Russia prosecutes veteran rock star for criticizing Ukraine conflict

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: President Joe Biden left Thursday for South Korea and Japan to cement US management in Asia at a time when the White Home’s consideration has been pulled again to Russia and Europe — and amid fears of a North Korean nuclear check throughout his journey.
Biden desires the journey to construct on latest strikes accelerating a years-long US pivot to Asia, the place rising Chinese language business and army energy is undercutting Washington’s dominance.
However highlighting competing calls for from Europe, Biden met proper earlier than his departure with the leaders of Finland and Sweden to rejoice their functions for becoming a member of NATO — a seismic growth sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In one other signal of rising US involvement within the battle, the White Home mentioned Biden would put his signature whereas in Asia on a large, $40 billion Ukraine weapons and support package deal handed Thursday by Congress.
Signing the invoice “expeditiously” will guarantee no hole within the funding circulate, Nationwide Safety Adviser Jake Sullivan advised reporters aboard Air Drive One en path to Seoul.
A separate disaster awaits Biden on arrival, nevertheless — jitters that North Korea’s unpredictable management will select his journey because the second to check a nuclear succesful missile or perhaps a check nuclear explosion.
Regardless of a spiraling Covid outbreak, Pyongyang’s “preparations for a nuclear check have been accomplished and they’re solely in search of the proper time,” South Korean lawmaker Ha Tae-keung mentioned after being briefed by Seoul’s spy company.
Sullivan mentioned there was “actual threat of some type of provocation whereas we’re within the area, whether or not in South Korea or Japan.”
“We all know what we are going to do to reply to them. We now have communicated with not simply our allies, but additionally with China,” he mentioned.
Biden heads to Japan from South Korea on Sunday. He’ll maintain talks with the leaders of each international locations, in addition to becoming a member of a regional summit of the Quad — a grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the USA — whereas in Tokyo.
Through the first leg, he’ll go to US and South Korean troops, however is not going to make the standard presidential trek to the fortified frontier referred to as the DMZ between South and North Korea, the White Home mentioned.
Hours forward of Biden arriving, South Korea’s newly elected, strongly pro-US President Yoon Suk-yeol signaled a heat welcome, tweeting: “A mountain exhibits its approach to the summit to those that search it. I’m assured the ROK-US alliance that seeks to uphold the values of democracy and human rights shall solely elevate sooner or later.”

‘Wind at our again’

Sullivan mentioned forward of the journey that Biden is certain for Asia with “the wind at our again” after profitable US management within the Western response to President Vladimir Putin’s now nearly three-month-long invasion of Ukraine.
The excessive army, diplomatic and financial price imposed on Russia is seen in Washington as a cautionary story for China, given Beijing’s said ambitions to achieve management over democratic-ruled Taiwan, even when meaning going to conflict.
Earlier this month, CIA Director William Burns mentioned Beijing is watching “rigorously.”
“I believe they’ve been struck by the way in which by which significantly the transatlantic alliance has come collectively to impose financial prices on Russia because of that aggression,” he mentioned.
Sullivan mentioned the administration desires not a lot to confront China on the journey as to make use of Biden’s diplomacy to point out that the West and its Asian companions is not going to be divided and weakened.
He pointed to cooperation from South Korea and Japan, amongst others, within the sanctions regime in opposition to Russia led by European powers and the USA. He additionally referred to Britain’s function within the just lately created safety partnership AUKUS.
This “highly effective message” might be “heard in Beijing,” Sullivan mentioned, “but it surely’s not a unfavourable message and it’s not focused at anyone nation.”

Sullivan mentioned the USA is braced for North Korea to once more defy UN sanctions by conducting a nuclear check.
If that occurs, the US response might be coordinated with South Korea and Japan, Sullivan mentioned, including that Washington had been in contact with Beijing as properly.
This might embody set off “changes to the way in which that our army is postured within the area,” Sullivan mentioned.
However he denied {that a} North Korean nuclear check could be seen as a setback for Biden’s diplomacy.
“It will underscore one of many essential messages that we’re sending on this journey, which is that the USA is right here for our allies and companions.”