Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at political turmoil in Thailandthe European Union indefinitely freezing Russian assets, and the resignation of Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.
Broken Promises
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul formally dissolved Parliament on Friday in an effort to head off a threatened no-confidence vote by the opposition People’s Power Party (PPP), which held a majority of seats. Triggering snap elections just three months into Anutin’s term raises the specter of more political turmoil in a country that is already prone to rapid premiership turnover and currently engaged in deadly clashes with neighboring Cambodia.
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at political turmoil in Thailandthe European Union indefinitely freezing Russian assets, and the resignation of Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.
Broken Promises
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul formally dissolved Parliament on Friday in an effort to head off a threatened no-confidence vote by the opposition People’s Power Party (PPP), which held a majority of seats. Triggering snap elections just three months into Anutin’s term raises the specter of more political turmoil in a country that is already prone to rapid premiership turnover and currently engaged in deadly clashes with neighboring Cambodia.
Anutin announced his intention to dissolve the House of Representatives late Thursday, writing that he was “returning power to the people.” King Vajiralongkorn approved the request just hours later. However, critics have argued that the maneuver was merely a way for Anutin to avoid impeachment after the PPP accused him of reneging on a promise to dissolve parliament within four months and organize a constitutional referendum in exchange for the party’s support in September’s election.
Anutin, though, maintains that he honored the pact, saying: “You voted for me to be the prime minister and are now saying you do not support me anymore and ask me to dissolve parliament. I just did what you asked.”
Bangkok must now hold a snap election within 45 to 60 days. In the meantime, Anutin will oversee a caretaker government with limited power that lacks the authority to approve a new budget.
That hasn’t stopped the Thai leader from continuing to fight Cambodia, though. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had spoken to Anutin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, during which they agreed to end border hostilities and return to a U.S.-brokered cease-fire deal. But such promises contradicted a statement that Anutin made just hours earlier, shortly after their conversation.
“I explained to President Trump that we are not the aggressor against Cambodia, but we are retaliating,” Anutin told reporters. Trump “wants a cease-fire. I told him to tell our friends,” Anutin added, referring to Cambodia. Both countries have accused each other of being the aggressors in the conflict. Since fighting broke out on Monday, clashes have killed at least 20 people, injured more than 260 others, and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides.
Thai opposition leaders have long condemned the ruling party’s handling of ties with Cambodia. Anutin’s predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was removed from office in August and ultimately resigned as party leader after being found guilty of ethics violations for taking a deferential tone during negotiations with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen to address a bout of fighting over the summer.
Today’s Most Read
What We’re Following
Frozen Russian assets. The European Union announced on Friday that it will indefinitely freeze about $247 billion worth of Russian central bank assets held in Europe. This means that the bloc will no longer be required to vote on the assets’ immobilization every six months, eliminating concerns that Russia-friendly countries, such as Hungary and Slovakia, could refuse the rollover and force the EU to return the assets to Moscow.
The EU seeks to use some of these assets to help fund Ukraine’s war effort. Specifically, the bloc hopes that the indefinite freeze will help convince Belgium to support an EU plan to use this cash to extend a loan of up to roughly $193 billion to Kyiv into 2026 and 2027. The European Council is set to convene next Thursday to finalize the loan’s terms, but the proposed structure would mandate that Ukraine pay back the loan only once Russia pays for Kyiv’s war damages.
Friday’s move also means that the frozen assets can’t be used in negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war without European approval. That is significant because the Trump administration’s original 28-point peace plandrafted without input from Ukraine or its European allies, would have seen the United States directing—and profiting from—the use of the frozen assets.
In response to the EU decision, Russia’s central bank announced on Friday that it is suing the Brussels-based financial group Euroclear, which holds around $225 billion in frozen Russian assets. Moscow first targeted Euroclear after the EU froze its assets in 2022, following the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Gen Z-led protests. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov resigned on Thursday following mass anti-government protests over his alleged failure to tackle high-level corruption. Zhelyazkov’s resignation was announced just minutes before the nation’s parliament was prepared to vote on a confidence motion, and it comes less than three weeks before Bulgaria is set to join the eurozone. Bulgaria is among the poorest members of the European Union.
This was the first Generation Z-led uprising to fell a European government; this year, youth-led movements have also demanded resignations in Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Nepal, Peru, and the Philippines, toppling administrations in several of those countries.
Bulgaria is no stranger to political turmoil, though. The Eastern European country has held seven national elections in just four years, and Zhelyazkov was the sixth person to hold Sofia’s highest office since 2020, steering the premiership for less than 11 months. Zhelyazkov’s resignation is the “first step towards Bulgaria becoming a normal European country,” opposition leader Asen Vassilev said, adding that the next step is to hold “fair and free elections.”
U.S. pressure campaign. The United States issued new sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector as well as on members of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s family on Thursday. Coming just one day after U.S. forces seized an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude, the restrictions are the latest step in the White House’s campaign to destabilize Maduro’s regime.
The Trump administration maintains that it is taking such actions as part of a broader operation against what the White House has labeled “narco-terrorism” in Latin America. However, Maduro asserts that recent U.S. moves in the region—including deadly strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats, a military buildup in the Caribbean, and foreign terrorist organization designations—are aimed at enacting regime change in Caracas and taking control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Experts suggest that this pressure campaign is far from over. The Trump administration is preparing to intercept more Venezuelan oil transports in the coming days, Reuters reported on Thursday, placing shipowners and maritime agencies on alert. This week’s seizure was the first such action taken against Venezuelan oil cargo since Trump first imposed sweeping oil sanctions on Caracas in 2019.
What in the World?
Israel announced on Tuesday that it would reopen the Allenby crossing to the passage of humanitarian aid. With which country does Israel share this border crossing, which has been closed since September?
A. Egypt
B. Jordan
C. Syria
D. Lebanon
Odds and Ends
Argentina’s sprawling Bosques de Palermo city park transformed into a sea of yellow fur on Monday, when 2,397 dogs gathered in the Buenos Aires locale to break the unofficial world record for the largest gathering of golden retrievers. “This is a historic event,” organizer Fausto Duperré said, paws-itively noting that the celebration’s attendance had exceeded last year’s record of 1,685 goldens in Vancouver, Canada.
And the Answer Is…
B. Jordan
FP’s John Haltiwanger sat down recently with United Nations human rights expert Francesca Albanese to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict and the viability of Trump’s peace plan.
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