Turkey hosts the Ukraine-Russia negotiations
Plus: Blinken tours in the Middle East and reassures allies ahead of possible Iran deal, Zelensky at Doha Forum, China's foreign minister visits Afghanistan, and a new ISIS attack in Israel.
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Blinken's tour in the Middle East
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week visited Israel, Palestine, Morocco, and Algeria to discuss regional issues and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
For the Biden administration, the trip is dedicated to ensuring that U.S.'s Middle Eastern allies understand its position on the Iran nuclear deal and realize the administration's attempt to return to the deal while also managing the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
Middle Eastern states have been concerned about the details of the emerging Iran deal, particularly concerning the potential removal of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps from the U.S. list of designated foreign terrorist organizations as a concession. The trip also marks the Biden administration's largest embrace of the Abraham Accords to date.
Turkey hosts the Ukraine-Russia negotiations
Among the pack of countries vying to act as mediators in the Russia-Ukraine war, Turkey has emerged as the winner, increasing the stature of Turkish diplomacy – even if the theatrics may be well ahead of any solid at this stage outcome.
Turkey, a NATO member, continues to supply weapons to Ukraine while refusing to impose sanctions on Russia and yet is apparently respected enough by both sides to host talks.
The initial Turkey-hosted meeting between Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov took place earlier this month on the fringes of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. It made little progress, but the Ukrainian offer became more explicit at the talks in Istanbul on Tuesday, March 29, and was delivered in writing. Turkey's next aim is to get Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin in the same room in the next fortnight. However, it seems unlikely Putin thinks he is losing or has much to gain from such an encounter. But if Turkey pulls it off, it would be an extraordinary turnaround for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Read the full analysis on The Guardian.
Qatar
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by video at Doha Forum 2022, a major policy conference in Qatar, on Saturday, March 26.
He urged Qatar and other energy producers to increase their gas exports to Europe as part of a drive to reduce the continent's reliance on Russian fossil fuels.
"The future of Europe rests with your efforts," Zelensky said. "I urge you to increase energy production so that Russia understands that no state should use energy as a weapon to blackmail the world.," he added.
Read more on The New York Times.
Israel
Before being shot dead, a gunman killed at least five people in Bnei Brak on Wednesday, March 30, an ultra-Orthodox suburb of the Israeli city Tel Aviv.
Police said in a statement that a man armed with an assault rifle had opened fire on passers-by in two different locations in Bnei Brak, in Tel Aviv's east. Officers shot him at the scene.
The attack is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised security concerns in Israel. It came two days after a shooting in Hadera that left two police officers dead and a week after a stabbing in the southern city of Beer al-Sabe (Be'er Sheva), in which four people were killed.
ISIS claimed responsibility for both attacks in the past week, in which the assailants were killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the country is gripped by a "wave of murderous Arab terrorism" and called an emergency meeting of top security officials.
Iran nuclear deal
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on Sunday, March 27, sought to reassure a wary Israel and its Gulf Arab allies that the Biden administration is committed to their security ahead of the possible renewal of global powers' international nuclear deal with Iran.
Blinken made the comments shortly before joining his counterparts from Israel and four Arab countries at a special gathering where the Iranian nuclear deal was expected to top the agenda. Israel and many of its neighbors are fiercely opposed to the deal. They believe that relief from economic sanctions will allow Iran to step up its military activities across the region, including support for hostile militant groups.
"We are both committed, both determined that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon," Blinken told reporters at a news conference with Israel's foreign minister.
The Biden administration has been working to renew the 2015 nuclear deal, which placed curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.
If a deal is reached, Israel has repeatedly noted that it is not a party to the agreement and reserves the right to take action, including a potential military strike, against Iran.
Read more on the Associated Press.
Afghanistan
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarked on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Thursday, March 30, trying to deepen political and economic ties between the two countries.
Wang met with Taliban leaders in Kabul his first trip to the country since the fundamentalist group took control in August 2021. Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi were two top Taliban officials present at the meeting.
During the visit, China's top diplomat reportedly expressed concern that Afghanistan could become a staging ground for attacks by Muslim Uyghur separatists.
China's concerns are not without reason, as the Taliban previously hosted members of the al-Qaida terrorist group when it was last in power in the early 2000s.
Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry statement said Wang spoke with Muttaqi about "expanding political and economic ties" and working together in Afghanistan's mining sector.
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About me
My name is Dario Sabaghi, a freelance journalist. I am interested in human rights and international news focusing on the MENA region.
Check out my work at dariosabaghi.com.
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Cover photo: AP