Archived version

Canada has transferred US$1.7 billion to Ukraine from revenues generated by frozen Russian assets.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that Ukraine had received about US$1.7 billion (CA$2.3 billion) from Canada under the ERA initiative. These funds come from the proceeds of Russian assets frozen in the West.

He noted that with this tranche, Ukraine has received approximately US$17.6 billion since the beginning of the year through the immobilisation of Russian assets.

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At the end of June, the UK gave missiles to Ukraine paid for with £70m interest on Russian assets.

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"We are grateful to Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney and everyone involved in this initiative. We insist on the full confiscation of the frozen Russian assets. They are needed to compensate the victims of aggression and to rebuild our state. This will also be an act of justice to prevent aggressive wars in the future," Shmyhal says.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3422793

Archived version

North Korea plans to triple the number of troops it has fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, CNN reported Wednesday. Ukrainian intelligence estimates cited by the network suggest Pyongyang will send between 25,000 and 30,000 soldiers to join the war in the coming months.

The Ukrainian report says there’s a “great possibility” that North Korean forces will take part in combat in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine “to strengthen the Russian contingent, including during the large-scale offensive operations.”

The intelligence also indicates that Russian forces have started modifying aircraft to transport personnel. Additionally, CNN said it has obtained satellite images that appear to show a North Korean ship at a Russian port and cargo aircraft at North Korea’s Sunan airport.

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Ignorance of Soviet Russia’s violently repressive imperialist history and the uncritical adoption of language that echoes modern Kremlin disinformation has landed the University of Toronto’s education faculty in hot water. Article content

The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) — which offers graduate degrees in teaching — is currently leading an educational research project that risks legitimizing Russian state narratives that seek to marginalize and delegitimize nations once colonized by the Soviet Union, including Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Ukraine.

The fallout is sparking diplomatic concern from all three Baltic embassies, which have formally expressed their concerns to the university.

Titled “Post-Soviet Canadian Diaspora Youth and Their Families,” the project claims to explore the integration experiences of youth whose families came to Canada from countries colonized and oppressed by Soviet Russia. While its stated intent may indeed be to foster a deeper understanding of these communities, the project’s language and conceptual framing are historically inaccurate, politically insensitive, and risk reinforcing harmful Kremlin-aligned stereotypes about the very groups it aims to study.

By lumping together all nations once occupied by Soviet Russia into a single “post-Soviet” identity, the project risks distorting the unique histories, cultures and political experiences of Canadians who are of Baltic and Ukrainian heritage, as well as all nations that were violently subjected to Soviet cultural annihilation. Worse, this framing unintentionally echoes Russian propaganda efforts that seek to blur the line between occupier and occupied, casting doubt on the legitimacy of these nations.

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3405265

Archived version

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Speaking to the National Security Strategy (Joint Committee) yesterday, Ministry of Defence parliamentary under-secretary Luke Pollard admitted that the Submarine Telegraph Act 1885 – which can impose £1,000 fines – "does seem somewhat out of step with the modern-day risk."

However, he pointed out that forming legislation to mitigate the risk to undersea infrastructure is a balance between a civil and military approach, but this raises the question of how the government might prosecute a perpetrator of undersea cable sabotage.

"We've identified that this is an area that could be looked at again. That's why the Strategic Defence Review talked about creating a defence readiness bill, probably in a later stage, a later session of parliament," he said.

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Archived version

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Speaking to the National Security Strategy (Joint Committee) yesterday, Ministry of Defence parliamentary under-secretary Luke Pollard admitted that the Submarine Telegraph Act 1885 – which can impose £1,000 fines – "does seem somewhat out of step with the modern-day risk."

However, he pointed out that forming legislation to mitigate the risk to undersea infrastructure is a balance between a civil and military approach, but this raises the question of how the government might prosecute a perpetrator of undersea cable sabotage.

"We've identified that this is an area that could be looked at again. That's why the Strategic Defence Review talked about creating a defence readiness bill, probably in a later stage, a later session of parliament," he said.

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3405027

Archived version

• Dutch military intelligence says Russia uses banned chemical weapons in Ukraine
• Evidence points to 'large-scale program' of producing and using choking agent, officials say
• Dutch defence minister urges tougher sanctions

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The Dutch intelligence findings on alleged Russian use of chloropicrin, a banned warfare agent first used by Germany during World War One, have not previously been reported.

The head of the Dutch Military Intelligence Agency (MIVD), Peter Reesink, said the conclusions followed "our own independent intelligence, so we have observed it ourselves based on our own investigations."

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The United States first accused Russia of using chloropicrin, a chemical compound more toxic than riot control agents, in May last year.

Ukraine alleges thousands of instances of Russian chemical weapons use.

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3395472

Archived version

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"The vast majority of cluster munitions that are being used in the world today are being used by Russia in Ukraine," said Mary Wareham, deputy director of the Crisis, Conflict, and Arms Division at Human Rights Watch.

Their use "is an element of Moscow’s broader policy of terror against the Ukrainian people," Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on June 26.

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Ukrainian authorities have documented at least 5,974 cases of Russia’s cluster munitions use in Ukraine since 2022, the Foreign Ministry said.

When such attacks are launched on big cities, like Russia’s strike on Kyiv on June 17 that killed 30 and injured 172 people, they stand out for the number of civilian casualties inflicted. According to Wareham, videos from the attack site suggest the use of cluster munitions delivered by a cruise missile.

Ukrainian authorities said that Russia also used cluster munitions in a strike on a playground in Kryvyi Rih on April 4, killing 20 people, including nine children, in the deadliest single attack on Ukrainian children verified by the UN since the start of the full-scale invasion.

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In another attack, two ballistic missiles struck the center of Sumy minutes apart on Sunday afternoon of April 13, during a religious holiday. Thirty-five people were killed and 117 injured, "mainly civilians who were walking on the street or traveling on a bus, and people attempting to help the victims of the first strike," the UN report said.

Other deadly strikes on civilians with cluster munitions were reported by local Ukrainian authorities in the past few months, including the attack on Kharkiv on April 18, Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Oblast on May 23, a village in Sumy Oblast on May 26, and a UN-documented attack in Dobropillia that killed 11 people and injured 48 on March 7.

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[The cluster munition's] most common use is in artillery rounds, but they can also be carried in ballistic and cruise missiles that Russia routinely launches on Ukrainian cities, along with hundreds of drones.

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Cluster munitions indiscriminately kill or maim civilians caught in wide areas of impact at the time of the attack, experts say. A large percentage of bomblets also fail to detonate after scattering and could claim people’s lives decades after active fighting ends.

An international treaty called the Convention on Cluster Munitions was established in 2008 with the aim of moving the world away from their use. Since then, 124 countries have signed the treaty, but in 2024, Lithuania withdrew from it, citing the threat from Russia's use of cluster munitions in a potential war with NATO. Neither Russia nor Ukraine nor the U.S. are signatories.

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"Cluster munitions just cross a really big line, and should never be used by any actor under any circumstances, in a city or anywhere else," Wareham said.‌

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3391030

China is bolstering its geopolitical influence in the Pacific by “branding” Asian Development Bank projects – funded in significant part by Australian taxpayer dollars – as Chinese projects, the Australian government says.

On the island of Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea to Australia’s north, the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation has begun work to strengthen the runway at Kieta-Aropa, on the outskirts of the largest city.

When the government of Bougainville announced the upgrade of the airport, there was no mention of the Asian Development Bank – who is funding the project – only the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation.

And when an inauguration ceremony was held last month at the airport’s runway, the president of Bougainville and the prime minister of Papua New Guinea broke the ground with a shovel wearing hard hats adorned with the name and logo of the CRCC. An ADB sign was visible in the background.

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Australia’s minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said the “branding” of multilateral development projects had been a consistent frustration for the government.

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“The largest donors to the ADB are countries like Japan and Australia, which is part of my frustration … because people driving past would assume it’s funded by China because you see Chinese state-owned enterprise branding everywhere, but it’s funded by the taxpayers of countries like Japan and Australia.”

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The ADB is a major development backer across the Pacific. Australia is the fund’s second-highest contributor after Japan.

Asked if he felt China was seeking to bolster its influence through multilateral organisations like the ADB, Conroy told the Guardian: “I think that’s a reasonable conclusion.

“I’m sure they seek to make money out of these projects as well, but if they’re able to brand them with a [state-owned enterprise]’s name, then there’s a secondary benefit, obviously.”

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Emma Veve, director general of the ADB’s Pacific Department, said the bank was expanding across the region, with strong support from countries like Australia.

“ADB is proud of its work and committed to ensuring that project information is visible to the public during the execution of construction works and that there is a precise acknowledgment of project funding sources.”

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3391030

China is bolstering its geopolitical influence in the Pacific by “branding” Asian Development Bank projects – funded in significant part by Australian taxpayer dollars – as Chinese projects, the Australian government says.

On the island of Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea to Australia’s north, the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation has begun work to strengthen the runway at Kieta-Aropa, on the outskirts of the largest city.

When the government of Bougainville announced the upgrade of the airport, there was no mention of the Asian Development Bank – who is funding the project – only the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation.

And when an inauguration ceremony was held last month at the airport’s runway, the president of Bougainville and the prime minister of Papua New Guinea broke the ground with a shovel wearing hard hats adorned with the name and logo of the CRCC. An ADB sign was visible in the background.

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Australia’s minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said the “branding” of multilateral development projects had been a consistent frustration for the government.

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“The largest donors to the ADB are countries like Japan and Australia, which is part of my frustration … because people driving past would assume it’s funded by China because you see Chinese state-owned enterprise branding everywhere, but it’s funded by the taxpayers of countries like Japan and Australia.”

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The ADB is a major development backer across the Pacific. Australia is the fund’s second-highest contributor after Japan.

Asked if he felt China was seeking to bolster its influence through multilateral organisations like the ADB, Conroy told the Guardian: “I think that’s a reasonable conclusion.

“I’m sure they seek to make money out of these projects as well, but if they’re able to brand them with a [state-owned enterprise]’s name, then there’s a secondary benefit, obviously.”

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Emma Veve, director general of the ADB’s Pacific Department, said the bank was expanding across the region, with strong support from countries like Australia.

“ADB is proud of its work and committed to ensuring that project information is visible to the public during the execution of construction works and that there is a precise acknowledgment of project funding sources.”

...

China is bolstering its geopolitical influence in the Pacific by “branding” Asian Development Bank projects – funded in significant part by Australian taxpayer dollars – as Chinese projects, the Australian government says.

On the island of Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea to Australia’s north, the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation has begun work to strengthen the runway at Kieta-Aropa, on the outskirts of the largest city.

When the government of Bougainville announced the upgrade of the airport, there was no mention of the Asian Development Bank – who is funding the project – only the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation.

And when an inauguration ceremony was held last month at the airport’s runway, the president of Bougainville and the prime minister of Papua New Guinea broke the ground with a shovel wearing hard hats adorned with the name and logo of the CRCC. An ADB sign was visible in the background.

...

Australia’s minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said the “branding” of multilateral development projects had been a consistent frustration for the government.

...

“The largest donors to the ADB are countries like Japan and Australia, which is part of my frustration … because people driving past would assume it’s funded by China because you see Chinese state-owned enterprise branding everywhere, but it’s funded by the taxpayers of countries like Japan and Australia.”

...

The ADB is a major development backer across the Pacific. Australia is the fund’s second-highest contributor after Japan.

Asked if he felt China was seeking to bolster its influence through multilateral organisations like the ADB, Conroy told the Guardian: “I think that’s a reasonable conclusion.

“I’m sure they seek to make money out of these projects as well, but if they’re able to brand them with a [state-owned enterprise]’s name, then there’s a secondary benefit, obviously.”

...

Emma Veve, director general of the ADB’s Pacific Department, said the bank was expanding across the region, with strong support from countries like Australia.

“ADB is proud of its work and committed to ensuring that project information is visible to the public during the execution of construction works and that there is a precise acknowledgment of project funding sources.”

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3380309

Archived version

Fiji PM Stiveni Rabuka says he is against China gaining a military base in the Pacific, but he remains unconvinced that is Beijing's aim.

But experts say his comments are out of touch with China's ambition given its previous "dual infrastructure" projects in the region.

Rabuka wants to explore a new Australian agreement to formalise their relationships beyond changes in government, and will meet with other Pacific leaders in September.

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Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has delivered a blow to China's security ambitions in the Pacific, declaring his country would "not welcome" any Chinese military bases in the region.

But Mr Rabuka has also stressed he doesn't believe that China is actively looking for such a security foothold in the Pacific — saying the rising power doesn't need it to project power.

Sitiveni Rabuka was repeatedly pressed about China’s role in the Pacific in the wake of his speech to the National Press Club in Canberra today.

Mr Rabuka didn’t mince words when he was asked if he believed that Beijing should be permitted to establish a military base in the Pacific.

"Who would welcome them?" he asked rhetorically. "Not Fiji."

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Australian government assessments, which warn that China is seeking a security foothold in the Pacific — potentially through "dual use" infrastructure projects which could be used for military purposes.

The Pacific Minister Pat Conroy has repeatedly said publicly that Beijing is seeking a security "presence" in the region, including through its attempts to expand police cooperation in the Pacific.

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Mr Rabuka also said he would like to explore signing a new overarching agreement with Australia, saying the relationship may have "reached a point … where our renewed and elevated partnership needs to step up to an agreement or treaty".

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Mr Rabuka did not provide detail about how a new agreement could work, but said it would allow Australia to expand assistance to Fiji and help the relationship withstand the "political whims of the winning parties in the various elections, because there will be national treaties between sovereign states".

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3380309

Archived version

Fiji PM Stiveni Rabuka says he is against China gaining a military base in the Pacific, but he remains unconvinced that is Beijing's aim.

But experts say his comments are out of touch with China's ambition given its previous "dual infrastructure" projects in the region.

Rabuka wants to explore a new Australian agreement to formalise their relationships beyond changes in government, and will meet with other Pacific leaders in September.

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Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has delivered a blow to China's security ambitions in the Pacific, declaring his country would "not welcome" any Chinese military bases in the region.

But Mr Rabuka has also stressed he doesn't believe that China is actively looking for such a security foothold in the Pacific — saying the rising power doesn't need it to project power.

Sitiveni Rabuka was repeatedly pressed about China’s role in the Pacific in the wake of his speech to the National Press Club in Canberra today.

Mr Rabuka didn’t mince words when he was asked if he believed that Beijing should be permitted to establish a military base in the Pacific.

"Who would welcome them?" he asked rhetorically. "Not Fiji."

...

Australian government assessments, which warn that China is seeking a security foothold in the Pacific — potentially through "dual use" infrastructure projects which could be used for military purposes.

The Pacific Minister Pat Conroy has repeatedly said publicly that Beijing is seeking a security "presence" in the region, including through its attempts to expand police cooperation in the Pacific.

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Mr Rabuka also said he would like to explore signing a new overarching agreement with Australia, saying the relationship may have "reached a point … where our renewed and elevated partnership needs to step up to an agreement or treaty".

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Mr Rabuka did not provide detail about how a new agreement could work, but said it would allow Australia to expand assistance to Fiji and help the relationship withstand the "political whims of the winning parties in the various elections, because there will be national treaties between sovereign states".

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