US and Russia’s Monopoly Playdate
| IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ |
Said Putin on Sunday: Your Move, Donald Sunday’s New York Times headline certainly appears dire, like tensions between the US and Russia might be ratcheting up, maybe returning the relationship to its Cold War status (“Putin, Responding to Sanctions, Orders US to Cut Diplomatic Staff by 755″), but on closer look, ummm….not so much. Why? We knew Putin would respond to Congress’s tough new sanctions against Russia (passed last week and on President Trump’s desk now), but here’s what’s really going on. First, the vast majority of employees at US embassies in Russia are Russian. The United States employs hundreds of Russians who do tasks like translation, processing visa applications, cooking, and driving. So while initial news alerts in Russia said that Putin had ordered 755 Americans out of the country, he had actually ordered an overall staff reduction, which, as Putin said, was intended to cause the Americans “real discomfort.“ No kidding. How are US diplomats going to have time to do all that important diplomatic stuff if they have to handle the paperwork, drive themselves to the market, and prepare their own meals? (They probably have to start doing their own laundry, too. How do you say “Where are the Tide pods” in Russian?) Second, analysts pointed out that diplomatic reductions are among the simplest countermeasures possible. In making his reduction announcement Sunday, Putin still emphasized several areas where the US and Russia could continue or expand their cooperation, including space rockets, de-escalating the war in Syria, and shared oil projects. Third, analysts also considered the timing of Putin’s announcement as the most “convenient” moment–right after Congress voted on the new measures, but before Trump could sign off on them. Makes it look like a response to Congress instead of the president, apparently leaving the door ajar for future cooperation between Putin and Trump. US-Russia Version of Monopoly–You Take Park Place and Boardwalk? No, I’ll Take Park Place and Boardwalk: Of course, it’s true Putin really wants his two compounds back, one in Maryland and one in New York, both of which Obama seized last December as punishment for Russia’s election meddling (and because the properties were being used for espionage). It’s also true Trump really wants to give those back, but so far he’s actually heeded virtually everybody’s warnings against it. So Putin retaliated last Friday by seizing two American diplomatic compounds, a warehouse, and a country enclave used for barbecues. In English, that’s called tit-for-tat. |
| NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ |
Public Officials in Rodrigo Duterte’s Crosshairs: Rodrigo Duterte campaigned for the Philippines presidency in 2016 on a platform of eliminating the illegal drug trade. A little over a year later, estimates are that President Duterte has had killed more than 7,000 people he has identified as being linked to illegal drugs. The latest casualties are Reynaldo Parojinog, mayor of the city of Ozamiz on Mindanao island, and his wife, his brother, and nine others. The mayor’s daughter, Ozamiz’s vice-mayor, was arrested and charged with drug offenses. The official report said police were serving an arrest warrant at the mayor’s home when his security guards opened fire. The police chief said officers recovered rifles, cash, and illegal drugs at the address. A spokesperson for the Parojinogs denied there was any exchange of fire and said the mayor’s camp did not fire a shot. Parojinog is the third Philippine mayor to be killed. Duterte has singled out local officials, policemen, and judges in his government’s bloody narcotics crackdown, which has made him popular with many Filipinos, but is also routinely condemned by human rights groups. In early July, legislators extended martial law in Mindanao, where the Philippine army has been battling Islamists in Marawi City, but critics have called it part of a larger power grab by Duterte. Venezuela Rejects Sunday’s Vote As Violence Continues: On Sunday in Venezuela, most voters boycotted an election for a new constituent assembly that deeply unpopular President Nicolas Maduro said would usher in a “new era of combat. We’re going all out with this constituent assembly.“ (Is that really the best choice of words right now, Mr. President? Have you looked outside your window lately?) Electoral officials said turnout was 41.5 percent, a figure disputed by the opposition, who said 88 percent of voters abstained. Authorities said 10 people were killed in the protests on Sunday, making it one of the deadliest days since nation-wide protests began in early April, in which more than 120 have already been killed. The opposition did not recognize the vote, promised to continue protests on Monday, and vowed to pressure Maduro’s government until he is removed from office. Opposition parties sat out the election, saying it was simply a move to consolidate Maduro’s power, a view shared by international observers, including Spain, Canada, Colombia, and the United States. Last week, the Trump administration imposed initial sanctions on the country and is considering additional and harsher sanctions on Venezuela’s already-very-ailing oil sector in response to Sunday’s poll. |
| KEEPING OUR EYE ON |
Monsoon Flooding Kills Over 200 in Western India: Severe flooding from monsoons has killed 213 people in western Indian state of Gujarat, an official said on Sunday, as rescuers continue to look for survivors in villages devastated by torrential rains. Overwhelmed authorities expect the death toll to increase and said they are struggling to identify the bodies, resulting in delays in confirming the latest deaths. In addition to Gujarat, the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have been hit by monsoon flooding, and portions of the eastern states of Odisha and Bihar have also been affected. |
| LOOSE NUTS |
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