Empty chairs can't conduct diplomacy

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Nov 21, 2022 View in browser   By Ryan Heath and Nahal Toosi Follow Ryan on Twitter | Follow Nahal on Twitter | Send tips and insights to rheath@politico.com HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. PRESIDENT: Get ready for two years of questions about your fitness for office . One of the questions raised not only by critics of President Joe Biden, but also some senior Democrats — both elected and unelected officials Global Insider has spoken to — is: Will Biden, now 80, stay sharp enough to fulfill his duties? As a counterpoint, plenty of experts say Biden's personal habits and health history mean he has a lot going for him. It can go either way: Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) will be 95 if he serves the full term he was elected to earlier this month, and does push-ups for public audiences . Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif), 89, has struggled with short-term memory issues . WHAT HAVEN'T THEY BANNED IN QATAR? You know by now that non-VIP fans can't buy beer with alcohol to drink at World Cup matches. Cooked kosher food and public Jewish prayer have now also been banned . Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar. Players from seven European teams today dropped plans to wear a "One Love" armband during their matches due to a threat of "sporting sanctions" from FIFA, the sport's governing body. SENATORS ON DEFENSE OVER DIPLOMACY IN CANADA The U.S. lawmakers who attended the Halifax International Security Forum over the weekend trumpeted their bipartisan approach to helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia. But they were less ready for questions from your co-host, Nahal Toosi, who lobbed a series of questions at them at a news conference about their inability to put aside partisan divides to boost support for U.S. diplomacy. Why couldn't they quickly confirm ambassadors? Why has the U.S. diplomatic budget stayed flat for a decade, while military spending has soared? Why haven't they been able to pass a State Department Authorization Bill more than once in 20 years? The lawmakers were defensive — "Don't believe everything you write," said Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho). Their answers Saturday exposed some of their frustrations — with the press, the confirmation process and more — as Washington prepares for split rule with a GOP-led House. The lawmakers also insisted Democrats and Republicans often work together well — such as when approving defense spending — and claimed that journalists unfairly emphasize rifts. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). stressed that dissent on major national security issues, such as Ukraine aid, is limited to a few lawmakers. On the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said it was just "a small minority" that holds up ambassadorial nominees. REALITY CHECK: It may be only a few senators who delay nominations by refusing to agree to "unanimous consent" and other time-saving processes. But it's also the way majorities of both parties are choosing to conduct Senate business. That said, Coons agreed there's not enough congressional focus on diplomacy, and noted that China is taking advantage, as your co-host recently reported . "I believe we should be investing in increases in diplomacy and development at the same pace with which we are investing in defense," Coons said, insisting there's bipartisan support for such a goal. Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) agreed with the need for more investment in diplomacy. He relayed how an African ambassador had told him that his country needs the U.S. to "step up" its engagement. "People want our leadership. They prefer our partnership," he said. According to Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), there's one group who would be fine with the way Congress is functioning: the Founding Fathers. "They wanted the House to show the emotional side," he said. "They're really good at it. And the Senate was designed to slow things down." "And they're really good at it!" Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) and other House members shot back, laughing. Rounds readily agreed. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) even predicted a State Department Authorization Act would pass soon (within the defense authorization bill). She said the lawmakers' bipartisan presence in Halifax was a "reaffirmation" of their desire to work together to accomplish big things. Sure, they might fail at times, she said. "But those of us here are going to continue to try." Watch replays of sessions of the Halifax International Security Forum: Saturday | Sunday   GO INSIDE THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO is featuring a special edition of our "Future Pulse" newsletter at the 2022 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit from Dec. 6 to 8. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of health industry leaders and innovators solving the biggest global health issues to ensure a healthier, more resilient future for all. SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE .     GLOBAL RISKS AND TRENDS CLIMATE — DEATH ON THE NILE: Governments from more than 190 countries has some success over the weekend, striking a deal to to compensate the most vulnerable countries for some of the loss and damage they are suffering due to climate change. But the governments also failed to deliver detailed agreements that would ensure the world limits temperature rise less than 1.5 Celsius, as they promised in Paris in 2016. The biggest sticking point is fossil fuel use, especially natural gas. There are growing prospects for reforms of financial institutions such as the World Bank, to focus more of its finance on climate goals. But China holds one-third of the developing world's debt, and so far isn't interested in changing the repayment terms. While China has canceled funding for some coal projects, it also defends the right of poorer countries to develop with only limited carbon constraints. WHERE TO JOIN GLOBAL INSIDER  Post-COP27 analysis briefing: Global Insider will moderate a group of POLITICO and E&E News reporters at 10 a.m. ET today about their perspectives following COP27 negotiations in Egypt, with a look forward to the political and policy impacts for 2023. POLITICO Pro subscribers can register here . UKRAINE — BATTERED ENERGY SYSTEM STILL RUNNING, FOR NOW: Europe's biggest nuclear power plant continues to be subject to shelling. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, described the latest exchanges as a " close call ." The shelling of the Zaporizhzhia plant is the most dangerous element of what Ukraine estimates is a billion dollars' worth of missiles fired at Ukraine's energy infrastructure over the past week. POLITICO's Jamie Dettmer has his latest dispatch from Ukraine , where he interviews Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, chair of Ukrenergo, the state-owned electricity company. Erin Banco and Andrew Desiderio report Ukraine is urging allies to supply components like generators, pipes and valves to repair its infrastructure. The net result: damage to radioactive waste storage facilities and broader blackouts only for a day. "We are very well prepared, and we think out of the box to coordinate after missile attacks," Kudrytskyi said. Former workers at the besieged nuclear plant say they were tortured and abused by Russian occupiers . President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will today address NATO's Parliamentary Assembly. KAZAKHSTAN — ELECTION WIN PAVES WAY FOR INDEPENDENT POLICY: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won a second term in an election on Sunday, winning 81 percent, per Kazakhstan's election authority. The election was called after deadly protests rocked the central Asian nation earlier this year. The overwhelming win, while not a surprise, holds interest for foreign governments because it gives Tokayev a clear mandate to continue an independent foreign policy , setting his country apart from Moscow. While Tokayev has not joined Western-led sanctions against Russia, he has refused to recognize Moscow's attempted annexations of parts of Ukraine. He has also unveiled reforms "strengthening the parliament, reducing presidential powers, and limiting the presidency to a single seven-year term," DW reported . NORTH KOREA — ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MISSILE TEST: G-7 ministers issued another impactless statement condemning North Korea's latest intercontinental ballistic missile test Nov. 18. UNITED STATES — TRUMP WATCH: Former President Donald Trump is yet to take up an offer from Elon Musk to return to Twitter. Making that choice may mean choosing between money and influence over the next two years . KLEPTOWATCH QATAR'S WORLD CUP " The most expensive power-play and PR stunt in sporting history ," is how the Times of London describes the soccer World Cup that kicked off Sunday. The event has been dogged by allegations and criminal prosecutions of bribery and corruption for a decade, and has cost the tiny state around $300 billion — 20 times more than Brazil invested in 2014, and 600 times what the U.S. invested in 1994. Best description of Qatar: " It looks like Las Vegas, sounds like Babel and prays like Mecca. " — Josh Glancy, Times of London reporter GLOBETROTTERS DAVOS 2023: The World Economic Forum has announced that the theme of its annual winter gathering in Switzerland in January will be "cooperation in a fragmented world." HATCHED: Kim Jong Un blessed the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, but his other big news was unveiling a daughter at the ICBM launch. MATCHED: MacKenzie Scott gave away $14 billion — with few or no strings attached — over the past two years, to organizations working to help correct historic injustices. The first detailed report tracking the efforts of Jeff Bezos' ex-wife found that many recipients are using their new money to build reserves and endowments. Scott's beneficiaries appear to be creating sustainable wealth in the way that rich individuals and organizations like elite universities do, instead of engaging in the NGO equivalent of living from paycheck-to-paycheck. Her practices have annoyed some in the philanthropy world because they don't follow traditional models of giving. DISPATCHED: Irina Karamanos of Chile has ended the role of first lady , resigning from all duties associated with being the spouse of the head of state, after months of saying the role reeked of nepotism and sexism. Her partner, Gabriel Boric, was elected president in December. In resigning from roles including as head of a science museum and children's charity, Karamanos proposed that she be replaced by someone from an appropriate government ministry. FREED: Myanmar's military government has freed former British ambassador Vicky Bowman and her husband Htein Lin in a mass release of 6,000 prisoners to mark the country's National Day. Bowman has been deported. Her crime was allegedly spending more than a year based in her husband's home state in north-eastern Myanmar, whereas her visa only permitted her to live in the capital Yangon. MOVES Brenden Varma, a former U.N. spokesperson in New York, will take up the role of deputy director of the U.N. Washington office.   POLITICO APP USERS: UPGRADE YOUR APP BY DECEMBER 19! We recently upgraded the POLITICO app with a fresh look and improved features for easier access to POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Starting December 19, users will no longer have access to the previous version of the app. Update your app today to stay on top of essential political news, insights, and analysis from the best journalists in the business. UPDATE iOS APP – UPDATE ANDROID APP .     BRAIN FOOD SHORT READ: The recent G-20 leaders summit actually worked , argues Adam Tooze. PODCAST AND LONG READ: Who is Keir Starmer? Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson's series Past Imperfect dives into the backstory of the man polls predict will be Britain's next prime minister. Starmer is, some believe, the model for the character Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones' Diary. BOOK — Inside Qatar by John McManus portrays a deeply segregated society that is, among other things, ranked as the second-most dangerous nation in the world for LGBTQI communities, by several indexes. BOOK: Bully market : Jamie Fiore Higgins writes about her experience of what she says is an abusive culture at Goldman Sachs. She says the company has perfected talking points about inclusion but also created the atmosphere where co-workers mooed at her for breastfeeding in the office. Thanks to editor Heidi Vogt and producer Hannah Farrow. SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: D.C. Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | Paris Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | EU Confidential | D.C. Influence | EU Influence | London Influence | Digital Bridge | China Direct | Berlin Bulletin | Living Cities   Follow us on Twitter Ryan Heath @PoliticoRyan   Follow us

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