The most important foreign affairs events of the week

May 22, 2023

“On Sunday, after a G7 summit marked by the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky, President Biden and other leaders of the world’s major industrial democracies rallied around Ukraine. They have shown their resolute support and promised to further weapon shipments to the front. In the meantime, Russian forces claimed to have seized full control of Bakhmut, a bitterly contested city. While he appeared to stiffen the determination of the G7 members, Mr. Zelensky made no evident progress in winning over more skeptical leaders attending the gathering as observers, such as Brazil, India, and South Korea. A sensitive point for Zelensky’s agenda that is finally over is the authorization from the US for Ukraine to use F-16 warplanes on the battle. However, Biden made the Ukrainian President promise that the country will not use the aircrafts to attack Russian territories, a vague attempt to not escalate the conflict.”

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The phrasal verb rally around means “to unite or join with someone or something to lend support or assistance; join in a common effort.”

The transitive verb seize means “take hold of suddenly and forcibly; grab; overwhelm; to take possession by force.”

May 23, 2023

“China and Russia hold visits to fend off the West, especially after the G7 Summit targeted both countries as threats. Beijing is increasingly alarmed that the Western bloc backing Ukraine is entrenching itself in China’s neighborhood. The leaders of the Group of 7 nations last weekend pledged more support for Kyiv and angered Beijing by challenging its claims to the South China Sea, vowing to resist economic coercion, and pressing China on human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Days after, Moscow and Beijing are reinforcing their relationship by holding security and trade talks. The contrast between the two ‘blocs’ underscores how the deepening geopolitical divisions have been exacerbated by the war.”

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The phrasal verb fend off means “prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening.” Close synonyms are “avoid”, “stave off”, and “avert”.

The transitive verb underscore means “to put emphasis on; to cause to appear important or deserving of attention.” Close synonyms are “stress”, “underline”, “highlight”, and “emphasize”.

May 24, 2023

“On Wednesday, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed that despite post-Brexit restrictions and government vows to control it, immigration to Britain reached an all-time high in 2022. In 2016, a promise to “take back control” of borders and migration was a centerpiece of the Brexit campaign to leave the European Union. Instead, immigration soared in 2022, embarrassing Rishi Sunak’s government. The new figures show that last year, net migration to Britain reached a record 606,000. That is a 24 percent jump from 2021, and roughly double the rate of net migration in the years just before and after the 2016 Brexit referendum. The war in Ukraine, the Afghanistan crisis, and the growing crackdown on civil rights in Hong Kong are among the underlying factors for the rise in migration numbers. The government also points out low unemployment, which is below 4%, and education as major drivers of migration.” 

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The transitive verb vow means “to promise solemnly; pledge; to make a pledge or threat to undertake.”

The noun centerpiece means “something in a central position; the central or most important feature.”

May 25, 2023

“On Thursday, the African Union Commission (AUC) celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Organization of the African Unity (OAU) and the subsequent formation of the African Union (AU), at its Headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The decision adopted by African Heads of State and Government to transition from the OAU to the AU, as issued in the Sirte Declaration, in Libya, in 1999, aimed to accelerate the process of continental integration, among others. After 60 years, the AU has been notable in its role of fostering collective action, with the enshrining of common values and the collaboration among African nations. Currently, the main objectives of the AU are the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the fulfillment of the Agenda 2063.”

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The transitive verb enshrine means “to hold as sacred; cherish; treasure.”

The noun fulfillment means “the act of fulfilling; the state or quality of being fulfilled; realization; the act of bringing to completion or fruition.”

May 26, 2023

“On Friday, the Serbian government placed the army on alert and moved units close to the Kosovo border, after clashes between police and Kosovo's Serb minority. Clashes began after police moved to install new ethnic Albanian mayors. Kosovo's Serb minority - which accounts for about 5% of the country's 1.8 million population - boycotted April's local elections in four northern municipalities, allowing ethnic Albanians to take control of the councils. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the use of force by the Kosovar government, saying that it had taken action against the advice of the US and EU allies.”

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The noun border means “the part of an area that forms its outer boundary; the line that separates one area, state, or country from another; periphery.”

The intransitive verb clash means “To meet in violent conflict or confrontation.”