Every Monday, the Research Trainees of the CERESE assess the news of the previous week. You can read their opinions below:

I like the news that Ukraine will proceed with the exports of grain. More specifically, the President of the country, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in a video message that grain-carrying merchant ships are sailing from Ukraine’s ports; this is thanks to the United Nations and Turkiye, which have been keeping open the corridor that was set out οn the July 22th agreement. This agreement aims to keep food supplies flowing to world markets. On the Turkish side, the Defence minister, Hulusi Akar, took a stand on maintaining the agreement and recently contacted his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, to discuss the suspension of Russia’s participation in the agreement.

I like the fact that Armenia and Azerbaijan committed to a ceasefire in the Nagorno- Karabakh region, after the completion of the Summit hosted by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in Sochi. The ultimate aim is the normalization of relations between the two states, the end of hostilities, and the general stabilization of the Caucasus region. The existing disputes have to be settled according to the mutual recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia is trying to dictate the developments in the region, especially during a time of rivalry with the West.

I dislike North Korea’s launch of several missiles, very close to the maritime border with the South Korea. Pyongyang fired about 23 missiles, with one of them landing about 26 kilometers south of the de facto border, 57 kilometers east of the mainland city of Sokcho, and 167 kilometers northwest of Ulleung Island. Seoul’s National Defense General Staff called the launch “highly unusual and unacceptable”, considering it an invasion of the country’s territory, and stated: “We declare that our military will retaliate decisively.” The most obvious reasoning behind this escalation seems to be the north’s dissatisfaction with the joint military exercises between the south and the United States, called ‘Vigilant Storm’.

I dislike the news that two thirds of South Sudan population will face severe hunger in 2023, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP). The rates of people who are suffering from hunger and food insecurity are worse than those during the height of the civil war in 2013 and 2016 too. There are several factors that caused this situation, such as bad economic conditions, rising food and fuel costs, extreme weather conditions, and lack of funding for humanitarian programs. Humanitarian aid is necessary to deal with this problem, which has led South Sudan to economic, social, and political decline.