Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky conceded in an interview on Tuesday that Ukraine does not have “enough forces” to restore sovereignty over Russian-occupied Crimea and “must seek diplomatic means” to end the Russian invasion and regain its land. Adding to the perception of inclination towards more diplomacy, Zelensky’s former foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said in a series of interviews last week that he does not believe Ukraine is in a good position to win the war against Russia and “things look bad on the battlefield.” Kuleba, who resigned in bizarre fashion from his longstanding position as Ukraine’s top diplomat in September, also suggested that Zelensky is limited on how many issues he can compromise on by the popular will of the Ukrainian people, who would end his political career if he offers too many concessions. Ukraine was a nuclear power in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. It gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from the West as part of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, intended to prevent situations such as the current Russian invasion of the country. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry marked the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum on Tuesday by demanding the West respect the guarantees it provided. “This mistake must be corrected. Ukraine must be provided with clear, legally binding security guarantees that align with its significant contribution to global nuclear disarmament and the maintenance of international peace and security,” the Foreign Ministry proclaimed. “We call on the United States and the United Kingdom, signatories to the Budapest Memorandum, France and China, which have acceded to it, and all states-parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to support the provision of effective security guarantees to Ukraine.” Regarding current diplomatic discussions, the Foreign Ministry added that Ukraine “will not accept any alternatives, surrogates or substitutes for Ukraine’s full membership in NATO.” South Korean Yoon Suk-yeol stunned the world on Tuesday morning by declaring a state of “emergency martial law” because “subversive, anti-state elements” among the opposition are blocking his agenda. Martial law has not been declared in South Korea since it emerged from military dictatorship in the 1980s. “I declare martial law to protect the Republic of Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces, to immediately eradicate the unscrupulous pro-Pyongyang anti-state forces that pillage the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect free constitutional order,” Yoon said in an emergency press conference from his office in Seoul. Yoon accused the opposition of “paralyzing the courts in the country by threatening the judges and impeaching prosecutors, and by attempting to remove the Interior Minister, top broadcasting regulator, chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the Defense Minister.” Yoon also said the opposition’s move to cut $2.8 billion from the $483 billion 2025 national budget was a scheme to paralyze his government. The opposition wants to deny extra spending for the presidential office, prosecutors, and police requested in Yoon’s budget. “There is no reason to declare martial law. We cannot let the military rule this country,” opposition leader Lee said. South Korean media showed protesters attempting to storm the parliament building, which has been locked down under orders from the military. Yoon himself has been fending off calls for independent investigations into several scandals involving his wife Kim Keon-hee and top officials from his party. Yoon and Kim are accused of interfering in the party’s choice of candidate for a legislative seat in 2022 at the behest of a powerful supporter named Myung Tae-kyun. Yoon is down to 25% approval in the polls, slipping again last week after a modest recovery in early November. His People Power Party is polling at 32%, while the opposition Democratic Party (DP) sits at 45%. Police and military forces have been deployed around the South Korean parliament building, where they are clashing with a large group of angry protesters. Trial run? Who's next? South Korea awoke on Wednesday to a flurry of resignations of senior presidential staff, a united opposition filing an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, and a confused ruling party demanding answers from Yoon after his failed attempt to impose martial law on Tuesday night. Yoon, an unpopular conservative narrowly elected in a bitterly fought election in 2022, declared martial law on television on Tuesday night – a widely unexpected move that shocked the nation and international observers. Yoon argued that legislative obstruction by the opposition Democratic Party had turned the National Assembly into a “den of criminals” and necessitated military action. “I declare martial law to protect the Republic of Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces,” Yoon announced, “to immediately eradicate the unscrupulous pro-Pyongyang antistate forces that pillage the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect free constitutional order.” The Democratic Party-controlled National Assembly rapidly sprung into action, flooding into legislative chambers while blocking heavily armed soldiers, under martial law, political assemblies were illegal. The Democrats have controlled the Assembly since April, when they won regional elections against the conservatives in a landslide on the back of Yoon’s massive unpopularity. At around 1 a.m. local time, the Assembly voted unanimously against martial law. Shortly thereafter, Yoon announced he had lifted the martial law declaration. In Yoon’s absence, the Democrats and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) – Yoon’s own party – are demanding answers. The Democrats announced early on Wednesday they would pursue the president’s impeachment and removal as soon as possible. They formally filed an impeachment motion later on Wednesday alongside five other minority parties. “Yoon’s declaration of martial law is a clear violation of the Constitution,” the Democrats wrote in a resolution seeking his impeachment, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap. “This is a serious act of rebellion and a perfect reason for impeachment.” “The president committed an act tantamount to treason by mobilizing the military,” Hwang said, according to the Korea Herald. “It is clear that he cannot remain in office even for a moment longer. Therefore, we must urgently pass an impeachment motion.” The newspaper noted that, in South Korea, lawmakers must vote on an impeachment motion within 24 to 72 hours after it arrives. Sandro Castro, grandson of late Cuban communist mass murderer Fidel Castro, responded on Monday to widespread outrage and disgust at his planned birthday party, a lavish event at a club he “owns” in a communist country where private property is theoretically illegal. The younger Castro called for “unity” and defended his right to celebrate while Cuba, in a state of collapse after decades of his family’s rule, faces its worst-ever humanitarian crisis. The party will also feature a welcome cocktail for Sandro’s personal guests, a complimentary beer for the rest of the attendees, “a shot of tequila Rose for the first 20 women,” and “free sparkling wine for everyone.” Castro’s birthday bash announcement immediately drew condemnation from both Cubans living in their nation and members of the Cuban exile community in the United States and other countries. Cuba is currently on the brink of complete ruin as a result of more than six decades of disastrous communist policies, facing rampant hunger, poverty, worsening blackouts and other public infrastructure failures, and the decline of its population in what is now considered the largest exodus of Cubans fleeing from communism in the nation’s history. The Spain-based outlet Diario de Cuba reported on Tuesday that the cheapest beverages sold by Castro’s “humble” bar cost just under ten percent of the minimum wage of a Cuban state worker, with alcoholic beverages reportedly ranging from $7.50 to upwards of $208.33 for a bottle of wine. As for food, the outlet reported that the bar sells French fries for around $31.25 a serving and an unspecified amount of “fried chicken” for about $50. Since 2021, the communist Castro regime established the nation’s monthly minimum wage at 2,100 Cuban pesos, which translates to roughly $87.50.
Zelensky Admits Ukraine Can’t Retake All Its Land: ‘We Must Seek Diplomatic Means’:
South Korea Declares Martial Law to Foil ‘Subversive Anti-State Elements’:
‘Treason’: Impeachment of South Korean President Begins After Martial Law Disaster:
Fidel Castro’s Grandson Says He Has ‘a Right to’ Lavish Birthday Bash as a ‘Revolutionary Youth’: