The Washington Post vom 22.01.2021
"Biden administration to seek five-year extension on key nuclear arms treaty in first foray with Russia"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/biden-russia-nuclear-treaty-extension/2021/01/21/4667a11
e-5b40-11eb-aaad-93988621dd28_story.html
US-Präsident Biden will Russland offenbar eine Verlängerung des Abrüstungsvertrags "New Start" um fünf Jahre anbieten. "At the same time, his administration is preparing to impose new costs on Russia pending a newly requested intelligence assessment of its recent activities. The officials said Biden is ruling out a 'reset' in bilateral relations with Moscow as many U.S. presidents have done since the end of the Cold War. (…) The decision to seek a five-year treaty extension, which Russia supports but the Biden administration hadn’t settled on until now, reflects the rapidly approaching deadline for Washington to renew the New START pact Feb. 5, the officials said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Russia 'welcomes the political will' for a New START extension from the Biden administration, but needs more time to study the details of Washington’s proposal, adding that the previous conditions put forward by former president Donald Trump’s team 'absolutely did not suit us.'"
Financial Times vom 21.01.2021
"The right answer to Xi Jinping is a one-China policy"
https://www.ft.com/content/688abf3b-c60d-4510-9362-142256ef0b53?63bac0e6-3d28-36b1-7417-423982f60790
Philip Stephens meint, dass die USA und ihre Verbündeten der geopolitischen Herausforderung durch China nur mit einer gemeinsamen Strategie entgegentreten können. "America has a new president, and the west needs a new China policy. The relationship between Washington and Beijing will shape the geopolitical landscape for decades and beyond. Joe Biden’s administration has an opportunity to set the parameters. (…) The interests of Tokyo and Seoul should speak for themselves. And Europeans can no longer afford the luxury of viewing China’s ambitions as an American problem. The great power rivalry between the US and China has become inextricably bound up in the race for technological supremacy. Europe has to make a choice. Beijing’s strategy towards the west is to divide and rule. The west’s answer should be a one-China policy."
Foreign Policy vom 20.01.2021
"Why Boris Johnson Won’t Clash With Joe Biden"
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/20/why-boris-johnson-wont-clash-with-joe-biden/
Trotz seiner Nähe zum früheren US-Präsidenten Trump wird sich der britische Premierminister Boris Johnson schnell auf die neuen Umstände in Washington einstellen, ist Jon Allsop sicher. "(…) Biden won’t likely treat Johnson’s Britain as a Trump-tainted pariah either. Whatever happens next, Johnson’s relationship with Biden is not inevitably doomed by his recent dalliance with, or supposed similarities to, the outgoing president. At the very least, Brits and Americans can expect, based on Johnson’s record, that he will pivot to whatever serves his interests, and if those interests happen to align with his long-standing, pre-Trump views on internationalist U.S. foreign policy, all the better. He and Biden are not poles apart, even if they could hardly be called each other’s clone."
The National Interest vom 19.01.2021
"Could Europe’s INSTEX Help Save the Iran Nuclear Deal?"
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/could-europe%E2%80%99s-instex-help-save-iran-nuclear-deal-176660
Das von der EU gebildete Spezialinstitut INSTEX soll europäischen Unternehmen ermöglichen, trotz der US-Sanktionen weiter Geschäfte mit dem Iran zu betreiben. Die Plattform könnte nach dem Antritt der neuen US-Regierung neue Bedeutung erhalten, schreibt Francis Shin. "As INSTEX was designed to enable greater humanitarian trade with Iran without violating the United States’ sanctions, the Biden administration could encourage more European Union member countries (and possibly even Russia too) to commit to INSTEX during negotiations as part of a series of confidence-building measures. Considering the current pandemic situation, increasing medical equipment exports via INSTEX would be a good start. The Biden administration could further engage with the INSTEX member countries on planning sanctions relief on Iran, thereby increasing INSTEX’s effectiveness by giving it more room to operate. The shipment of specialized medicines to Iran would be another suitable platform for increased Transatlantic cooperation."
The Associated Press vom 18.01.2021
"Russia ready for quick extension of last arms pact with US"
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-sergey-lavrov-moscow-russia-b5fe0e5bce42df943a2c2f3287a
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Russland hat sich vor dem Machtwechsel im Weißen Haus grundsätzlich zu einer schnellen Verlängerung des New-START-Abkommens bereit erklärt. "Moscow is ready for a quick deal with the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to extend the last remaining arms control pact, which expires in just over two weeks, Russia’s top diplomat said Monday. Months of talks between Russia and President Donald Trump’s administration on the possible extension of the New START treaty have failed to narrow their differences. The pact is set to expire on Feb. 5. Biden has spoken in favor of the preservation of the New START treaty, which was negotiated during his tenure as U.S. vice president, and Russia has said it’s open for its quick and unconditional extension."
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik vom 18.01.2021
"Kernwaffenverbotsvertrag: Das Inkrafttreten ist kein Durchbruch"
https://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/aktuell/2021A03_Kernwaffenverbotsvertrag.pdf
Jonas Schneider fordert die Bundesregierung auf, "selbstbewusster" zu begründen, warum sie den Kernwaffenverbotsvertrag ablehnt. "Der Vertrag über das Verbot von Kernwaffen tritt am 22. Januar in Kraft. Deutschland lehnt einen Beitritt ab. International durchsetzen wird sich die mit dem Vertrag angestrebte Ächtung von Kernwaffen in absehbarer Zukunft nicht. Grund sind inhaltliche Schwächen des Abkommens; außerdem gründet es auf fragwürdigen Annahmen, wie sich nukleare Abrüstung politisch erreichen lässt. Vor allem aber vernachlässigen seine Fürsprecher, dass sich der Vertrag in der Praxis stärker gegen Demokratien als gegen autokratische Kernwaffenstaaten richtet. In dieser Form wird nukleare Abrüstung nicht machbar sein – es wäre auch nicht in Deutschlands Interesse."
Defense News vom 15.01.2021
"Russia follows US to withdraw from Open Skies Treaty"
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/01/15/russia-follows-us-to-withdraw-from-open-skies-treaty/
Nach den USA hat auch Russland seinen Austritt aus dem "Open Skies"-Abkommen erklärt. "The treaty was intended to build trust between Russia and the West by allowing the accord’s more than three dozen signatories to conduct reconnaissance flights over each other’s territories to collect information about military forces and activities. U.S. President Donald Trump declared Washington’s intention to pull out of the Open Skies Treaty in May, arguing that Russian violations made it untenable for the United States to remain a party. The U.S. completed its withdrawal from the pact in November. Russia denied breaching the treaty, which came into force in 2002. The European Union has urged the U.S. to reconsider and called on Russia to stay in the pact and lift flight restrictions, notably over its westernmost Kaliningrad region, which lies between NATO allies Lithuania and Poland."
Al Jazeera English vom 15.01.2021
"No let-up: Trump administration targets Iran with more sanctions"
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/1/15/no-let-up-trump-admin-targets-irans-economy-with-more-sanctio
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Kurz vor dem Amtswechsel im Weißen Haus hat die US-Regierung weitere Sanktionen gegen den Iran beschlossen. "The United States on Friday sanctioned companies in Iran, China and the United Arab Emirates for doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line Group and on three Iranian entities over conventional arms proliferation. These are the latest in a series of measures aimed at stepping up pressure on Tehran in the waning days of US President Donald Trump’s administration, which ends on January 20."
Al-Monitor vom 12.01.2021
"Iran says it won’t expel nuclear watchdog inspectors"
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2021/01/iran-expel-nuclear-inspectors-iaea-sanctions-tehran.ht
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Die iranische Regierung hat nach der offenen Drohung eines Parlamentsabgeordneten klargestellt, dass es keine Pläne zur Ausweisung von Inspektoren der Internationalen Atomenergiebehörde (IAEA) gebe. "The spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said Tehran has no plans to expel inspectors dispatched by the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) for regular visits to the country’s nuclear sites. Khatibzadeh was addressing questions and concerns raised after a stern warning from senior lawmaker Ahmad Amir-Abadi Farahani. The hard-line parliamentarian said in a televised interview earlier this week that the Islamic Republic will 'definitely' push out those inspectors if the incoming Joe Biden administration fails to lift US sanctions against Iran by Feb. 21. (…) Khatibzadeh hinted at the lawmaker’s possible misinterpretation of the legislation. 'This might have been a slip of the tongue,' he told reporters, noting that allowing IAEA inspections is a separate commitment under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which Iran is a signatory."
Foreign Policy vom 11.01.2021
"Israel and the Emirates Are the Middle East’s New Best Friends"
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/11/israel-and-the-emirates-are-the-middle-easts-new-best-friends/
Mit der Unterzeichnung der sogenannten "Abraham Accords" in Washington sei die regionale Allianz Israels mit den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten und Bahrain zementiert worden, schreibt Anchal Vohra. "The Abraham Accords were a high-level diplomatic agreement — but they were far more than that. They marked a shift in national allegiances. Israelis and Emiratis are not just wary partners; they are increasingly close allies. Israel has previously found ways to coexist with Arab regimes. This time, it may have found a genuine friend. The Abraham Accords mark the most holistic agreement Israel has ever inked with an Islamic country. The long-standing deals with Jordan and Egypt, signed in the 1970s and 1990s, were motivated by the need to keep peace on two of the world’s most contentious borders — and to secure a pecuniary relationship with the United States. 'That was a very cold peace,' said Sami Nader, a Middle East analyst. 'This deal, however, is transformative.'"
The National Interest vom 09.01.2021
"Why the West Isn’t Confronting China Over Coronavirus"
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-west-isn%E2%80%99t-confronting-china-over-coronavirus-175884
Die unterschiedliche Perspektive auf die China-Frage wird auch 2021 das hartnäckigste Problem der transatlantischen Kooperation bleiben, meint Andrew A. Michta. "In part, Western restraint in criticizing Beijing can be explained by our unprecedented and continued economic dependence on China for key manufactured goods and supplies that the offshoring of manufacturing has wrought onto the most advanced Western economies. The pandemic has exposed the extent to which the radical centralization of key supply chains owing to Chinese mercantilism (and Western greed) has made China the sole provider of key medicines, Personal Protective Equipment and other equipment needed to manage the global health emergency. The Western reticence to criticize China is also due in part to the extent to which the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been able to influence and shape the direction of our internal policy debate, not just in the United States but also in Europe and elsewhere, with Beijing leveraging its access to every layer of Western societies. (…) While America sees China increasingly as a cross-domain threat, Europe still considers it to be predominantly an economic problem set, and in many respects also as an economic opportunity."
Reuters vom 09.01.2021
"Iran will expel U.N. nuclear inspectors unless sanctions are lifted: lawmaker"
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-usa-nuclear/iran-will-expel-u-n-nuclear-inspectors-unless-sanctio
ns-are-lifted-lawmaker-idUSKBN29E0FQ
Iran hat mit der Ausweisung aller Inspektoren der Atomenergiebehörde IAEA gedroht, sollten die USA ihre Sanktionen gegen Teheran nicht aufheben. "Iran will expel United Nations nuclear watchdog inspectors unless U.S. sanctions are lifted by a Feb. 21 deadline set by the hardline-dominated parliament, a lawmaker said on Saturday. Parliament passed a law in November that obliges the government to halt inspections of its nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency and step up uranium enrichment beyond the limit set under Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal if sanctions are not eased. Iran’s Guardian Council watchdog body approved the law on Dec. 2 and the government has said it will implement it. 'According to the law, if the Americans do not lift financial, banking and oil sanctions by Feb. 21, we will definitely expel the IAEA inspectors from the country and will definitely end the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol,' said parliamentarian Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani."
Der Spiegel vom 05.01.2021
"Südkorea bestellt Irans Botschafter ein"
https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/suedkorea-bestellt-irans-botschafter-im-tanker-streit-ein-a-d03182
38-e769-4650-bd43-ad5246d2b3f0
In Reaktion auf die Festsetzung eines unter südkoreanischer Flagge fahrenden Tankers durch iranische Militärs in der Straße von Hormus hat Südkorea den iranischen Botschafter einbestellt, berichtet der Spiegel. "Die Festsetzung des unter südkoreanischer Flagge fahrenden Tankers 'Hankuk Chemi' hat diplomatische Folgen. Südkorea bestellte den iranischen Botschafter ein. Der Leiter des Büros für Afrika und den Nahen Osten, Koh Kyung Sok, habe bei dem Treffen in Seoul mit Botschafter Saeed Badamchi Shabestari sein Bedauern über den Zwischenfall geäußert und eine frühe Freigabe des Schiffes und die Freilassung der Besatzungsmitglieder gefordert."
Eurasia Group vom 04.01.2021
"Eurasia Group's Top risks For 2021"
https://www.eurasiagroup.net/issues/top-risks-2021
Das Beratungsunternehmen Eurasia Group hat ein Dossier mit Beiträgen zu zehn globalen Risiken, die das Jahr 2021 prägen könnten, zusammengestellt. "At the start of 2021, the United States is the most powerful, politically divided, and economically unequal of the world's industrial democracies. China is America's strongest competitor, a state capitalist, authoritarian, and techno-surveillance regime that is increasingly mistrusted by most G20 countries. Germany and Japan are much more stable, but the most powerful leaders both have had in decades are out (former prime minister Abe Shinzo) or on their way out (Chancellor Angela Merkel). Russia is in decline and blames the US and the West for its woes. And the world is in the teeth of the worst crisis it has experienced in generations. Happy New Year."
Financial Times vom 04.01.2021
"Europe has handed China a strategic victory"
https://www.ft.com/content/2d759671-0b1d-4587-ba63-7480990f0438?63bac0e6-3d28-36b1-7417-423982f60790
Mit der Unterzeichnung eines neuen Investitionsabkommens habe die EU China einen "strategischen Sieg" verschafft und die kommende US-Administration vor den Kopf gestoßen, meint Gideon Rachman. "Over the past year, China has crushed the freedom of Hong Kong, intensified oppression in Xinjiang, killed Indian troops, threatened Taiwan and sanctioned Australia. By signing a deal with China nonetheless, the EU has signalled that it doesn’t care about all that. As Janka Oertel, director of the Asia programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations think-tank, puts it: 'This is a massive diplomatic win for China.' It is also a considerable kick in the teeth for Joe Biden. The US president-elect has stressed that, after Donald Trump, he wants to make a fresh start with Europe. In particular, the Biden administration wants to work on China issues together with fellow democracies. Jake Sullivan, Mr Biden’s national security adviser, issued a last-minute plea for the Europeans to hold off on signing the deal — at least until they had a chance to discuss it with the new administration. He was ignored."
