the country’s geopolitical influence to a
halt and created an opening for rivals like China, which Washington has long presented as
an unreliable and predatory partner for the developing world.
Reuters, 01.02.2025
US Democratic lawmakers question Trump's blockage of clean energy federal grants
U.S. Democratic lawmakers Friday sent letters to two federal agencies asking them to
explain why they froze federal funds on clean energy and investments that lower energy costs
for American consumers, saying the agencies have violated federal laws. Senate Democrats
on Friday asked newly-confirmed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin
to explain why his agency froze federal funds that were already obligated to grantees, saying
the agency has violated federal laws. Democrats on the Senate environment committee
asked Zeldin why the agency has "clawed back" funds that were already committed after
hearing from their constituents about being unable to access funds for solar energy and other
projects already under way. "Federal law and regulations require that obligated funds be
provided to grantees absent proof of misuse of funds,” wrote Senators Sheldon Whitehouse,
Bernie Sanders, Angela Alsobrooks and others.
2
3 FEBRUARY 2025
Reuters, 03.02.2025
Trump attack on South Africa exposes divisions over race and land
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa defended his land reform policy on Monday
against an attack by Donald Trump that laid bare deep divisions within South Africa over racial
disparities in ownership, an issue festering since apartheid. The U.S. president said on
Sunday, without citing evidence, that "South Africa is confiscating land" and "certain classes
of people" were being treated "very badly", adding that he would cut off funding to the country
in response. Ramaphosa said the government had not confiscated any land and he looked
forward to engaging with Trump to foster a better understanding over a policy he said ensures
equitable public access to land.
WSJ, 03.02.2025
Russia Is Winning the Race to Dominate the Arctic
The U.S. and Russia are only 53 miles apart across the Bering Strait, near the Arctic
Circle. Geopolitically, they are more distant than in decades. The Arctic has warmed nearly
four times as fast as the rest of the planet in recent decades, according to researchers, who
call the phenomenon Arctic amplification. Sea-ice cover in the Arctic has shrunk from an
annual minimum of 2.7 million square miles in 1979 to 1.7 million square miles in 2024,
according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. That represents the loss of
an area the size of Argentina in less than 50 years. As the sea-ice has retreated, the number
of high-latitude voyages taken by ships through the region has advanced.
During the Cold War, both sides deployed some of their most powerful weapons and
surveillance systems in the region. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the U.S. shrank
its bases in Alaska, and Russia’s Arctic forces decayed. The two countries cooperated on
issues including the environment, fisheries and maritime safety. Now, rising animosity is
prompting Russia and NATO to renew military deployments in the region because it offers
each side prime territory from which to strike, said Rob Huebert, the interim director of the
University of Calgary’s Center for Military, Security and Strategic Studies. The U.S.
Department of Homeland Security in 2023 said Moscow’s ability to maintain a strong
presence in the Arctic Ocean outstrips Washington’s capacity—weakening American security.
Коммерсантъ, 02.02.2025
Глава МИД Испании заявил о необходимости восстановить отношения с
Россией
Министр иностранных дел Испании Хосе Мануэль Альбарес считает, что после
заключения мира и прекращения боевых действий на Украине Европе нужно будет
восстанавливать отношения с Россией. Он отметил, что Европа и Россия так или иначе
остаются соседями, которые разделены протяженной границей. «Я думаю, что все
европейцы очень четко представляют себе, какими должны быть отношения с Путиным,
какова наша позиция относительно военной агрессии»,— сказал министр в интервью
газете El Diario. По словам Альбареса, основой для нормализации взаимоотношений
Европы и России должны стать принципы суверенного равенства и взаимного
уважения.
Коммерсантъ, 03.02.2025
АдГ выступила за нейтралитет Украины и сотрудничество ФРГ с ЕАЭС
Крайне правая партия ФРГ «Альтернатива для Германии» (АдГ) в предвыборной
программе выступила за нейтралитет Украины, то есть за отказ от ее вступления в
НАТО, а также за восстановление «беспрепятственных отношений с Россией». Кроме
того, партия призвала расширить связи Германии с Евразийским экономическим
союзом.
Comments
Show all comments