Armenia – Eurasian Economic Union – European Union
(RFE/RL) Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan have issued an ultimatum to Armenia, threatening to suspend its membership in the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) amid tensions over Armenia’s push to join the European Union. A joint declaration published on the Kremlin website claims that Armenian preparations for EU membership would endanger the “economic security” of the remaining member states. It demands that Armenia agree to hold a referendum “as soon as possible” on its plans, with the option being to either join the EU or stay in the EAEU. The move, agreed on at the EAEU summit in Astana, effectively transformed an event intended to showcase regional integration into an economic and political showdown. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian skipped the meeting, sending a lower-level delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian. While widely interpreted by diplomats in Astana as a political boycott, Pashinian stated his absence was due to domestic campaign commitments ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections. Grigorian reportedly stated that Yerevan intends to maintain a constructive engagement with the EAEU but emphasized that future work must be rooted in the principles of “mutual respect, equal partnership,” and national sovereignty. – Russian-Led Bloc Threatens To Suspend Armenia Due To Its EU Ambitions
Canada – China
(Global Times) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday vowed to deepen bilateral ties and uphold multilateralism. Carney voiced Canada’s willingness to work with China to maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen cooperation in fields such as energy, finance, agriculture and fisheries, and keep consolidating the foundation of bilateral relations. – Canada, China vow to strengthen bilateral ties, uphold multilateralism – Global Times
China & Global Governance
(Global Times) On May 28 local time, the meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Governance was held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, with representatives from more than 60 countries participating. Last September, President Xi Jinping solemnly put forth the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), highlighting five core concepts: adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions, providing fundamental guidance for resolving the global governance dilemma. At the meeting, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, proposed nine directions for global governance reform and improvement on behalf of China, which received positive responses from all parties present. This meeting, as a key step in promoting the implementation of the GGI, drew a clear roadmap for reforming and improving the global governance system, and promoted the translation of Chinese wisdom and solutions into common action of the international community. – To reform global governance, nine major directions must be clearly identified: Global Times editorial – Global Times
Japan – Ukraine
(Abbey Fenbert – The Kyiv Independent) Japan has joined NATO’s initiative to purchase U.S.-made military equipment for Ukraine, contributing around $14.7 million to the program, Tokyo’s Foreign Ministry announced on May 29. Signed by the U.S. and NATO in July, the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) agreement lays out a mechanism for NATO member states and partners to purchase high-priority equipment for Ukraine. Japan has contributed approximately $14.7 million to the PURL program, the country’s Foreign Ministry reported. Japan’s contributions to PURL are limited to non-lethal aid. – Japan buys over $14 million in military equipment for Ukraine under NATO weapons program
Middle East and the Gulf
(Al Arabiya) The United States announced Friday that it is “dismantling a sophisticated Iranian network” used to obtain sensitive military technology. The network “impersonated and defrauded” dozens of American technology companies out of millions of dollars to “acquire advanced equipment – including spectrum analyzers and security detection devices – for Iran’s defense sector,” State Department Tommy Pigott said in a statement. – US sanctions Iranian buyers of military technology
(The Associated Press/Al Arabiya) Israeli troops entered a southern Lebanese village early Friday, pushing deeper into the country as Lebanese and Israeli military officials held direct talks at the Pentagon over the deadly conflict. The entrance of Israel’s troops into the village of Dibbine, near the town of Marjayoun, came as Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people. Five were killed in an airstrike on the villages of Deir Qanoun al Nahr and Abbasiyeh, while a municipal policeman was killed in the village of Ebba, state media reported. – Israeli troops push deeper into Lebanon as both sides start military talks in DC
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Military officials from Israel and Lebanon held “productive” talks in Washington on Friday, a US official said, adding that the meeting will complement upcoming diplomatic discussions. “Today at the Pentagon, I hosted military delegations from Israel and Lebanon for the security track supporting the ongoing peace talks between their two countries,” Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s second-in-command, said on X. – US hails ‘productive’ talks between Israel, Lebanon military officials
(AFP/Al Arabiya) The United States warned on Saturday it was “more than capable” of resuming war with Iran after President Donald Trump said any peace deal must adhere to his red lines, including Tehran never being able to develop nuclear weapons. The White House had signaled Trump was close to a decision on an initial deal after weeks of mixed signals in tenuous negotiations, though Tehran denied there was a final agreement on ending the Middle East conflict that has jolted the global economy. – US warns it is capable of resuming war with Iran as deal remains elusive
(Alex Raufoglu – RFE/RL) As US President Donald Trump concluded a high-stakes Situation Room meeting on a possible Iran agreement, major questions remained open: Iran’s uranium enrichment, the fate of its nuclear stockpile, sanctions relief, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. To understand where negotiations stand and whether diplomacy can still prevent another escalation, RFE/RL spoke with Ethan A. Goldrich, a veteran US diplomat who served under multiple administrations, most recently as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State overseeing Near Eastern affairs between 2021 and 2024. – ‘Fundamentally Different Ideas’ Cloud US-Iran Talks, Former Senior US Diplomat Says
(Daud Khattak – RFE/RL) US President Donald Trump’s demand that a slew of Muslim-majority countries recognize Israel as part of a deal to end the war with Iran has been largely met with bemusement and silence across the Middle East, experts say. In a May 24 social media post, Trump said he was “mandatorily requesting” that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt join the Abraham Accords, a diplomatic pact brokered by the United States to normalize relations between Israel and the Muslim world. Trump doubled down on May 27, saying Washington may not move forward with an agreement to end the 12-week war with Iran unless more countries join the accords. He went as far as saying that some countries “owe that to us.” – Fear Of Iran And Public Backlash Stall Trump’s Push For Abraham Accords
Nicaragua
(Amnesty International) In response to the statement issued by Nicaraguan authorities regarding the critical health condition of Indigenous leader and prisoner of conscience Brooklyn Rivera, César Marín, Americas Campaigns Director at Amnesty International, said: “Brooklyn Rivera must be released immediately and unconditionally. His critical health condition while in the custody of the Nicaraguan state confirms the extreme risk to which he has been exposed after more than two years of enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, incommunicado detention, and lack of regular access to his family, trusted legal counsel and independent oversight.” – Nicaragua: Brooklyn Rivera must be released before it is too late
Russia – Ukraine
(Serhiy Andrushko, Anna Myroniuk and Schemes – RFE/RL) The story was debunked, but not before it went viral last year: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a video masquerading as a legitimate media report claimed, had bought his mother a $3.2 million Armani-designed apartment in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the world’s tallest building. As it racked up millions of views and spread on social media, the report was found to be false — but the question of who was behind it was trickier. Now, leaked documents examined by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian service, link the disinformation campaign to the Social Design Agency, a Western-sanctioned Russian outfit with close ties to the Kremlin. – Kremlin-Backed Disinformation Unit Tied To Zelenskyy Dubai Apartment Hoax
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Ukrainian drones struck a tanker at Russia’s port of Taganrog overnight and hit an oil depot in the city of Armavir, authorities in the southern regions of Rostov and Krasnodar said on Saturday. Rostov region Governor Yury Slyusar said on Telegram that fires on the tanker and in the port of Taganrog – a city of about 240,000 – had been extinguished, with no oil spill reported. Two people were injured, he said. – Ukrainian drones strike port, oil depot in southern Russia
South Sudan
(Amnesty International) Following the United Nations Security Council’s decision to renew the arms embargo on South Sudan for another year, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah said: “The renewal of the arms embargo, if it is diligently enforced, is an important measure to protect civilians by curtailing the flow of weapons that have been used to commit serious human rights violations and crimes under international law. We are however dismayed that several Security Council members continue to call for the lifting of the arms embargo and some members abstained from the vote, especially with the escalating intensity of the armed conflict since early 2025.” – South Sudan: Renewal of UN arms embargo is key to protecting civilians – Amnesty International
US – China
(Global Times) Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, US defence secretary struck a relatively balanced tone in his address, first acknowledging some progress in China-US ties before expressing the usual Western rhetorics over China’s military strength. Analysts note that Hegseth’s speech contained a relatively higher degree of positive remarks on the bilateral ties compared with previous years. However, these remarks were still accompanied by persistent stereotypes and flawed assumptions about China’s strategic intentions. – Hegseth’s Shangri-La address shows more positivity on China-US ties, but also familiar rhetoric: Chinese experts – Global Times
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China’s growing power and prevent its dominance in the region, warning of “rightful alarm” over its rapid military buildup. Hegseth, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s premier forum for defense leaders, militaries and diplomats, said a stronger, more self-reliant network of allies is essential to deter aggression and preserve the balance of power. – Hegseth sounds ‘alarm’ over China’s buildup, urges allies to boost defense spend
US – Extrajudicial Killings
(Amnesty International) The U.S. Congress and the international community must take immediate action to stop the U.S. military’s unconscionable campaign of extrajudicial killings at sea and push for accountability, as the death toll nears 200. Since September 2025, the U.S. Southern Command has carried out nearly 60 air strikes against boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 196 people so far. These actions, committed against people who pose no imminent threat to life, are extrajudicial killings, a form of murder, and amount to crimes under international law. “With nearly 200 killings, these extrajudicial killings are becoming normalized,” said Amnesty International USA’s National Director for Government Relations, Amanda Klasing. “Not only are these killings illegal, they are immoral. People of good conscience cannot allow this to continue, yet Congress has so far failed to halt, or even slow down, this lethal and unlawful campaign.” – USA: Death Toll in Campaign of Extrajudicial Killings at Sea Nears 200
