U.S.-South Korea Military Drills, Iran Nuclear Deal Diplomacy, Ukraine’s Independence Day, and More

The United States and South Korea hold joint military drills amid mounting tough rhetoric from North Korea; nuclear deal negotiations continue as Iran responds to the European Union’s most recent draft of a revived agreement; and Ukraine marks its Independence Day six months after the Russian invasion began.

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Hosts
  • James M. Lindsay
    Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair
  • Robert McMahon
    Managing Editor

Show Notes

Mentioned on the Podcast

 

Max Boot, “Why Kyiv’s ‘Thousand Bee Sting’ Strategy is Costing Russia Dearly,” Washington Post

 

Jessica Chen Weiss, “The China Trap,” Foreign Affairs

 

Steven Cook and Martin Indyk, “The Case for a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact,” Council on Foreign Relations

 

Nicholas Pelham, “MBS: Despot in the Desert,” The Economist

 

Karim Sadjadpour, “What the U.S. Gets Wrong About Iran,” New York Times

 

Stephen Sestanovich, “Putin’s Strategy in Ukraine,” The President’s Inbox

 

Scott Snyder, “Why North Korea Might Reject Yoon Suk-yeol’s Audacious Initiative,” CFR.org

Ukraine

Ukraine pushes for wider international support and endorsement of its proposed peace process at Switzerland’s Ukraine peace summit; the UN Security Council deliberates how to assist Sudanese civilians and de-escalate the civil war; diplomatic pressure builds for a U.S.-backed cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip; and Russian ships arrive in Cuban waters for exercises. 

Climate Change

All twenty-seven European Union (EU) member states vote in European Parliament elections with polls showing right-wing parties poised to gain more seats; the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrial democracies meet in Italy with a sizable agenda, including support for Ukraine and trade concerns with China; the United States prepares for an above-normal hurricane season; and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and partner exporters, known as OPEC+, extend oil output cuts.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

U.S. President Joe Biden faces increasing international and domestic pressures on his policy toward the Israel-Hamas war amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip; Western leaders commemorate the eightieth anniversary of D-Day with Russia’s war in Ukraine front of mind; Mexico holds massive general elections that are likely to usher in the country’s first woman president; and North Korea tests new satellite and missiles.

Top Stories on CFR

Israel

Israel has made eliminating the threat from the Gaza-based militant group a central war aim, but it’s not entirely clear at what point that condition will be met.  

Russia

Outright seizure of the Russian Central Bank’s hundreds of billions in frozen assets is currently off the table, but it is still possible to obtain large sums for Ukraine from the interest income on these assets.