Overview:
The Global Affairs team share some of the most important weekly headlines that you may otherwise have missed.
The Editor’s Note
Welcome back to Week 7’s edition of Outside OX1!
Though this week may just feel like a repeat of Week 5 but without the hype of the Week 5 blues, the end of term is finally in sight. Whilst term may be grinding to a slow and steady halt, the news cycle is most certainly not slowing down at the same rate. The Global Affairs team here at the Oxford Blue have been sifting through the biggest headlines of the past week, condensing them into short articles for you to read at your leisure!
Perhaps the biggest headline of this week comes straight from the White House…again. A fiery exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the US President and Vice-President has thrown the Russo-Ukrainian war into further uncertainty, with the US deciding to withdraw military aid to Ukraine. Whether Europe can step up to fill the void left by the US remains up for debate…
Looking towards the Balkans now, the Serbian National Assembly was thrown into chaos this week after members of the opposition set of flares and smoke bombs in protest of the incumbent Serbian Progressive Party. This demonstrates the opposition’s allyship with the student protests that have been ongoing in Serbia since late-2024.
Over in South East Asia, an orchestrated crackdown on scam centres in Myanmar has left 7000 workers awaiting repatriation at the Myanmar-Thailand border. Whilst the recent progress has been significant, critics believe that there is still a lot of work to be done to dismantle the industry that is rapidly taking over the region.
In more positive news now, the world-famous carnival in Rio de Janeiro has begun, with some of the biggest celebrations still yet to come. The carnival brings 2 million people to the Brazilian streets every day, with parades involving lavish floats and infectious samba music.
As you can see, a lot goes on Outside OX1. This week, ChatGPT has ever-so-kindly given us an encouraging quote as to why you should read our article this week in the style of a certain political figure across the Atlantic:
“Folks, everybody’s talking about it. Outside OX1—absolutely tremendous. The best. People are saying it’s the greatest news column, maybe ever. We’ve got scams, protests, big deals—HUGE. Read it. Believe me, you don’t want to miss this one. Some say if you don’t read it, it’s fake news. SAD!”
So, you heard it here first, time to jump in!
US Halts Military Aid to Ukraine as Zelenskyy Pushes for Peace
Orla McMahon
On February 3, the US announced an abrupt suspension in military aid to Ukraine. This comes after weeks of mounting tension between the US and Ukrainian President.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has been the single largest provider of military assistance to the nation. According to the Kiel Institute, the US has supplied €114.2 billion worth of aid between January 24, 2022 and December 31, 2024, just €18.1 billion less than Europe’s total contribution. Support from the US has been crucial, and the flow of high-capability American weapons, air defence systems, and Starlink technology has been vital to the Ukrainian war effort.
Measures to drastically increase European defence spending have already been taken to fill the void left by the US. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed an €800 billion European rearmament plan on Tuesday, stating that it was time for the continent to “step up.” On March 2, European leaders gathered in London at a summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to discuss their support for Ukraine.
Trump’s actions are largely unsurprising. Following his inauguration, the President set his sights on reopening diplomatic relations with Russia. Relations between the Trump administration and Zelenskyy’s government had been tense after Trump entered peace negotiations with Russia in Riyadh, excluding Ukraine. Trump later called Zelenskyy a “dictator” for not holding elections despite it being prohibited under Ukrainian martial law, which was in effect at the time.
On February 28, Zelenskyy travelled to Washington to discuss the Ukraine–United States Mineral Resources Agreement, a deal that would see Ukrainian peace guarantees in exchange for American access to Ukraine’s rare earth materials. This deal would involve the establishment of an “investment fund,” into which Ukraine would invest half of all future revenue from state-owned oil, gas, and mineral resources
Instead, an explosive exchange between the leaders unfurled. Trump warned Zelenskyy, “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.” This marked the first time in US history that a sitting president openly verbally attacked a visiting head of state.
However, there have been some signs of reconciliation. Following the announcement that the US was halting military assistance to Ukraine, Zelenskyy released a statement on X, stressing “Ukraine’s commitment to peace” and expressing a desire “to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.” Trump responded with similar wishes to continue the peace negotiations during his congressional address.
What is certain is that Ukraine is in an incredibly vulnerable position. Zelenskyy will need to quickly reconcile with Trump so that the flow of military aid is resumed or look to Europe to provide the assistance that Ukraine so desperately needs.
Protesters Disrupt Serbia’s Parliament
Elana Roberts
On March 4, several Serbian opposition MPs disrupted parliament by throwing smoke grenades and using pepper spray. This was in protest of the corruption of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the governing party that has led Serbia for over a decade. The opposition MPs unfurled a banner stating “Serbia rises up to bring down the regime.” At least three MPs were injured, with one suffering a stroke.
Among the protesters was Radomir Lazovic, the co-leader of the Green-Left Front, who let off a fire extinguisher from his seat in the parliamentary chamber. He claimed that the protest was a necessary “response to the violence that has been perpetrated against the citizens of Serbia for 13 years.”
In a live video feed following the protest, the parliamentary speaker, Ana Brnabić, was heard saying, “Your colour revolution has failed, and this country will live; this country will work and this country will continue to win.”
Protests broke out in Serbia four months ago, when the roof of the recently-renovated Novi Sad railway station collapsed on November 1, 2024, killing 15 people. This €55 million project was part of the SNS government’s flagship infrastructure project to construct a high speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest. The renovation was funded through a loan agreement between the Serbian government, China’s Exim Bank and the Russian government, in a move which showed a tightening in relations between Serbia and China.
Following the collapse, the Serbian government refused responsibility for the tragedy, and further withheld several key documents with details about the project, sparking allegations of corruption. Nationwide anti-corruption protests erupted, advocating for justice for the Novi Sad victims. Thousands began taking part in sit-ins and vigils, furious at the government’s lack of accountability.
Students have been instrumental to the movement, leading demonstrations across the country calling for greater transparency in government plans. Initially organising 15 minute vigils for the victims of the Novi Sad tragedy, their occupation of buildings and road blocks have grown into the largest protest movement seen by Serbia in years. As of February 2025, there had been protests in over 200 towns, and on March 1 tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the Serbian city of Niš. One instagram account representing the protesting students published a post stating “We will no longer accept injustice, corruption and an ineffective system that limits us.”
On January 28, the then Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned to “defuse tensions.” It was hoped that the protesters would accept this resignation, allowing the populist president Aleksandar Vučić to remain in power and reduce the disruption across Serbia. Protests have instead persisted, demanding constitutional changes such as term limits on the elected public office. This would threaten the position of Vučić and the SNS party, who might lose control of the government if stricter term limits were enforced.
While the EU has been largely silent on the protests since they began, on Wednesday March 5 they released a statement outlining their concern over the “disruptions of parliamentary work” and emphasised the necessity of “de-escalation of tensions”.
The protesters have called for the largest rally yet in Belgrade on March 15. It will remain to be seen whether this culmination of their efforts will pressure the government enough to agree to their demands.
Myanmar’s Crackdown on Scam Centres: Thousands Freed in Recent Raids
Matthew Brown
More than 7000 foreign workers are awaiting repatriation in the Myanmar border town of Myawaddy following a new crackdown on online scam centres, coordinated by Thailand, Myanmar, and China.
This follows a meeting between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chinese leader Xi Jingping in February, where Shinawatra promised action against the scam networks.
The scam industry is a lucrative business, with an estimated $485 billion to $1 trillion stolen by crime syndicates annually. However, the individuals who run telecom and online scams rarely benefit, often finding themselves trapped in virtual slavery.
This is due to the recent emergence of “cyber-slavery”. Many job seekers are deceived by criminal organisations posing as legitimate employers and are then abducted and forced into telecom and online scams, with all profits going to their captors.
Southeast Asia lies at the epicentre of cyber-slavery, where an estimated $64 billion is generated per year from scam centres.
This has led to the emergence of “scam cities” in poorer regions of South East Asia, such as Shwe Kokko, which has recently emerged in the undeveloped, war-torn state of Kayin in Myanmar. It is labelled as a “city built on scams,” and the owner of the company developing its infrastructure, She Zhijiang, is currently incarcerated in Bangkok for allegedly running an illegal casino.
In a report published last year, the UN stated that over 120,000 people had been trafficked to Myanmar, and a further 100,000 to Cambodia, to run online scams.
The abduction of Wang Xing, a famous Chinese actor, by a scam gang recently gained significant media attention.
This high-profile abduction has spurred the Thai government, supported by China, to take a more hardline approach to these scam centres.
Many of those freed in recent crackdowns reported poor conditions and widespread abuse during their time under captivity. There are many reported cases of torture, with some individuals presenting wounds that indicate shock by electric probes.
Despite the relative success of recent raids under Thai government crackdowns, there are no signs of these criminal organisations slowing down. Rapid construction appears to continue in cities hosting scam sites. A top opposition lawmaker recently criticised the Thai government for its inaction, stating that “the empire of scam is still there… we’re just shaking them.”
Rio Carnival 2025 Commences
Caroline Johnson
Rio Carnival, one of the most famous festivals in the world, began on Friday 28 February. The Champion’s Parade – which involves performances from the top six samba schools – will occur on March 8, a post-Carnival event much anticipated by viewers across Brazil.
Rio Carnival finds its roots in European pagan practices, Catholic celebrations, and indigenous and African traditions, which were brought to Brazil with the arrival of African slaves after the nation became a Portuguese colony. Carnival has since developed into a city-wide festival with a focus on samba, a musical genre developed in the early 20th century within the Afro-Brazilian communities of Bahia.
It is estimated that around two million people will take to the streets each day, with Riotour, a tourism company linked to Rio City Hall, expecting a revenue of 5.5. billion reais (around £740 million) to be generated for the country between 1st February and 9th March. This makes the event a major economic and tourism benefit for the city of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.
The carnival began when the city key was symbolically given to King Momo by Mayor Eduardo Paes. King Momo is considered the King of Carnivals in various Latin American festivals, in particular those within Brazil and Colombia. He acts as the personification of satire, mockery, and irreverence. This year King Momo is Kaio Mackenzie from Mangueria, a favela within Rio de Janeiro which is famous for its samba school, the Estação Primeira de Mangueira. This year’s Queen of Carnival, Thuane de Oliveira, also participated in the key handover.
Street parties form an important part of the Carnival. Over 500 authorised events, known as blocos, have taken place, each with their own theme. The most famous include the Cordao do Bola Preta, which can draw 200,000 attendees, and the Simpatia e Quase Amor.
During one street party, called the Carmelitas, partygoers dressed as nuns and priests to honour the Carmelites Convent in the area, whilst during another street party, the Blocoa, 300 people paraded to samba music with 100 dogs dressed as superheroes, clowns, and cartoon characters. Several street parties have also paid tribute to Pope Francis, who remains hospitalised due to a respiratory condition.
One of the most recognisable events during Carnival, however, is the samba competition which takes place in the Sambadrome, a 700-metre long structure which was purpose-built for the Carnival on the Rua Marquês de Sapucaí in Cidade Nova between 1983 and 1984. Samba schools from across the city perform in competition here, with each school having chosen a theme to explore in their parade. This year, Paraíso do Tuiuti, a samba school from a favela near the port of Rio, have chosen the story of Xica Manicongo, the first trans woman recorded in the country, with the aim of raising awareness about violence against transgender people in Brazil.
With Ash Wednesday, the typical end of the Carnival, having now passed, Brazilians and visitors from around the world can now look forward to the winners of the samba competition performing this Saturday.
On This Day in Global Affairs…
On March 7, 1936, Adolf Hitler sent military forces of Nazi Germany into the demilitarised Rhineland, breaking the Treaty of Versailles and undermining the Locarno Treaties.
The Treaty of Versailles, the primary treaty ending World War I with Germany, forbade German forces from entering the Rhineland. The Locarno Treaties, signed in 1925, reaffirmed many of the principles laid out in Versailles, such as the inviolability of national borders in Western Europe, and a promise to resolve international conflicts peacefully via the League of Nations.
When the Nazi regime came to power in Germany in January 1933, plans to remilitarise the Rhineland and rearm Germany had already begun. The remilitarisation in 1936 was justified by Hitler as a response to the Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assistance, a bilateral agreement aimed at containing the newly rearmed Nazi Germany and mitigating threats from Central Europe, though remilitarisation was known to be part of his broader foreign policy aims.
Following the deployment of the Wehrmacht at approximately 11:00 AM on March 7, Hitler addressed the Reichstag in a lengthy denunciation of the Treaty of Versailles. He would state that he was a “man of peace who wanted war with no-one,” and was only seeking for Germany to become equal in militarised power to its European neighbours.
Britain and France decided not to enforce the treaty, and did not respond to the occupation with military force. This is widely considered to have convinced Hitler that Western powers would not prevent Nazi Germany from achieving its foreign policy goals, and tipped the balance of power in Europe decisively towards Germany. Many nations in Europe, particularly in the East, would distrust their military pacts with France, and Belgium later dropped its defensive alliance with France, opting to return to neutrality.
A week later on March 14, 1936, Hitler gave a speech stating: “Neither threats nor warnings will prevent me from going my way. I follow the path assigned to me by Providence with the instinctive sureness of a sleepwalker.” His popularity would skyrocket in Germany, and embolden the Nazi regime to continue expansion into Eastern Europe, eventually starting World War II with the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939.
Thank you for making it to the end of this week’s Outside OX1, see you next week for more stories!