When is Russia ready to use nuclear weapons? Three European countries hold emergency summit; China-NATO military dialogue

The US provides additional aid to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin boasts about his nuclear arsenal, Poland-France-Germany holds an emergency summit, China-NATO holds the 8th military dialogue, conflict in Gaza... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview in Moscow, March 12. (Source: Reuters)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's outstanding international events:

Russia-Ukraine

* Ukraine has sharply increased the number of border guards from 53,000 to 60,000 people, according to an announcement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr. Zelensky acknowledged the work of border guards in Sumi, Chernihiv and Kharkov provinces in recent days in repelling Russian attacking forces and strengthening the border.

He especially thanked the combat border guards, rapid reaction, the "Revenge" and "Iron Border" brigades, as well as the DOZOR special forces unit for their good performance in recent weeks. (UNN)

* The US announced an additional $300 million aid package for Ukraine on March 12, including artillery shells, air defense missiles, anti-armor systems and many other types of weapons and equipment.

The new funding comes thanks to the Pentagon saving on weapons contracts, which it buys at cheaper costs through negotiations with suppliers.

On the same day, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had a phone call with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about transferring weapons to Kiev.

On the Telegram channel, Mr. Syrskyi stated that the two sides discussed Ukraine's urgent and medium-term weapons needs, in which Kiev emphasized the key priorities were ammunition and air defense. (Reuters)

* The leaders of France, Germany and Poland will hold an emergency meeting on Ukraine in Berlin on March 15, according to an announcement by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Mr. Tusk said this was an “urgent and unplanned” summit in the form of the “Weimar Triangle” - a cooperation format between France, Germany and Poland established in 1991.

According to Mr. Tusk, these three countries have the task of mobilizing all of Europe to provide aid to Ukraine. (TVP)

Europe

* President Putin boasts about Russia's nuclear arsenal: On March 13, President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia's nuclear triad - a three-pronged arsenal launched from land, sea and air - "is more modern than any other triad. Only Moscow and Washington really have it. And we have made much more progress."

Asked if he had ever considered using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, President Putin replied that it was not necessary, noting that he did not think the world was heading towards nuclear war.

Besides, the leader warned, based on the country's security doctrine, "Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons in case of a threat to the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence."

In addition, the Russian President affirmed that the West sending troops to Ukraine will not change the situation on the battlefield, and even providing weapons "will not change anything." (AP, AFP)

* Russia warns of the possibility of sending troops to the Finnish border: On March 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Finland and Sweden joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is "a meaningless step" from the perspective of ensuring the national interests of these two Nordic countries.

Besides, Mr. Putin emphasized that Russia does not have troops and weapons of mass destruction systems on the Finnish border, but now troops will be there and weapons of mass destruction will appear.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow's reaction to Sweden joining NATO would depend on what practical steps Stockholm takes to demonstrate its membership in the organization. (Reuters, TASS)

* Denmark will increase its defense spending by $5.9 billion over the next five years, according to a government plan. This will be in addition to the $22.72 billion Denmark pledged in 2023 to invest in defense over the next 10 years.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen affirmed that the country "will not rearm for the purpose of war, destruction or suffering, but is doing it now to avoid war and for a world in which the international order is being challenged." (Reuters)

* The EU is pushing ahead with accession talks for Bosnia & Herzegovina, according to European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen.

Ms. von der Leyen stressed that Bosnia & Herzegovina still needs to make further progress to join the EU, but they "are showing that they can meet the membership criteria and meet the aspirations of their people to become part of the EU family." (EC)

* Poland buys more than 1,700 missiles from the US: On March 12, during the official visit to Washington by Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the US State Department approved the proposal to sell thousands of missiles to Warsaw.

Specifically, the US will sell 821 AGM-158B JASSM surface-to-air missiles with a range of nearly 1,000 km with a total value of 1.77 billion USD, 745 AIM-120C medium-range air-to-air missiles worth 425 million USD and 232 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II short-range tactical air-to-air missiles worth 54.75 million USD.

The packages for the three types of missiles mentioned above also include additional missile-related equipment and logistical support. (Anadolu)

Asia-Pacific

* A Chinese military delegation visited the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal from March 4-13 and held meetings with the Maldives President and defense ministers of the three countries.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Chinese military's international military cooperation delegation had in-depth discussions on bilateral defense cooperation and reached many consensuses, but did not provide further details. (Reuters)

* China held the 8th military dialogue with NATO on security policy in Beijing on March 13, according to an announcement from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense.

The two sides exchanged views on defense issues between China and NATO, as well as the international and regional situation, according to the statement. (Reuters)

* South Korea emphasizes training to neutralize threats from North Korea: On March 13, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik called on the military to master operating systems to neutralize North Korea's nuclear and missile networks.

The call was made during a visit to the command in Seongnam, south of Seoul, amid the ongoing South Korea-US Freedom Shield exercise.

Mr. Shin Won-sik also called on the military to "enhance combat capabilities to the next level to overwhelm the enemy in all fields." (Yonhap)

* India continues to lead the world in arms imports, accounting for 9.8% of global arms sales in the 2019-2023 period, down slightly from 11% in the 2018-2022 period, according to the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Russia continues to be India's main arms supplier - accounting for 36% of New Delhi's arms imports, followed by France (33%), the US (13%), Saudi Arabia (8.4%), Qatar (7.6%), Ukraine (4.9%), Pakistan (4.3%), Japan (4.1%), Egypt (4%), Australia (3.7%), South Korea (3.1%) and China (2.9%).

The report indicates that Pakistan saw a 43% increase in arms imports between 2019 and 2023, and 82% of Pakistan's arms imports came from China. (SIPRI)

* The IAEA continues to monitor the discharge at Fukushima (Japan), according to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi.

The release is just the first stage of a long and arduous process, Grossi said, stressing the IAEA's role as an independent monitor.

He also reaffirmed the organization's stance of maintaining caution throughout the process. (Kyodo)

Middle East-Africa

* Israel deploys police to Jerusalem, determined to destroy Hamas: On March 12, Israeli police said they would deploy thousands of officers along Jerusalem's Old Quarter during the first Friday prayer of Ramadan, March 15, at the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that he would carry out an attack in Rafah, a large city near the Gaza-Egypt border, to "destroy the remaining Hamas battalions".

"We will destroy Hamas, free the hostages and ensure that Gaza will never pose a threat to Israel again," the leader asserted. (RT, Times of Israel)

* Hamas has accepted a revised US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza , according to a senior official of the Islamic Hamas movement.

Hamas representatives are expected to travel to the Egyptian capital Cairo in the coming days to discuss the final details and implementation of the agreement. (Al Arabiya)

* A Greek military ship fired on two drones in the Red Sea and repelled them on March 12, according to a Greek Defense Ministry official. The Greek military ship, which is serving in the EU naval mission in the Red Sea, is named Aspides.

On the same day, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that Houthi forces launched a short-range ballistic missile from areas controlled by the movement in Yemen towards the USS Laboon warship in the Red Sea, but did not hit the ship and did not cause any casualties or damage. (Reuters)

* The African Union (AU) reaffirmed its commitment to implementing a peace deal to end the two-year civil war in northern Ethiopia.

The statement was made during the first strategic review meeting on the implementation of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in Ethiopia on March 11. The meeting was convened by AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. (THX)

* Angolan President João Lourenço will pay an official visit to China from March 15-17, which is expected to contribute to strengthening relations between the two countries.

The trip's agenda includes meetings between President João Lourenço and host country leaders including President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and with National Assembly Chairman Zhao Leji.

During his visit to Beijing, the Angolan President will sign new legal documents to strengthen cooperation with China. (Angola Press)

America

* Crisis in Haiti: Gang violence continues in Haiti, as the country has not yet been able to quickly establish a Transitional Council representing various sectors of society to appoint an interim prime minister and establish an interim electoral council, after Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned.

The US is urging Haiti to form a transitional council within the next 24-48 hours, which will agree to appoint a new prime minister.

Meanwhile, Kenya announced it was postponing the deployment of 1,000 police officers to assist Haiti due to concerns about the absence of national leadership.

Amid public expectations for a multinational Security Assistance Mission to restore order in the Caribbean country, the Mexican government declared that Haiti needs a long-term solution that does not require outside intervention except for constructive support from the international community.

* US Election 2024: On the morning of March 13 (Vietnam time), both potential candidates of the Republican and Democratic parties, Mr. Donald Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden, respectively, had enough votes to win the party's nomination to participate in the election next November.

So, if nothing changes, Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden will once again face each other after 4 years.

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