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Show Notes
The Winter Olympics kick off in Beijing, the African Union (AU) holds its annual heads of state summit in Addis Ababa, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House.
Articles and Statements Mentioned on the Podcast
Yanzhong Huang, “China welcomed the world the last time it hosted the Olympics. Not now.” Washington Post, February 3, 2022
Ian Johnson, “The Games Nobody Wants: How the Winter Olympics Became a Headache for China,” CFR.org, February 1, 2022
“Statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Visit of Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany,” The White House, January 27, 2022
Podcasts Mentioned
Gabrielle Sierra, “Hey, Remember the Olympics?” Why It Matters, July 15, 2020
France’s governance is at stake as it holds snap elections for its National Assembly, with the far-right National Rally looking to build on its success in the European Parliament elections; the United Kingdom (UK) has its own snap general elections with Keir Starmer and his Labour Party looking to end the fourteen-year rule of the Conservatives; Iran’s snap presidential elections could signal unity of regime hard-liners or glimmers of change; the European Union (EU) plans to impose provisional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles; and Ukraine strikes more than thirty Russian oil refineries.
A Russian court moves judicial proceedings for detained U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich to Yekaterinburg for a closed-door espionage trial; the success of far-right parties in the European Parliament elections challenges the power of several incumbent European Union (EU) leaders; the Boeing Starliner "Calypso" spacecraft prepares to return from the International Space Station after delays; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolves his war cabinet.
Ukraine pushes for wider international support and endorsement of its proposed peace process at Switzerland’s Ukraine peace summit; the UN Security Council deliberates how to assist Sudanese civilians and de-escalate the civil war; diplomatic pressure builds for a U.S.-backed cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip; and Russian ships arrive in Cuban waters for exercises.