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

I like that Moldova wants to join the European Union. The country’s President, Maia Sandu, suggested that the country join the European Union to protect itself from the Russian threat. In the coming months, the country will begin negotiations to avoid the regional instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Sandu, who has been in power since 2020, also called for a large pro-EU demonstration so that citizens can unanimously express their will for European integration. Joining the EU is a solution to the country’s fragile economic situation and chronic corruption problems.

I like Human Rights Watch’s warning to President Trudeau to make Canada’s foreign policy towards India more impartial. Specifically, a spokesperson for the organization argued that the announcement of Canada’s candidature for the 2028-2030 UN Human Rights Council term needs to be consistent with fact-based research. India has risen in the preferences of Western actors for further strengthening bilateral relations, as promoted in Canada. Despite being a multicultural country, there has been a recent setback in protecting human rights in India, particularly religious minorities and civil society.

I dislike South Africa’s plan to welcome President Putin to the BRICS Summit in August despite an international arrest warrant against him. The ICC called for the arrest of the Russian President over war crimes in Ukraine on March 17; however, South Africa has so far refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by stating that it is impartial and abstaining from voting on UN resolutions on the war. Furthermore, it has not supported the sanctions imposed on Moscow. Russia is not an ICC member state, but South Africa is a signatory of the Rome Statute. This has led to a debate about whether President Putin could be arrested or not.

I dislike the fact that Israel destroyed residential blocks on the grounds that they were a command-and-control center for Islamic Jihad. These strikes that bring down entire apartment buildings are a common tactic in its attacks on Gaza. After all, it has been proven that the residential blocks were not a control and command center to direct missile launches; thus, the destruction of these blocks is a violation of International Law and therefore these actions are not intended to protect civilians. On the contrary, many civilians and families have been forced to evacuate the area, leaving them homeless, with no provision for their rehabilitation. This demonstrates the tendency of many governments to violate human rights on the grounds that they are fighting terrorist acts.