Did Israel reach out to Uzbekistan? – Weekend

Amid rising migrant fees, increasing restrictions, and a growing toll on its citizens, Ukrainian intelligence has claimed that the Kremlin is amassing a trillion-dollar budget in preparation for a potential war with NATO by 2030.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s ultimatum with a cautious and restrained statement during a visit to a monastery.

There were also reports suggesting that Central Asian states may join Israel’s biggest diplomatic achievement in recent years—the Abraham Accords.

And, as always, it was said that almost no one reads UN reports.

Trump’s envoy arrived in Gaza, and Israeli officials attempted to prove to him—and the world—that the situation in the sector was improving. But few seemed convinced.

Get the details of the key global events of the week in QALAMPIR.UZ’s Weekend program.

A war with NATO at the expense of migrants?

In Russia, proposals to further restrict migrant rights and increase fees imposed on them have become a weekly occurrence. These include limiting the amount of money migrants can send to their families and requiring them to cover education costs for their children. More and more Russian politicians are calling for migrants to shoulder the country’s growing financial burdens.

On July 31, President Vladimir Putin signed a law introducing new state fees and doubling several existing ones. This included a new 500-ruble fee for registering a migrant’s temporary place of residence. The cost of obtaining or renewing a work patent for migrants was set at 4,200 rubles. Meanwhile, the fee for registering foreigners at a permanent address increased from 430 to 1,000 rubles.

These rising costs are believed to be tied to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. However, the timing raised questions—answered, perhaps, by an interview with Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. He stated that Russia has begun building a $1 trillion war chest in preparation for a potential military confrontation with NATO in 2030.

Budanov claimed the Kremlin has launched the largest military buildup since the 1980s. According to him, the strategic plan centers on a confrontation with NATO, particularly in the Baltic states, Finland, Norway, and the alliance’s northern flank. The funds are to be used primarily before 2030, after which spending is expected to decrease.

Putin hits back at Trump

It was revealed this week that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visited Russia to help President Putin formulate a response to Donald Trump’s recent 10-day ultimatum.

On August 1, during a joint visit to the Valaam Monastery, both leaders made key statements. Lukashenko suggested that a unified Europe and Russia could become a stronger global force than China.

Putin, for his part, voiced dissatisfaction with recent exchanges of prisoners and bodies with Ukraine. He noted that Russia had returned the bodies of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers for humanitarian reasons, while in return it had received only "a few dozen young men."

But the most important statement of the day was something else. While Donald Trump was issuing various ultimatums to Vladimir Putin, the Russian President eventually responded. Initially addressing Trump’s reported disappointment in him—without naming him—Putin remarked, "All disappointments come from excessive expectations." He recalled Russia's stated goals during a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry in June of last year, emphasizing that the main task was "to eliminate the causes that led to this crisis."

At the same time, Putin unexpectedly spoke about the serial production of the "Oreshnik" missile system, a development that has sparked considerable discussion. He announced that the Russian army had received the first full-fledged Oreshnik complex.

A "Call" from Israel to Uzbekistan?

The Abraham Accords are a diplomatic initiative aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and Muslim-majority countries. First introduced during the final year of U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, the Accords were signed by several Arab states. Now, as Trump eyes a potential second term, reports suggest he is looking to expand the initiative to include countries like Azerbaijan and some in Central Asia.

According to a recent Reuters report citing five sources close to the matter, the Trump team is actively discussing the inclusion of Azerbaijan and certain Central Asian nations into the Abraham Accords framework.

The Accords, signed in 2020 and 2021 with U.S. mediation, normalized diplomatic ties between Israel and four Muslim-majority countries: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. However, it is important to note that Azerbaijan and many Central Asian countries already maintain longstanding relations with Israel. Thus, formal inclusion would be largely symbolic and aimed at strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade and military affairs.

Analysts note that this proposed expansion signals Trump's willingness to pursue more modest goals compared to his earlier ambitions to persuade Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel—a move now increasingly unlikely due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Saudi Arabia has reiterated that it will not normalize relations until Israel takes meaningful steps toward recognizing an independent Palestinian state.

The high civilian death toll in Gaza, compounded by famine and humanitarian blockades, has provoked widespread outrage in the Arab world. This has made it increasingly difficult to persuade additional Muslim-majority nations to join the Abraham Accords. Meanwhile, Palestine is gaining broader international recognition. In addition to recognition from several European nations in recent years, powerful Western countries like Canada, France, and the United Kingdom are reportedly preparing to officially recognize Palestine.

Returning to the regional diplomatic push, Trump’s special peace envoy, Steve Whitkoff, traveled to Baku in March and met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Reports suggest that Azerbaijani officials subsequently reached out to neighboring Central Asian countries—most notably Kazakhstan—to assess their interest in joining the Accords. However, it remains unclear which specific countries were discussed. Was it just Kazakhstan, or also Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, or Kyrgyzstan? That remains unknown.

Reuters notes that the Azerbaijani government has not issued any statements on the matter. Likewise, the White House, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and the Kazakh Embassy in Washington have declined to comment.

QALAMPIR.UZ reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan for clarification. The Ministry’s press secretary, Ahror Burhonov, stated that no official appeal or communication had been received on this issue.

UN reports that no one reads

On August 1, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged the ineffectiveness of many of the organization's documents, stating that the UN needs to reduce the number of reports and meetings. According to him, a significant portion of the reports are simply not read.

Guterres addressed member states regarding a report prepared by his UN80 working group, which focused on how UN staff are implementing thousands of mandates issued by the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, and other bodies.

“Today, more than half of all mandates require the preparation of reports. Last year alone, the Secretariat prepared 1,100 reports, which is 20 percent more than in 1990. Three out of five are on recurring topics. I must admit that these reports are also taking longer. Over the past 20 years, the volume of text has increased by more than 40 percent,” he said.

Despite the extensive work involved, Guterres noted that many of these documents go unread. One in five reports has not been downloaded even 1,000 times. The Secretary-General expressed doubt that these reports had been read at all. He added that a significant share of the UN’s budget is spent on preparing such documents and organizing meetings. According to him, one out of every ten dollars of the UN budget goes directly to publications and meetings, excluding indirect costs.

For reference, the UN currently implements more than 40,000 mandates through around 400 intergovernmental bodies. These generate more than 27,000 meetings per year and produce approximately 2,300 pages of documents every day—at an annual cost of about \$360 million.

Trump's man in Gaza

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. People are dying of hunger, and those attempting to secure food are reportedly being shot at by Israeli forces. Even former U.S. President Donald Trump—long considered one of Israel’s strongest allies—acknowledged that Gaza is facing near-famine conditions. Yet, he remained skeptical of reports and images from the region, prompting him to send a special envoy to witness the crisis firsthand.

On August 1, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Gaza alongside the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. His five-hour visit aimed to assess the humanitarian situation and formulate a plan to provide food and medical aid to Palestinians in need.

Reactions to Witkoff’s visit among Gazans were mixed. While some hoped his presence in Rafah might lead to increased aid, others were skeptical or angry, urging him to look beyond what Israeli officials had shown him.

Coinciding with his visit, 126 parachutes of humanitarian aid were airdropped into Gaza by countries including Spain, France, and Germany. However, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees criticized the airdrops as “too expensive, insufficient, and ineffective.”

During the visit, Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire on civilians near the Rafah aid distribution center. According to a local hospital, three people were killed and six were wounded. Notably, the Israeli military did not deny the shooting, stating that soldiers had fired warning shots at a group of people and were unaware of any casualties but would investigate the incident. A U.S. embassy spokesperson, however, stated there were "no reports of any clashes or injuries" during Witkoff’s visit.

Adding a public relations layer to the visit, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted a photo on social media from Gaza, standing next to banners proclaiming "100 million meals distributed." He praised the Gaza Humanitarian Fund—established in May by the U.S. and Israel—saying it delivers over one million meals daily. "This is an incredible achievement," he wrote.

Let’s do a little math here. If more than 100 million meals have been distributed to Gaza’s 2.1 million people, that would amount to one meal per person per day for 47 days. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund has been operating for 70 days.

However, it is unlikely that food from the fund has reached all residents of Gaza. Currently, the fund operates only three active distribution points in southern and central Gaza—significantly fewer than the UN’s previous distribution networks. This shortage has led to massive queues, and according to the UN, hundreds of Palestinians have died in such locations while waiting for food.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), criticized the fund’s distribution system as “flawed,” saying it was “designed for military and political purposes, not to address the humanitarian crisis.” He emphasized that UNRWA has 6,000 aid trucks waiting to enter Gaza and called for them to be allowed in without delay.

According to UN figures, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces near UNRWA locations since the agency resumed operations in late May, many of them while searching for food. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund has denied these claims.