NATO blasts Russia for abandoning arms treaty amid Ukraine conflict

Here is a comprehensive recap of the significant events from last night.

• NATO has censured Russia's Tuesday decision to officially withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE), originally agreed upon in 1990. Moscow rationalized their move by citing NATO's expansion to include new members as a security threat. "The allies condemn Russia's decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) and its aggressive war against Ukraine, actions that contradict the goals of the treaty" - quoted from NATO's statement by Reuters. Consequently, the Treaty has been temporarily shelved for "as long as necessary". All members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization supported this decision. The suspension of treaty obligations will formally begin from December 7. Russia's Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, commented on Wednesday morning that Washington's "favorite practice" is to destabilize international security.

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken intends to visit Seoul to meet with his South Korean counterpart. Reuters reports that the focus of the discussion will be the growing cooperation, primarily militaristic, between North Korea and Russia. Pyongyang stands accused of supplying Moscow with weapons and ammunition necessary to wage the war in Ukraine. Blinken's two-day visit forms part of a longer tour of Asia.

• Saudi Arabian Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih announced his country's plans to host Arab and Islamic summits, where they will discuss the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. "This week, Saudi Arabia will be convening an extraordinary Arab summit in Riyadh" - Reuters quotes the minister. Al-Falih added that the goal of the meetings is to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict. However, no specific date for the summit has been announced yet.

• The next stage of the Israeli offensive has commenced. Reuters reports that Israeli ground forces have initiated procedures to locate and seal off the network of tunnels utilized by Hamas fighters. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant proclaimed that the nation has "one aim: Hamas terrorists in Gaza, their infrastructure, leaders, bunkers, and communication rooms". In the meantime, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesperson for the Israeli army, announced the use of explosives to dismantle the underground tunnel network constructed by Hamas beneath Gaza.

• Japan stated that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East would not affect G7's support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. In a two-day meeting that began yesterday and involving representatives from seven countries - the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States, along with the European Union, solidarity seemed strong. "Our commitment to maintaining severe sanctions against Russia and extending strong support to Ukraine has not waned, even amidst the escalating situation in the Middle East," were the words of Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa during a press conference, as cited by Reuters.