Trump’s two-week ultimatum to Iran, anxiety in the Gulf over a potential nuclear radiation leak, and a reset in India-Canada ties—here’s, a quick roundup of the key international developments that made headlines this past week. Stay Hooked for more.
Trump’s Deadline
US President Donald Trump will decide whether to involve the American armed forces in Israel’s war against Iran in the next two weeks. The White House made the announcement on Friday, as the Israel-Iran conflict raised concerns about the possibility of a radiation leak. Israel has already damaged two Iranian nuclear facilities, and has sought US help to destroy a third. Neighbouring Arab states have started taking preventive measures to protect themselves from the worst-case scenario. Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the UK, France and Germany will meet their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, in Geneva on Friday, in a bid to find a diplomatic solution to its nuclear programme.
Trump-Munir meeting
Trump hosted Pakistan’s Army Chief, and newly-crowned Field Marshal, Asim Munir, on Wednesday. This was the first time a President of the United States hosted the chief of the Pakistani Army, who generally holds sway over the country’s domestic and foreign policies. The meeting comes amid the Israel-Iran war and weeks after the Pakistan-India conflict. Trump said he discussed the Iran situation with Munir, because, in his opinion, Pakistan knows more about Iran than most. The two also discussed trade, economic development, and cryptocurrencies during the two-hour meeting.
India, Canada hit reset
Earlier in the week, India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, met his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. Both countries agreed ‘to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability’ in their relationship, starting with the ‘early return of High Commissioners to each other’s capitals’. The meeting was a first step in restoring diplomatic ties, after former Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, accused the Indian government of “potential” involvement in the killing of the Canada-based Khalistani separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi rejected the claims as “absurd” and “motivated”. The Tuesday meeting saw India and Canada pressing the reset button and working towards improving bilateral relations.
Putin Plays Tough
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only during a ‘final phase’ of negotiations on ending the three-year-long conflict. He also declined Zelenskyy’s call for a face-to-face meeting for a peace deal, suggesting that the Ukrainian leader had no right to sign a peace agreement, given that his five-year mandate had expired. Kyiv dismissed the charge as baseless propaganda. Moscow also rejected proposals for a full and unconditional ceasefire, and outlined a slew of demands – including that Kyiv cede more territory and renounce Western military support. Ukraine dismissed them as “ultimatums” and accused Russia of deliberately sabotaging peace efforts to prolong the conflict.
And with that, it’s a wrap on geopolitics this week. Log on to Hook Online for all the latest updates.
