Daily: 02/17/2022

Велика Британія скасувала програму надання «золотих віз»

Раніше про плани відмовитися від програми надання «золотих віз» повідомили Financial Times та The Times

your ad here

Fringes of Right and Left Warn Against US Involvement in Ukraine

The crisis in Ukraine has united most Republicans and Democrats in a rare moment of bipartisan agreement that the United States must stand strong against the aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But a small group within the Republican Party — heavily influenced by former President Donald Trump’s stance toward Russia — has criticized President Joe Biden for opposing Putin’s designs on Ukraine, with some going as far to say Russia has a right to invade. Some progressive Democrats in the House of Representatives have also warned there is no military solution to the crisis.

With memories of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent Taliban takeover still fresh in the minds of the American public, much of the concern on both the right and the left is focused on avoiding military involvement in Europe. 

Biden has said multiple times the U.S. will not commit troops on the ground in Ukraine and will only provide military aid. Most Republican and Democratic lawmakers agree with the administration’s position that Ukraine’s fledgling democracy must be protected.

But conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson repeatedly has expressed doubt that Ukraine is a democracy worth U.S. protection.

“It should make you very nervous that Joe Biden, Susan Rice and the national security adviser kid, they’re all telling us with a straight face … it’s a democracy,” Carlson said this week on his show, referring to Biden adviser Jake Sullivan.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley — a frequent guest on Carlson’s show — expressed similar concerns in a February 1 letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, writing that the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine’s membership in NATO defies current geopolitical realities.

“The United States has an interest in maintaining Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. And we should urgently deliver to Ukraine assistance it needs to defend itself against Russia’s military buildup and other threats. Our interest is not so strong, however, as to justify committing the United States to go to war with Russia over Ukraine’s fate. Rather, we must aid Ukraine in a manner that aligns with the American interests at stake and preserves our ability to deny Chinese hegemony in the Indo-Pacific,” Hawley wrote.

Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus have been especially vocal about avoiding U.S. involvement in Ukraine.

“We have no dog in the Ukraine fight. Not one American soldier should die there. Not one American bullet should be fired there. We just lost Afghanistan to sandal-wearing goat herders. I assure you [the] Russian military is no joke either,” said Republican Congressman Paul Gosar.

“Ukraine has no basis to be in NATO, and NATO itself — a Cold War relic — arguably has no current purpose or mission. Getting involved in a military situation with no U.S. interest is America Last, not America First,” he said.

Recent polling shows a slight majority of Americans support the U.S. staying out of negotiations to end the crisis. In a CBS News/YouGov poll conducted between February 8 and 11, 53% of Americans supported that view, while 43% supported Ukraine and 4% supported Russia. In that same poll, about 20% of voters said Biden’s approach to Russia was “too hostile,” with Republicans and independents making up almost all of those holding that viewpoint.

Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger — a leading critic of Trump — told the CBS news show “Face the Nation” the pro-Putin group within his own party is not large but is still a significant concern.

“There’s a significant number of folks doing it with Tucker Carlson, talking about, you know, how great Vladimir Putin is and how Ukraine is really actually part of Russia,” Kinzinger said.

While no Democrats have expressed support for Putin in the way some Republicans have supported him, voices on the left are speaking out against U.S. involvement in the region.

“We have significant concerns that new troop deployments, sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions, and a flood of hundreds of millions of dollars in lethal weapons will only raise tensions and increase the chance of miscalculation. Russia’s strategy is to inflame tensions; the United States and NATO must not play into this strategy,” said Democratic Congresswomen Pramila Jayapal and Barbara Lee in a statement last month.

Senator Bernie Sanders’ foreign policy adviser Matt Duss has also been publicly vocal about the need to avoid accelerating the conflict with Russia, tweeting, “It’s good news that Senate Dems were able to resist being lured onto an even more hawkish sanctions bill in the name of ‘bipartisanship.’” 

U.S. senators failed to reach an agreement this week on a bipartisan sanctions bill, choosing instead to release a rare statement of unity expressing support for Ukraine. Twelve Republican and Democratic senators encouraged unity among NATO allies, while warning Russia would face “significant costs” if it followed through with an invasion.

your ad here

Родина Шуфрича придбала та зареєструвала нерухомість у Криму за законами РФ – «Схеми»

Йдеться про маєток та велику земельну ділянку у селищі Сімеїз на південному березі Криму

your ad here

Applause in Tanzania After President Meets Exiled Opposition Leader in Belgium

Tanzanian political figures are applauding after President Samia Suluhu Hassan met in Brussels Wednesday with opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Lissu has lived in Belgium since a 2017 assassination attempt. He returned to Tanzania in 2020 to run for president but fled the country again after protests against his election loss and what he said were threats to his life.

The meeting lasted about an hour, and afterward, the president and exiled opposition leader shook hands for the cameras.

Lissu said that during the meeting, he raised concerns about his fate and that of other opposition politicians who fled Tanzania to seek asylum abroad, after their lives were put in danger during the rule of late President John Magufuli.  

Lissu said he’d like to return home but wants Hassan to assure his safety. 

The president’s office issued a brief statement on the meeting and said Hassan and Lissu discussed issues of interest to the welfare of Tanzania. 

However, Lissu shared more details on Twitter. He said he asked the president to drop a case facing the Chadema Party’s national chairperson, Freeman Mbowe, and three other party members who are behind bars, facing terrorism and economic sabotage charges.

Some Tanzanians said the meeting between the president and the Chadema vice-chairperson showed political maturity and promise for the future.

“I believe it’s a very good political move.  All now that we are waiting to see is whether all that was discussed will be implemented. For example, there was a suggestion that Tundu Lissu requested the immediate release of the leader of opposition Freeman Mbowe who according to many, was captured on political grounds. I think if the president will honor all that was discussed then we are headed on a very good path. So, let’s wait and see because we can not only be excited without seeing the results,” said Jesca Muleba, a resident of Morogoro.

Political analyst Aika Peter says the meeting between the two should have a positive impact on Tanzania’s politics.

“Let us not forget that to lead any country you need to lead the people, even if you do not agree but there are things that are related to human rights, if they are not violated it becomes a very good thing. What happened yesterday we applaud and see it as a good step for political parties and the nation as a whole,” Peter said.

Rights activist Kumbusho Dawson says the meeting showed that the country is going to accept a national dialogue. He called the encounter a new beginning toward opening up national dialogue and unifying the country. Dawson added that Tanzanians can now hope that their country can get into observing democratic principles.

In recent months, Hassan has ended bans on several media outlets and implemented other reforms to open up political space – a sharp turnaround from the authoritarian tendencies of the late President Magufuli.

your ad here

З Росії висланий заступник американського посла Барт Горман

Інформацію підтвердив також Держдепартамент США

your ad here

Кулеба і Трасс у Києві офіційно заявили про запуск альянсу України, Великої Британії та Польщі

Голова британського МЗС також анонсувала збільшення підтримки України Лондоном до 100 мільйонів фунтів

your ad here

МЗС Росії опублікувало відповідь США щодо питань безпеки. Москва наполягає на своїх вимогах

Агентство ТАСС публікує повний текст відповіді. При цьому відповідь США не призначалася для публікації, проте її текст опинився в розпорядженні іспанського видання El Pais і став відомим

your ad here

Голова Пентагону не бачить ознак відведення російських військ від України

«Ми будемо виглядати так звані «операції під чужим прапором», в ході яких Росія може сфабрикувати якусь драматичну подію»

your ad here

EU-Africa Summit: Vaccines, Climate Investment, Security Top Agenda

Dozens of African heads of state are in Brussels for a summit of European Union and African Union leaders, beginning Thursday. The coronavirus pandemic, investment and security are high on the agenda, as Henry Ridgwell reports from London.

your ad here

Amid Western Skepticism, Russia Says Troop Withdrawals Will Take Time  

The Kremlin said Thursday it will take time to withdraw Russian forces that have completed drills near the Ukraine border, while the United States and other Ukrainian allies say there are no concrete signs of a pullback of the Russian military elements that have sparked fears of a new invasion of Ukraine. 

A senior U.S. official told reporters late Wednesday that despite Russia saying it was starting to send some units back to their bases, it had actually added as many as 7,000 more troops along the Ukraine border. 

“The Russians have also said in recent days that they are prepared to engage in diplomacy as we and our allies have repeatedly offered,” the official said. “But every indication we have now is they mean only to publicly offer to talk and make claims about de-escalation while privately mobilizing for war.” 

Russia has denied it plans to invade Ukraine, and it has sought security guarantees such as a NATO commitment that it will rule out membership for Ukraine and other former Soviet republics. 

The United States and NATO have repeatedly said that demand is not up for consideration, including doing so in a letter to Russia in late January as part of lengthy and ongoing diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Russia would deliver its written response to the U.S. letter later in the day. 

Also Thursday, Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine traded accusations of firing across a cease-fire line. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was deeply concerned about the flare-up in violence. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for a condemnation of what he called a “severe violation of Minsk agreements by Russia amid an already tense security situation.” 

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. 

your ad here

Лондон розглядає можливість скасування «золотих віз» для росіян через ситуацію з Україною

Британська влада зараз посилено вивчає візові правила, щоб виключити можливість проникнення в країну грошей і активів, пов’язаних із Путіним, пише The Times

your ad here

Обстріл локомотивного депо на Луганщині: в УЗ кажуть, що працівники не постраждали

В «Укрзадізниці» підтвердили, що у четвер зазнало пошкоджень локомотивне депо Кіндрашівська-Нова внаслідок артилерійського обстрілу з непідконтрольної владі України території.

«За попередньою інформацією, працівники структурних підрозділів Донецької залізниці не постраждали. Внаслідок артобстрілу були пошкоджені шибки вікон локомотивного депо та діючий локомотив. Також було частково зруйновано склад на території локомотивного депо», – йдеться в повідомленні.

За даними УЗ, інформація щодо руху поїздів та можливих обмежень буде уточнена.

Раніше повідомлялося, що сьогодні на Луганщині також було обстріляно гібридними силами дитячий садок, постраждали два співробітники закладу.

 

your ad here

Обшук у Криму: адвокат каже, що російські силовики прийшли до Дудакова через коментар 2017 року у соцмережах

Російські силовики у четвер прийшли з обшуками до Едема Дудакова

your ad here

США заявляють, що Росія направила ще тисячі військових до кордону України, попри заяви про відведення

Росія збільшила свою присутність на кордоні з Україною на «цілих сім тисяч військових», деякі з яких прибули 16 лютого, заявили у Вашингтоні

your ad here

Russia-Ukraine Crisis High on Agenda as Harris Heads to Munich

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris travels Thursday to Munich, where officials say she will focus on consulting with allies about the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

While in Germany, where Harris will lead the U.S. delegation at the Munich Security Conference, she is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Harris is also due to give an address Saturday that administration officials said would highlight the level of unity among Western countries and NATO members on diplomatic, military and economic fronts.

“The vice president will underscore how that unity is a source of strength that will allow us to respond swiftly and severely to any further Russian aggression,” a senior administration official told reporters in a briefing Wednesday. “Her speech will also focus on reassuring our allies and partners of our commitments and how we’re committed to bolstering NATO and reinforcing our allies in the face of Russian aggression. And she’ll talk about how a further invasion of Ukraine, we believe, will leave Russia weaker and not stronger.”

Officials said the overall objective of the trip is making sure Western allies are “fully aligned” and send a clear message to Russia about the path forward.

“Our preference is diplomacy and deterrence, but if Russia chooses aggression, we are ready,” an administration official said.

Russia has denied it has plans to invade Ukraine, and in recent days has announced several rounds of troop withdrawals from areas along its border with Ukraine.

The United States and NATO have said there is no evidence of any withdrawals, and a senior U.S. administration official told reporters Wednesday that Russia has instead been adding troops to the border area. 

your ad here

У Росії затримали популярного політолога і відеоблогера Валерія Соловʼя

61-річний професор відомий критичним ставленням до російської влади

your ad here

США та НАТО не бачать відведення військ Росії від кордону з Україною станом на 16 лютого

Міноборони Росії раніше цього ж дня заявило, що частина військ, які брали участь у навчаннях у регіонах, що межують з Україною та в анексованому Криму, повертаються до місць постійної дислокації

your ad here

Google Changes Android Tracking, Data Sharing

Google said Wednesday it plans to limit tracking and data sharing for users of its Android operating system, which is used by over 2.5 billion people around the world.

The change, which won’t take effect for at least two years, comes in response to growing pressure on tech companies to increase privacy by limiting tracking.

Google, which dominates the online advertising market, currently assigns IDs to each Android device and then collects highly valuable data on users that allows advertisers to target them with ads based on their interests and activities.

Google said it would test alternatives to those IDs or get rid of them entirely.

“These solutions will limit sharing of user data with third parties and operate without cross-app identifiers, including advertising ID,” the company said in a blog post. “We’re also exploring technologies that reduce the potential for covert data collection.”

“Our goal … is to develop effective and privacy-enhancing advertising solutions, where users know their information is protected, and developers and businesses have the tools to succeed on mobile,” Google added.

Google’s move follows Apple’s announcement last year that it would allow users to decide if they wanted to be tracked or not.

Google made $61 billion in advertising revenue in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to The Washington Post.

your ad here