Headline News 23/02/2022

Headlines:

• Putin Makes his Move
• India and UAE Sign Milestone Pact
• Zionist Leader Makes Historic Visit to Bahrain

Details:

Putin Makes his Move

Under the guise of an evacuation Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to formally recognize the independence of the two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, known as the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Putin and the two breakaway regions of Ukraine also signed cooperation treaties that permit Russia to send “peacekeeping” forces to Donetsk and Luhansk. Currently only Syria, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua recognised the regions. After goading Russia top invade, Moscow has now taken over regions in Eastern Ukraine which it already 99% controlled. The western response has not seen the diehard response they proclaimed yet. Whist geographically little has changed, politically it remains to be see how the West will respond.

India and UAE Sign Milestone Pact

India and the UAE, on Friday the 11th February, inked a landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and unveiled a roadmap for expansion of overall ties at a virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The deal was described as a “milestone event in our bilateral relations” by Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar with PM Modi stressing its importance as “expected to boost annual bilateral non-oil trade from $60bn to $100bn within the next three to five years.” In his remarks, Modi delved into various facets of ties between India-and United Arab Emirates and said both the nations will stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” against terrorism. “We strongly condemn the recent terrorist attacks in the UAE. India and UAE will stand shoulder to shoulder against terrorism,” he said while complimenting the UAE for showing interest in investing in Jammu and Kashmir. The agreement, which was not immediately made public, eliminates 80% of tariffs on UAE and India goods, while all tariffs are to be removed within ten years. India is the second largest trading partner of the UAE, where each year billions of dollars in remittances are sent home by more than three million Indians working in the Gulf state.

Zionist Leader Makes Historic Visit to Bahrain

In what was considered unthinkable a few years ago, Zionist Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became the first state leader of the Zionist Entity to make an official visit Bahrain on Monday the 14th February. Since the two countries established relations roughly a year-and-a-half ago when its former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement with the island nation, along with the United Arab Emirates. In a statement provided to Reuters, Bennett’s office said, “The leaders will discuss additional ways to strengthen bilateral ties … especially the advancement of diplomatic and economic issues, with an emphasis on technology and innovation.”

Bennett’s visit to Bahrain is particularly significant, as the small and strategically important country is largely considered a proxy of Saudi Arabia, which ‘Israel’ does not have diplomatic relations with. The Khalifa dynasty has ruled Bahrain since 1783, presiding over a mainly Shi’ite citizenry that has long complained of discrimination. Bahrain is also an ally of the United States and houses the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. These actions come as ‘Israel’ has recently moved to enhance its cooperation with Gulf States. The New York Times noted that the visit underscores the shifting geopolitical priorities of some Arab autocratic leaders who are now more concerned about containing a nuclear Iran — a concern they share with Israel and the visit hints at tacit support for greater ‘Israeli’ -Arab ties from Saudi Arabia.