Week 26

This week, right now. Week 26 (24 - 30 June)

Keeping you up to date on global affairs. Every weekend. In under a few minutes.

International

• WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to a plea deal with the U.S. government, ending his long legal battle and allowing him to return home to Australia. Assange is set to plead guilty to conspiring to disseminate classified information, which falls under the Espionage Act, in U.S. District Court in the Northern Mariana Islands. The plea deal, decided behind closed courtroom doors, includes a sentence of just over five years. However, due to his time served in the UK while fighting extradition, Assange will be released immediately. The Biden administration has faced diplomatic pressure from Australia to resolve Assange’s situation, which has spanned 14 years. Assange's legal troubles began in 2010 when WikiLeaks published classified U.S. military and diplomatic documents. His case became more controversial in 2016 with the release of emails from the Democratic National Committee, leading to accusations of collaborating with Russian intelligence, which Assange denies. Assange's sentencing will likely conclude a saga that saw him seek asylum in London’s Ecuadorian embassy for seven years and face various charges from the U.S. and Sweden. The deal allows Assange, now 52, to avoid a potential 175-year prison sentence.
• Protests against a proposed tax hike in Kenya turned violent when police opened fire on demonstrators attempting to storm the Nairobi parliament, killing at least 13 people. President William Ruto reaffirmed that security is the country's priority, condemning the protests as being "hijacked by organized criminals." Defense Minister Aden Duale announced that the army had been deployed to address the situation, describing it as "a security emergency." Ruto's administration faces pressure from lenders like the International Monetary Fund to reduce deficits, but the proposed finance bill, intended to raise $2.7 billion in taxes, has clearly sparked widespread public dissent. The White House urged calm, while ambassadors from the U.S., UK, and Germany expressed deep concern over the violence. The EU also voiced concerns, urging all parties to continue efforts to de-escalate the situation. Amid the crackdown, internet disruptions were also reported across Kenya. The country has a controversial history of shutting the internet amidst public outcries.

Europe

• The European Union has officially initiated accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, highlighted by a ceremony in Luxembourg. This marks a significant shift away from Russian influence for the two former Soviet states. Although the process is expected to be lengthy and complex, it provides a morale boost, especially for Ukraine, which has been ravaged by war. Success is not assured; for instance, Turkey has spent years in the accession process without achieving full membership. Georgia was granted candidate status in December, but internal political strife has impeded its progress. Ukraine applied for EU membership four days after Russia's invasion in February 2022, and Moldova did so a month later. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated the start of talks. Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna leads Ukraine’s delegation, while Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean heads Moldova’s team. Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib will represent the EU. The accession process involves reviewing how Ukraine and Moldova’s laws align with EU standards across 35 areas, including taxation and environmental policy. Significant progress is unlikely in the next six months, as Hungary, which opposes the expansion, will hold the EU presidency. The commencement of these negotiations represents a historic moment for Ukraine and Moldova as they strive toward their "European dream."
• Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS) is considering leaving its alliance with Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy in the European Parliament. They are in talks with populist right parties, including Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz, Andrej Babi?’ Action of Dissatisfied Citizens from the Czech Republic, and Janez Jan?a’s Slovenian Democratic Party, to form a new group. Former Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki indicated PiS might join a new Central Eastern European grouping. This potential move would weaken Meloni, whose European Conservative and Reformists (ECR) group recently became the third-largest in the Parliament. Morawiecki estimated a 50/50 chance of PiS leaving ECR and is confident that forming a new group with 40 or 50 members is feasible. Meloni has also criticized centrist groups for excluding her from top EU job negotiations.