Monday, December 19

The most important foreign affairs events of the week

December 12, 2022

“After meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the leaders of the G7 stated that the group ‘stood more united than ever, together with Ukraine and in unwavering commitment to our shared values, the rules-based multilateral order and international cooperation.’ The group condemned Russia’s continuous attacks on critical infrastructure for Ukrainian people, and called for punishment for war crimes and other atrocities committed by Russian forces. They also reaffirmed their intention to phase out Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products from their domestic markets.”

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The adjective unwavering means “marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable.” Close synonyms are “unfaltering”, “unshaking”, “consistent”, and “resolute”.

We have already seen the phrasal verb phase out, but it is important to revisit some vocabulary to firmly master their use. Phase out means “to bring or come to an end, one stage at a time.”

December 13, 2022

“Approximately 50 African leaders have attended the first US-Africa summit since 2014. The United States has been lagging behind China and Russia in a fierce competition for influence in Africa. Now Joe Biden aims to revamp America’s foreign policy to this strategic region in the 21st century. The African continent has been struggling with food shortages, especially after a supply-chain turmoil following Russian invasion on Ukraine. Moreover, African countries still suffer with internal conflicts, epidemics, and corruption. In this sense, the US stressed the need to strengthen democracies across the continent and help them deliver for their citizens, with the aim of undergirding stability." 

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The transitive verb revamp means “to revise or reconstruct; to restore or renovate.” Close synonyms are “repair”, “rehabilitate”, and “restore”.

The transitive verb undergirding means “to form the basis or foundation of something;  to give fundamental support.” Close synonyms are “fortify”, “strengthen”, “support”, and “underpin”.

December 14, 2022

“The Peruvian government has declared a thirty-day national state of emergency to quell violent demonstrations in the country. The declaration not only imposes a nightly curfew, but also empowers the police to search people’s homes without permission or judicial order. The government argues that this measure seeks to safeguard social order, the continuity of economic activities, and the protection of millions of families. It comes after a week of deadly unrest against Peru’s new president, Dina Boluarte. Even so, general elections could be scheduled for December 2023."

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The transitive verb quell means “to put down forcibly; suppress.” Close synonyms are “suppress”, “subdue”, and “crush”.

The noun demonstration means “a public display of group opinion, as by a rally or march.” You usually say that people hold or stage a demonstration.

Beware of the false cognate! The term "manifestação" in Portuguese is "demonstration" or "protest" in English. The term "manifestation" is generally used to mean "unexpected appearance of something, generally in a ghost-like form". Attention to detail is always the key!

December 15, 2022

“United Nations officials have again blocked Myanmar’s military from taking the country’s seat at the UN. Since the military coup d’état in February 2021, Myanmar’s military have been blocked from the organization, as the General Assembly Credentials Committee has been rejecting the generals’ bid for representation. The coup plunged Myanmar into crisis as mass protests developed into armed resistance amid a brutal military crackdown on those opposed to its takeover. Some 2,589 people have been killed since the coup.”

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The term comes from the French language. There is no English word to translate a coup d’état, which means “the sudden overthrow of a government by a usually small group of persons in or previously in positions of authority.”

You probably know what the noun committee means, which is “a group of people officially delegated to perform a function.” We only highlighted it due to its difficult spelling. Again, attention to detail is the key!

December 16, 2022

“On December 16, Japan marked a critical milestone in efforts to reshape its defense strategy, increase national defense spending, and allow Tokyo to acquire a counterstrike missile system. In the midst of the most severe and complex security environment since World War II, the Japanese government approved the nation’s possession, and the possible use, of offensive military capabilities. The biggest focus of the three security documents is how to deal with a rising China. For the first time, Japan’s National Security Strategy recognized China as the biggest strategic challenge for Japan.”

The expression in the midst of means “while something else is happening.” There are some important synonyms: “amid”, “in the middle of”, “during”, and “amongst”.

Beware: the term amidst is generally used with abstract concepts, while amongst tends to be used to mean "within a physical group".

Often used in international relations’ theories and military documents, the noun capability means “the ability to execute a specified course of action.”

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