Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands in August 2026, drawing a official rebuke from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

Overview Debates Related claims Topics Sources

Ukraine will have to give up some land to end the war

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea and has constructed artificial islands within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines

Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro stated that negotiations between ASEAN and Beijing for a South China Sea Code of Conduct are 80 percent complete, but diplomats do not expect a final pact at the ASEAN summit in Manila

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Kyiv is not ready to cede territory but would put a Donbas withdrawal proposal to a national referendum if a comprehensive security package is confirmed

U.S. mediator Jared Kushner characterized the Abu Dhabi talks held on November 10-11, 2026, as serious, detailed, and frank, but noted that major differences remain between Russia and Ukraine on territorial questions

Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky stated that territorial exchanges as part of a settlement were out of the question

Ukraine rejects Russian demands to surrender the entire eastern Donbas region, insisting that territorial concessions are out of the question for a peace settlement

September 2026 mine blasts at the inter-Korean border wounded three South Korean soldiers, leading Seoul to demand an apology while North Korea denied responsibility and threatened retaliation

North Korea threatened to redeploy loudspeaker broadcasts and new weapons systems along the Korean border following landmine disputes

The United Nations established Minurso in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire in Western Sahara and organize a referendum on Western Sahara's self-determination following fighting that left at least 9,000 people dead

Morocco built a 2,700-kilometer security wall in the 1980s, securing control over Western Sahara's urban centers and coastline while Polisario operates east of the 2,700-kilometer wall and in Tindouf, Algeria

A rival Russian draft resolution to extend Minurso's mandate for one year without changing the mandate's original terms failed to pass the UN Security Council, receiving only two votes in favor

On October 30, 2026, Russia vetoed a US-backed UN Security Council proposal that would have extended Minurso for one year while framing Morocco's autonomy plan as the sole basis for negotiations

The Royal Palace of Morocco announced on November 4, 2026 that Morocco will voluntarily maintain the ceasefire in Western Sahara following a meeting led by King Mohammed VI

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and aid group Oxfam warned that the withdrawal of peacekeepers from the UN's Western Sahara mission, Minurso, increases the risk of escalation and renewed hostilities in Western Sahara

The UN announced on November 1, 2026 that Minurso, the UN's Western Sahara peacekeeping mission, entered a liquidation period with a reduced team overseeing the transfer of military equipment and assets out of Western Sahara

Polisario Front representative Sidi Omar thanked Russia for vetoing the US-backed UN Security Council resolution on Western Sahara, stating the proposal threatened the UN peace process

The United Nations Security Council failed to renew the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso), ending the 35-year peacekeeping mission on October 31, 2026

Minurso, the UN's Western Sahara peacekeeping mission, deployed 155 military personnel and had an expected budget of $62 million for the financial year beginning June 2026

Moroccan King Mohammed VI directed the interior ministry to coordinate and support the liquidation and withdrawal of Minurso peacekeepers from Western Sahara