Foreign Digest: Russia, Hungary, Poland and Afghanistan

Russia: The Russian Federation Parliament called for the recognition of the independence of the breakaway parts of Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Recognition by Russia, like its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula after invading it in 2014, would violate its 1994 treaty with the former Soviet Republic, in which it recognized the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Russia similarly recognized breakaway parts of Georgia after invading that former Soviet Republic in 2008, setting up puppet governments not widely recognized internationally. Also, the professional media keeps referring to a “conflict” or “tensions” between Ukraine and Russia, but the crisis is only because of Russia’s threats to invade Ukraine because Russian tyrant and ex-Soviet intelligence officer Valdimir Putin wishes to restore the Soviet Union, not some dispute between the States. Hungary and Poland: The European Union’s Court upheld the suspension of funds from Hungary and Poland because the two far right-led EU members have violated the adhesion treaty. Hungary violates human rights and Poland the independence of the judiciary. Afghanistan: Even though winter is not the fighting season in Afghanistan, there have already been clashes between the National Resistance Front and the Taliban regime that took over nearly all of Afghanistan last year after the Trump-Biden withdrawal of American and allied forces. The NRF, based in the Panjshir Valley and led by the Caretaker President and the son of the greatest commander in the war against the Soviets, is made up of ethnic Tajiks and former Afghan military and intelligence officers. The Taliban met with the NRF commander to try to persuade him to accept their rule with some autonomy, but the NRF insists on national elections and representation for all minorities in Afghanistan. The Taliban had harbored the al-Qaeda Islamist Terrorists responsible for the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks. In the Taliban leadership are those listed by the United Nations as terrorists.