Foreign Policy Update – USA Gov Policy

WOMEN AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

In a February 7 statement to the press, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo talked about President Trump’s recent signing of a National Security Presidential Memorandum promoting women’s global development and prosperity. The goal, according to Pomeo, is to reach 50 million women by 2025 by fostering economic empowerment, support of workforce development and women entrepreneurs and breaking down barriers to enable women to fully participate in the economy. He added: “We are proud to help launch the new Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative today, and look forward to continuing our work across the United States government, with partner governments and the private sector, to build upon these efforts.”

VENEZUELA

Special Representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams updated the press at the Friday, February 8, press conference on the situation in Venezuela. He reported that in the last two weeks, since the democratically elected National Assembly declared Juan Guaido interim president of the country, the United States at 47 other countries, including 23 from Europe, have recognized Guaido as the legitimate interim leader of the country.

Instead of trying to accommodate, Abrams stated, Maduro has manipulated negotiations and tried to stall humanitarian aid, kept political prisoners in jail, abused detainees, and allowed the population to go without food and medicine. According to Abrams, the United States is
“…imposing visa restrictions and revoking the visas of members of the illegitimate constituent assembly. This body has usurped many of the constitutional powers of the National Assembly, the legitimate National Assembly, and embodies Maduro’s destruction of democratic institutions. While I cannot name names because visa information is protected, I can state that we will continue to take action against those destroying Venezuela’s democratic institutions.”

Venezuela, once a thriving economy, rich in natural resources, is now a failing state with hyperinflation. Over 5 million Venezuelans are expected to seek refuge out the country as refugees in 2019. In an attempt to help the starving people the United States is has pledge $20 million in humanitarian support and is moving food and medical aid to the border with the hope that it will be allowed in by former President Maduro’s armed forces.

About 90% of the country’s hospitals lack medical supplies. Venezuela also is experiencing power outages and water shortages in about 70% of the country’s hospitals. Crumbling infrastructure, according to the US Government, has disrupted water and sanitation services, and a collapsing health system has prompted outbreaks of previously eradicated diseases. The result is a regional outbreak of about 17,000 cases of measles with the majority in Venezuela.

IRAN

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Deputy State Department Spokesperson Palladino last Friday acknowledged that we have seen reports that Iran has attempted to launch another satellite into space. He said: “We continue to call upon the Iranian regime to cease immediately all activities that are inconsistent with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, including space vehicle launches.” Iran has pledged to continue its missile program despite international condemnation.

TURKEY

Asked to respond to complaints from Turkish President Erdogan that the U.S. has been too slow on the security zone, a State Department spokesperson said “The United States takes Turkey’s security concerns seriously, and we are actively engaging with Turkey on this matter. And as President Trump just said, we’re working through the course of various discussions, including senior-level meetings…. and we’re trying to promote a stable and secure security relationship for northeast Syria as soon as possible.”

Washington has consistently spoken about how to proceed safely with the withdrawal of American forces in northeast Syria while also stabilizing those areas previously liberated. The United States has repeatedly called for the Syrian Democratic Forces, including the Kurdish component of the SDF, not to engage militarily.

DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media Inc., which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.

Illustration: Pixabay

Quick Analysis

Russia Expanding Aggression

President Putin is using more than one pathway to enter Europe and undermine the West. While most of the world watches the conflict he initiated in Ukraine, the Russian government is actively pursuing a second front in a little noticed campaign in Cyprus. Although the corrupt Cypriot government ended its issuance of “golden passports” in 2020, Russian intelligence is functioning quietly there to transform this EU country into a Russian beachhead of illicit economic activity aimed at penetrating the capitalist West, according to Paul Goble of the Jamestown Foundation. Cyprus is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nor does it receive as much attention as those countries who are member states. That adds to its allure as a prime location for Russia to attempt to gain a European foothold. Last week a NATO report, cited in the European Daily Monitor, noted that Russian intelligence agents have been plotting to destroy European infrastructure across the continent to disrupt states supporting Ukraine. It further suggests that Putin’s immediate goal is to lay the framework for a future move against the security organization’s members. Hungary, in particular, is another country garnering Moscow’s attention as it opposes the Western response to Russian aggression. Russia is focusing its intelligence efforts on other European, non-NATO member countries in addition to Cyprus, including Austria, Malta, and Ireland. The NATO report suggests that Moscow has had success in disseminating the Russian political narrative in these states to advance its campaign against the West. The island of Cyprus is proving to be a good target for Moscow as it is an ethnically divided island that is part of the EU since 2004. Northern Cyprus, officially called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that is only recognized by Turkey. The division precludes it from joining NATO. As Goble suggests, “it offers Russia troubled waters in which to fish.” Over the last 20 years, he points out, Cyprus’ challenges have opened it to a massive influx of Russian citizens, who now comprise approximately 10 percent of the island state’s population. Over 2,900 residents are Russians who entered until the “golden passport” program that allowed wealthy or well-connected Russians to move to Cyprus. It also provided them with documentation to travel freely throughout Europe! Although less visible on the world’s radar than the war in Ukraine, Moscow is also being helped by Cyprus’ banks opposition to seizing Russian assets and its support in evading Western sanctions. Russia has placed tens of billions of US Dollars there for money laundering. It has been more than two years since a single Russian “diplomat” has been deported and, in fact, the Embassy has grown to over 300 staffers on this tiny island state of only 1.2 million people. The Russian embassy in Nicosia has advanced communications antennae on its roof and opened a consulate on the northern end of the island. Moscow’s Ambassador, Mura Zyazikov, is a lieutenant general in the FSB with no diplomatic experience. The FSB, SVR (Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service), and GRU are actively using the island as a base of operations against NATO Member states, Israel, and other Western allies. Moscow backs pro-Russian political parties who in turn influence Cypriot decisions on education, language, and other issues. “Dmitry Khmelnitsky of the Dossier Center says that its findings should be of concern not only to Cyprus but to the West as a whole. Those who ignore what Moscow is doing because Cyprus does not follow the EU sanctions regime are missing something critical,” says Goble. “Cyprus does not seek to get rid of Russian agents and does not interfere with their work,” Khmelnitsky concludes, “despite the fact that what the Kremlin is doing is so clearly visible.” This has an impact not only on the small island but on the EU, NATO, and the West in general. Earlier this year the Moscow Times reported that when the FBI became more interested in Russian business and oligarchs in Cyprus, at least 10 of the major Russian businesses operating there left. Despite the government of Cyprus’ vow to implement plans for new sanctions against Russia, it continues to ignore Putin’s atrocities in Ukraine and to shield the wealth of the 50,000 wealthy Russian citizens and oligarchs residing there. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept. Illustration: Pixabay