Ukraine accuses Russia of invasion; China meets senior Vietnamese envoy to talk about disputed islands; Indonesia and Australia end espionage row; ebola caseload in West Africa expected to reach 20,000; Indian PM launches plan to provide bank accounts to every household; and more

Top of the Agenda

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Invasion

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko accused Russia of invading the country on Thursday (WSJ), calling for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council and European Council and canceling a trip to Turkey to respond to the crisis (AP). Kiev announced that Russian forces seized the coastal town of Novoazovsk (Reuters), as well as several villages near its border with Russia. NATO said it believes that more than 1,000 Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine, while the European security body OSCE said it would hold a special meeting to discuss the developments (DW).

Analysis

"Any durable solution to the Ukraine crisis will require both Kiev and Moscow to find political wiggle room and to forge a much-needed long-term accommodation on political, economic and energy ties that cannot be replaced by the West," writes Andrew Weiss for the New York Times.

"We should reassure the Baltic States by deploying forces in those countries. A permanent deployment would contravene the NATO-Russia Founding Act, but a rotating force could be consistent with the Act while indicating to Russia how seriously we take their military actions," write William J. Perry and George P. Shultz for the Wall Street Journal.

"It is time to step up our response, whatever the cost, to the outrageous and illegal steps that Putin is taking to invade Ukraine before the most basic norm of the post-1945 world order–the norm against cross-border invasions and annexations of neighboring states–entirely disappears," writes Max Boot for Commentary.

 

PACIFIC RIM

China Meets Vietnamese Envoy

President Xi Jinping held meetings with a senior Vietnamese envoy in Beijing to address bilateral tensions over disputed islands in the South China Sea (SCMP), saying that the two countries should take appropriate steps to address their differences. The dispute had led to deadly anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam in May.

CFR's Infoguide delves into China's ongoing maritime disputes with its Asian neighbors.

INDONESIA: Indonesia and Australia signed an agreement on Thursday ending an espionage row that severely damaged diplomatic relations, paving the way for the resumption of defense cooperation (AFP).

ELSEWHERE:

Ebola caseload in West Africa could reach 20,000

Indian PM launches plan to provide bank accounts for every household

This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org