Daily: 10/05/2022

Україна приєднується до Організації економічного співробітництва та розвитку – президент

Київ подав заявку на вступ і ОЕСР її підтримала, повідомив Зеленський

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Росія у відповідь висилає тимчасову повірену у справах Литви

Москва також призупинила діяльність культурного центру при посольстві Литви

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Путін доручив прийняти у власність РФ об’єкти окупованої Запорізької АЕС

Запорізька АЕС розташована на окупованій російськими військами території України

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Putin Finalizes Annexation Claim Rejected by Ukraine, West

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law Wednesday to formalize Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions, a move widely condemned as illegal and one that comes as Ukrainian forces advance in a counteroffensive to take back areas under Russian control.

The Russian measure, approved earlier this week by the country’s parliament, claims Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions as Russian territory.

Russia-installed officials carried out what they called referendums in those areas. Ukraine and its western partners, along with the United Nations, rejected those votes and the overall annexation effort, saying the votes were held under coercive conditions and did not represent the will of the people.

The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote next week on a draft resolution condemning Russia’s annexation claim. Russia used its veto power to stop a similar measure at the U.N. Security Council last week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared photos Wednesday from Lyman, a key city in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, recaptured by Ukrainian forces in the days after the Russian referendums.

“All basics of life have been destroyed here,” Zelenskyy tweeted. “They are doing so everywhere in the territories they seize. This can be stopped in 1 way only: liberate Ukraine, life, humanity, law and truth as soon as possible.”

Hours earlier, Zelenskyy tweeted his thanks to U.S. President Joe Biden following the announcement of $625 million in new U.S. military aid.

Zelenskyy said his military’s ability to reclaim territory from Russian forces is a joint success of Ukraine, the United States “and the entire free world.”

The new round of U.S. aid includes four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, 200 mine resistant vehicles, hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery and mortar ammunition.

Laura Cooper, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, told reporters Tuesday the package is “tailored to meet Ukraine’s immediate needs” and to “maintain momentum in the east and in the south.”

Russia criticized the U.S. move, with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov calling it “an immediate threat to the strategic interests of our country.”

“The supply of military products by the U.S. and its allies not only entails protracted bloodshed and new casualties, but also increases the danger of a direct military clash between Russia and Western countries,” Antonov posted on Telegram.

Britain’s defense ministry said Wednesday that Ukraine is continuing to make progress along both the northeastern and southern battle fronts, including moving close enough to put a key supply road for Russian forces near the town of Svatove in Luhansk in range of Ukrainian artillery.

“Politically, Russian leaders will highly likely be concerned that leading Ukrainian units are now approaching the borders of Luhansk Oblast,” the British defense ministry said in its daily assessment.

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

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Greece Warns Turkey on Illegal Drilling  

Greece is warning it is ready to use all its diplomatic and military might to defend its sovereignty against what it calls hostile plans by its historic foe Turkey. The direct warning follows a controversial energy deal Turkey recently signed with an element of Libya’s divided government. But the tensions that have been building up recently between the two NATO allies is sparking fears of a crisis that could spill out of control and destabilize the military alliance.

Speaking to Greece’s parliament, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis advised Turkey to return, in his words, to a realm of logic. Otherwise, he warned Ankara’s growing aggression and plans to claim control of areas Greece considers its territory will be stopped.

The Greek leader said geography does not change at the behest of one’s decision to change or distort it. He said Greece’s borders are its own and, Mitsotakis said, they are ready to be defended by its armed forces as well as by what he said are its powerful diplomatic allies.

Lawmakers answered with a roaring applause and standing ovation before Mitsotakis quickly moved to meet with the U.S. ambassador to Greece and a visiting U.S. congressional delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Greece and Turkey are longtime foes but also NATO allies. Relations have cooled and warmed over the decades, often over air and sea rights.

Greece’s threat comes after Turkey recently signed an agreement with one of Libya’s two rival administrations, granting rights to an already controversial energy collaboration in waters that Greece and other countries, including Egypt and Cyprus, also claim.

The deal also comes as Greece boosts deployment of troops and U.S. military hardware on two islands closest to Turkey’s borders in the Aegean Sea — actions that recently prompted a complaint from Ankara to Washington. Turkish officials called the deployment a hostile move by a NATO member and warned that Turkey would also mobilize its military in response.

Ankara sees the military buildup on the islands of Lesbos and Samos as a violation of a decades-old agreement marking the borders of the two countries.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has gone further in the last few days, denouncing Greek ownership of several islands in the Aegean — remarks that have prompted Athens to escalate talk of its willingness to defend itself in the face of what it calls Turkish aggression.

The European Union has chided Turkey for its stance and Washington is already at odds with Turkey for purchasing a missile defense system from Russia, a move NATO countries say puts the alliance at risk.

Analyst George Tzogopoulos explains the broader repercussions that this growing crisis could bring to the NATO alliance and how Russia, its greatest opponent, may exploit it.

“It’s crystal clear in Washington that Turkey is not considered a reliable partner and within that context, Greece is. So, this situation is creating a new dynamic within the Eastern Mediterranean and NATO itself but most importantly, in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US is working closer with reliable partners, and this is fueling the aggressive rhetoric from the other side [Turkey],” he said.

There are hopes within Europe, he says, that the situation may be contained. But Tzogopoulos warns the alternative could prove dangerous.

“If Turkey continues, the cohesion of NATO’s southeast flank will be jeopardized, news that will be welcomed in Moscow,” he said.

Diplomatic sources in Athens tell VOA that senior Greek officials will visit the Middle East in the coming days to try and overturn Turkey’s latest energy pact before Ankara sends out drilling vessels to contested waters, as part of a bid to avert a larger conflict.

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У Мінагрополітики сподіваються, що спільно з міжнародними партнерами вдасться зберегти «зернову ініціативу»

Перший заступник міністра аграрної політики та продовольства України Тарас Висоцький сподівається, що спільно з міжнародними партнерами вдасться зберегти «зернову ініціативу». Про це він заявив в ефірі національного телемарафону.

«Наші міжнародні партнери – ООН і Туреччина – запевняють, що зроблять максимум, розуміючи всю важливість зернової ініціативи для глобальної продовольчої безпеки, для того, щоб вона продовжила функціонувати. Як написано в договорі, ще була автоматично продовжена ще на 120 днів», – сказав він, коментуючи повідомлення про складні переговори щодо «зернової ініціативи».

Висоцький нагадав, що Україна фактично підписала зернову угоду з міжнародними партнерами – ООН і Туреччиною.

«Звісно, альтернативні шляхи експорту не зупиняються. Ними продовжують експортувати, близько 3 млн тонн. Маю на увазі залізницю, автомобільний транспорт чи через річку Дунай. Але це запасний варіант. Все рівно «зернова ініціатива» є критично важливою, тому продовжуємо працювати. Сподіваємося, що спільно з міжнародними партнерами вдасться її вберегти», – додав заступник міністра.

Радник глави Офісу президента Михайло Подоляк в інтерв’ю виданню Bloomberg TV заявив про складні переговори щодо продовження роботи «зернового коридору» для експорту української агропродукції.

22 липня представники України та Росії підписали з ООН і Туреччиною окремі дзеркальні угоди, які спрямовані на розблокування експорту зерна з України на тлі глобальної продовольчої кризи, спричиненої повномасштабним вторгненням Росії на українську територію.

За даними Міністерства інфраструктури України на 21 вересня, за час дії «зернової ініціативи» з українських портів вийшло 185 суден з агропродукцією, яка була направлена до країн Азії, Європи та Африки.

21 вересня світові організації повідомили, що завдяки спільним зусиллям Глобальної кризової групи ООН та Чорноморської зернової ініціативи з України через Спільний координаційний центр вже експортували понад 3 мільйони тонн зерна та продуктів харчування.

 

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Громадянина РФ Богдана Львова відрахували зі штату Верховного суду – наказ голови ВС

«Вважати Львова Богдана Юрійовича, суддю Верховного суду у Касаційному господарському суді таким, чиї повноваження судді припинено у зв’язку з встановленням факту набуття ним громадянства іншої держави»

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Нобелівську премію з хімії присудили за новий метод надшвидкого синтезу молекул

У 2021 році лауреатами Нобелівської премії з хімії стали Бенджамін Ліст та Девід Макміллан. Премію присудили за розвиток асиметричного органокаталізу

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Іран викликав британського посла

Іранське Міністерство закордонних справ заявило, що британські офіційні особи втручалися у внутрішні справи Ірану

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До ранку 6 жовтня процедура нового пакету санкцій ЄС проти РФ буде офіційно затверджена

Країни ЄС дійшли згоди щодо восьмого пакета санкцій проти РФ, повідомила президент Європейської комісії Урсула фон дер Ляєн.

«Вітаю сьогоднішню згоду держав-членів щодо восьмого пакета санкцій. Ми діяли швидко й рішуче. Ми ніколи не приймемо ні фіктивні путінські референдуми, ні будь-яку анексію України. Ми сповнені рішучості продовжувати змушувати Кремль платити», – написала фон дер Ляєн у твітері в середу.

Про те, що посли ЄС наразі схвалили всі деталі пакету санкцій проти Росії та розпочали так звану письмову процедуру, яка завершиться завтра о 10-й годині публікацією в Офіційному журналі ЄС, повідомив і редактор Радіо Свобода Рікард Йозвяк у твітері.

Урсула фон дер Ляйєн також закликала Євросоюз запровадити тимчасове обмеження цін на імпортований газ, щоб знизити зростання цін на енергоносії.

«Введення обмеження на газ у цілому є тимчасовим рішенням, допоки у нас не буде розроблено новий індекс цін ЄС, який забезпечить краще функціонування ринку, і Комісія вже почала працювати над цим», – заявила фон дер Ляйєн у Європарламенті в Страсбурзі 5 жовтня.

За її словами, обмеження «має бути розроблене таким чином, аби гарантувати безпеку поставок».

Фон дер Ляйєн також повідомила, що передає листа лідерам ЄС з пропозицією створити спільну систему закупівель енергії ЄС.

Вона також закликала держави-члени посилити захист своєї критично важливої інфраструктури, проводячи стрес-тести та використовуючи супутникове спостереження для виявлення потенційних загроз.

«Акти саботажу проти трубопроводів Nord Stream показали, наскільки вразлива наша енергетична інфраструктура. На користь усіх європейців краще захистити цю критично важливу інфраструктуру», – сказала фон дер Ляйєн.

Минулого тижня було виявлено чотири витоки на трубопроводах Nord Stream 1 і 2 у Балтійському морі поблизу Данії та Швеції. Жоден із трубопроводів не використовувався, але вони були заповнені газом, який з 26 вересня виходить на поверхню Балтійського моря.

Як повідомило головування Чехії в ЄС, у санкціях йдеться про заборону постачання високотехнологічної продукції до РФ, надання російським структурам послуг IT, інжинірингу, юриспруденції. Санкції передбачають заборону на транспортування морем російської нафти третім країнам за ціною, що «перевищує ліміт». Крім цього, узгоджений пакет санкцій містить заборону імпорту з Росії сталеливарної продукції, деревини, паперу, обладнання та побутової техніки, хімічних речовин, пластику, сигарет.

Узгоджено також нових фігурантів санкційних списків (раніше повідомлялося про щонайменше 37 осіб – ред.).

Точна інформація щодо санкцій і вступ їх у силу буде після публікації в Офіційному журналі ЄС.

Єврокомісія 28 вересня запропонувала новий пакет санкцій проти Росії через проведені нею псевдореферендуми на окупованих українських територіях.

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На засіданні Ставки йшлося про підготовку армії до зими – Зеленський

В умовах воєнного стану засідання Ставки проводяться регулярно

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Plastic-Gobbling Enzymes in Worm Spit May Help Ease Pollution

Enzymes found in the saliva of wax worms can degrade one of the most common forms of plastic waste, according to research published Tuesday that could open up new ways of dealing with plastic pollution.

Humans produce some 400 million metric tons of plastic waste each year despite international drives to reduce single-use plastics and to increase recycling.

Around a third is polyethylene, a tough plastic thanks to its structure, which traditionally requires heating or radiation before it starts to break down.

There have been several studies showing that microorganisms can release enzymes that start the degradation process on polyethylene, but the process has until now taken months each time.

But the enzymes contained in the saliva of the wax worm moth (Galleria mellonella) can act in only a few hours, Tuesday’s research showed.

Researcher Federica Bertocchini, an avid beekeeper, said she originally stumbled on the idea that this small caterpillar had unusual powers when storing honeycombs a few years ago.

“At the end of the season, usually beekeepers put some empty beehives in a storage room, to put them back in the field in the spring,” she told AFP.

“One year I did that, and I found my stored honeycombs plagued with wax worms. In fact, that is their habitat.”

Bertocchini cleaned the honeycombs and put the worms in a plastic bag.

When she returned a short time later, she found the bag “riddled with holes.”

“That raised the question: Is it the result of munching, or is there a chemical modification? We checked that, doing proper lab experiments, and we found that the polyethylene had been oxidized,” she said.

In her latest research, Bertocchini, from Madrid’s Margarita Salas Centre for Biological Studies (CIB) and her colleagues analyzed proteins in the wax worm saliva and identified two enzymes that could break polyethylene down into small polymers in only a few hours at room temperature.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications they explained how they used another worm’s saliva as a control experiment, which produced no degradation compared with the wax worm.

Bertocchini said her team is still trying to figure out precisely how the worms degraded the plastic.

While the study authors stressed that much more research was needed before Tuesday’s findings could be implemented at any meaningful scale, there were a number of possible applications.

“We can imagine a scenario where these enzymes are used in an aqueous solution, and liters of this solution is poured over piles of collected plastic in a waste management facility,” Bertocchini said.

“We can also imagine small amounts that can reach more remote locations, like villages or small islands, where waste facilities are not available.”

She said that further down the line the solution could be used in individual houses, where each family could degrade their own plastic waste.

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OPEC+ Heads for Deep Supply Cuts, Clash with US

OPEC+ looks set for deep oil output cuts when it meets on Wednesday, curbing supply in an already tight market despite pressure from the United States and other consuming countries to pump more. 

The potential OPEC+ cut could spur a recovery in oil prices that have dropped to about $90 from $120 three months ago due to fears of a global economic recession, rising U.S. interest rates and a stronger dollar. 

OPEC+, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, is working on cuts in excess of 1 million barrels per day, sources told Reuters this week. One OPEC source said on Tuesday the cuts could amount to up to 2 million barrels per day.  

Sources said it remained unclear if reductions could include additional voluntary cuts by members such as Saudi Arabia or if cuts could include existing under-production by the group.  

OPEC has been under-producing over 3 million bpd and the inclusion of those barrels would dilute the impact of new cuts. 

“Higher oil prices, if driven by sizable production cuts, would likely irritate the Biden Administration ahead of U.S. midterm elections,” Citi analysts said in a note. 

“There could be further political reactions from the U.S., including additional releases of strategic stocks along with some wildcards including further fostering of a NOPEC bill,” Citi said, referring to a U.S. anti-trust bill against OPEC. 

Saudi Arabia and other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied producers (OPEC+) have said they seek to prevent volatility rather than to target a particular oil price.  

On Tuesday, international benchmark Brent crude rose 3% above $91 per barrel [O/R]. 

The West has accused Russia of weaponizing energy as Europe suffers from a severe energy crisis and may face gas and power rationing this winter in a blow to its industry.  

Moscow accuses the West of weaponizing the dollar and financial systems such as SWIFT in retaliation for Russia sending troops into Ukraine in February. The West accuses Moscow of invading Ukraine while Russia calls it a special military operation. 

Russia has formed part of the OPEC+ club since 2016. The group has cut and raised output to manage the oil market but has rarely made cuts when the market is tight. 

A significant cut is likely to anger the United States, which has pressured Saudi Arabia to pump more to pressure oil prices and reduce revenue for Russia. 

Saudi Arabia has not condemned Moscow’s actions and relations are strained between the kingdom and the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, who traveled to Riyadh this year but failed to secure any firm cooperation commitments on energy. 

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Ілон Маск знову хоче купити Twitter

Ілон Маск повідомив про намір купити Twitter за 44 мільярди доларів у квітні. Через деякий час бізнесмен заявив, що припиняє угоду через неясність у підрахунках фейкових акаунтів

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A Musk Retweet: Tesla CEO Says He’ll Pay $44 Billion to Buy Twitter

The tumultuous saga of Elon Musk’s on-again, off-again purchase of Twitter took a turn toward a conclusion Tuesday after the mercurial Tesla CEO proposed to buy the company at the originally agreed-on price of $44 billion. 

Musk made the proposal in a letter to Twitter that the company disclosed in a filing Tuesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It came less than two weeks before a trial between the two parties was scheduled to start in Delaware. 

In a statement, Twitter said it intends to close the transaction at $54.20 per share after receiving the letter from Musk. 

Trading in Twitter’s stock, which had been halted for much of the day pending release of the news, resumed late Tuesday and soared 22% to close at $52. 

Musk’s proposal is the latest twist in a high-profile saga involving the world’s richest man and one of the most influential social media platforms. Much of the drama has played out on Twitter itself, with Musk — who has more than 100 million followers — lamenting that the company was failing to live up to its potential as a platform for free speech. 

A letter from Musk’s lawyer dated Monday and disclosed by Twitter in a securities filing said Musk would close the merger signed in April, provided that the Delaware Chancery Court “enter an immediate stay” of Twitter’s lawsuit against him and adjourn the trial scheduled to start October 17. 

By completing the deal, Musk essentially gave Twitter what it was seeking from the court — “specific performance” of the contract with Musk, meaning he would have to go through with the purchase at the original price. The contract Musk signed also has a $1 billion breakup fee. 

Eric Talley, a law professor at Columbia University, said he’s not surprised by Musk’s turnaround, especially ahead of a scheduled deposition of Musk by Twitter attorneys starting Thursday that was “not going to be pleasant.” 

“On the legal merits, his case didn’t look that strong,” Talley said. “It kind of seemed like a pretty simple buyer’s remorse case.” 

If Musk were to lose the trial, the judge could not only force him to close the deal but also impose interest payments that would have increased its cost, Talley said. 

What did surprise Talley is that Musk doesn’t appear to be trying to renegotiate the deal. Even a modest price reduction might have given Musk a “moral victory” and the ability to say he got something out of the protracted dispute, Talley said. 

Neither Twitter nor attorneys for Musk responded to requests for comment Tuesday. 

Musk has been trying to back out of the deal for several months after signing on to buy the San Francisco company in April. Shareholders have already approved the sale, and legal experts say Musk faced a huge challenge to defend against Twitter’s lawsuit, which was filed in July. 

Musk claimed that Twitter undercounted the number of fake accounts on its platform, and Twitter sued when Musk announced the deal was off. 

Musk’s argument largely rested on the allegation that Twitter misrepresented how it measures the magnitude of “spam bot” accounts that are useless to advertisers. Most legal experts believe he faced an uphill battle to convince Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, the court’s head judge, that something changed since the April merger agreement that justifies terminating the deal. 

Legal experts said Musk may have anticipated that he would lose. Things haven’t been going well for him in court recently, with the judge ruling more frequently in Twitter’s favor on evidentiary matters, said Ann Lipton, an associate law professor at Tulane University. The judge denied several of Musk’s discovery requests, Lipton said. 

It’s also possible that Musk’s co-investors in the deal were starting to get nervous about how the case was proceeding, she said. 

Musk’s main argument for terminating the deal – that Twitter was misrepresenting how it measured its “spam bot” problem – also didn’t appear to be going well as Twitter had been working to pick apart Musk’s attempts to get third-party data scientists to bolster his concerns. 

Mysteriously, neither Musk nor Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal have written anything about the deal on Twitter. 

If the deal does go through, Musk may be stuck with a company he damaged with repeated statements denouncing fake accounts, Susannah Streeter, senior markets analyst for Hargreaves Lansdown in the United Kingdom, wrote in an investor note. 

“This is an important metric considered to be key for future revenue streams via paid advertising or for subscriptions on the site, and his relentless scrutiny of Twitter’s figures over the last few months is likely to prompt questions from potential advertising partners,” she wrote. 

 

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Future Ukraine Aid May Hinge on Control of Congress in 2023

The impending November midterm elections, in which control of both houses of the United States Congress is being closely contested, could have significant consequences for the largest foreign policy challenge currently facing the Biden administration: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine in February, the U.S. and its allies, including most NATO countries, have been funneling aid and weapons into the country to help prop up the government and repel the invaders.

While the U.S. public still maintains broad support for Ukraine, and bills providing for aid have been passing with large bipartisan majorities, a vocal minority of Republican lawmakers, echoed by a number of influential voices in the broader conservative movement, have criticized the federal government, saying it is spending too much and potentially prolonging the conflict.

Pressure on US policy

Now, some experts are questioning the degree to which that minority might be able to sway U.S. policy if the party successfully seizes the House, the Senate, or both, in November.

“I think it’s top of mind for a lot of people in Washington who are supportive of what we’ve been doing in Ukraine,” Conor Savoy, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA.

Savoy said a significant number of the Republican lawmakers who have voted against Ukraine aid so far, including many of the 57 who voted against a $40 billion aid package in May, have done so because of concern about a lack of oversight over the spending. But others include many self-styled populists in the mode of former President Donald Trump, who are instinctively suspicious of foreign aid spending, even when it is supported by the party’s leadership.

“They don’t like this,” Savoy said. “They think it’s money down a foreign rat hole.”

While there has also been some Democratic opposition to Ukraine spending, the resistance in that party has been far smaller. Combined with broad Republican support, Democratic majorities have been able to push aid packages through.

Determined resistance

It’s far from certain that things would change if the GOP takes power in Congress, given that a majority of Republicans still supports aiding Ukraine. However, it is important to remember that in Congress, a determined minority is often able to thwart the will of the majority.

A decade ago, while the Republican Party ran the House of Representatives, a core group of conservatives — the Freedom Caucus — consistently stymied their leadership’s efforts to make budget deals with then-president Barack Obama, leading to government shutdowns and fears of a default by the Treasury Department.

Some observers have noted a growing rift between the Republican Party’s leadership and its populist wing.

“The schism between the party’s establishment Republicans and Trump-style populists raises questions about whether President Joe Biden can rely on lawmakers to continue funding the influx of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine if Democrats lose control of Congress,” the website Defense News noted last month.

On the campaign trail, Democrats have used the threat of a Republican takeover scuttling Ukraine aid as a talking point.

In Ohio, Democratic Senate candidate Tim Ryan has repeatedly gone after his Republican opponent, J.D. Vance, for the latter’s admission, “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.”

Conservative groups dubious

Over the weekend, the influential Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) posted a tweet that immediately gained broad attention because it seemed to validate Putin’s claim to have “annexed” four regions of Ukraine.

“Vladimir Putin announces the annexation of 4 Ukrainian-occupied territories,” the tweet read. “Biden and the Dems continue to send Ukraine billions of taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, we are under attack at our southern border. When will Democrats put #AmericaFirst and end the gift-giving to Ukraine?”

The organization later deleted the tweet, claiming that it had not been approved by its leadership. It was replaced with one that called Putin a “madman” and his invasion of Ukraine illegal.

However, the same reluctance to continue funding Ukraine at current levels remained.

“We must oppose Putin, but American taxpayers should not be shouldering the vast majority of the cost,” CPAC said.

Other conservative organizations have also expressed concerns.

“The American people are tired of the neoconservative policy consensus that demands billions of their tax dollars be spent to defend the integrity of Ukraine’s border when resources and stewardship cannot be found to address our own,” Russ Vought, president of the Center for Renewing America, told the website Defense One last month. “This new package will prolong a fight that lacks an American dog [pressing U.S. interest], allowing regional allies to shirk their security responsibilities yet again.”

Diverting resources

On Sunday, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, whose home state of Florida had just been ravaged by a hurricane, used Twitter to suggest that aid to Ukraine was diverting assistance from his constituents.

“Dear Congress: On behalf of my fellow Florida Man in grave need of assistance … Just send us like half of what you sent Ukraine. Signed, Your Fellow Americans,” he wrote.

Last week, announcing her vote against a spending resolution that included more funding for Ukraine, Representative Marjorie Taylor Green tweeted, “Today, I’m voting NO on the continuing resolution to fund America’s 50 states, plus America’s 51st state: Ukraine. Also in the news, Vladimir Putin has just annexed a large portion of Ukraine. Are we funding Russia, too?”

Republican leaders in the House have indicated that if they take over, the general view of their caucus — including any newly elected members — will factor into their decision-making.

In remarks to reporters last month, Representative Elise Stefanik, the third-ranking Republican in the House, said, “We want to make sure they get all the briefings. I know there’s concern, rightfully so, about having oversight over those dollars. I’m not going to get ahead of our members before the election, our newly elected members. It’s going to be a conference decision of those new members.”

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Devastated by Russian Assault, Ukraine’s Schools Come Back to Life

Millions of Ukrainian schoolchildren are returning to the classroom despite air sirens that are still interrupting lessons. With more than 2,000 school buildings around the country destroyed, educators are working hard to rebuild and bring normality to children’s lives. VOA Eastern Europe Chief Myroslava Gongadze visited the village of Bohdanivka near Kyiv where Russian occupiers destroyed the local school and kindergarten. Camera: Eugene Shynkar

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В уряді США зараз не бачать ознак, що Росія готується застосувати ядерну зброю

Сполучені Штати наразі не мають інформації, яка б підтверджувала повідомлення медіа про те, що Росія готується застосувати тактичну ядерну зброю на полі бою в Україні або поблизу нього. Про це заявила заступниця помічника міністра оборони США з питань України, Росії та Євразії Лора Купер на брифінгу 4 жовтня.

На питання журналістів Купер сказала, що бачила лише «звіти з відкритих джерел», які свідчать про те, що Росія може переміщувати тактичну ядерну зброю залізницею.

Вона додала, що армія США наразі не бачила нічого, що могло б змінити ядерну позицію Вашингтону.

Читайте також: США назвали «нерозважливим і небезпечним» запуск КНДР ракети над Японією

Купер також сказала, що Пентагон уважно стежить за ядерними силами Росії, що лишається основною частиною його місії з часів Холодної війни.

Цього ж дня речниця Білого дому Карін Жан-П’єр заявила, що США дуже серйозно ставляться до заяви про застосування ядерної зброї.

«Ми не бачили жодних причин для коригування нашої власної стратегічної ядерної позиції, а також у нас немає жодних ознак того, що Росія готується неминуче застосувати ядерну зброю», – водночас сказала вона.

Коментарі офіційних осіб США прозвучали після того, як 3 жовтня газета The Times повідомила, що Путін збирається провести ядерне випробування на кордоні з Україною. Лондонська газета повідомила, що НАТО попередило своїх членів про випробування.

За словами офіційного представника альянсу, якого цитує Reuters, НАТО наразі також не помітило змін у ядерній позиції Росії.

Відповідаючи на запитання про ці повідомлення, прессекретар Кремля Дмитро Пєсков сказав, що західні ЗМІ та політики «зараз активно займаються ядерною риторикою», а Росія нібито відмовилася брати в цьому участь.

Путін, а також інші представники російської влади від початку повномасштабного вторгнення неодноразово натякали на ядерний арсенал Росії та відплату, попереджаючи НАТО не втручатися у війну в Україні.

Раніше президент США Джо Байден попередив Путіна про серйозні наслідки в разі застосування Росією ядерної чи хімічної зброї.

 

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Оператори «Північних потоків» не можуть обстежити місця витоків газу через розслідування поліції

Nord Stream AG планує провести перевірку після завершення поліцейського розслідування та зняття обмежень

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Зеленська на Форумі безпеки в Варшаві закликала до подальшої підтримки України

«Війна триває, ми й надалі потребуємо допомоги військової, фінансової і гуманітарної»

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Зеленський утворив 13 військових адміністрацій на звільненій Харківщині – Синєгубов

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Turkish Journalist Groups Slam Bill to Fight Disinformation

Turkish journalists groups on Tuesday protested a draft law the government says is aimed at combating fake news and disinformation but which critics denounce as yet another attempt to stifle freedom of expression.

Parliament was set to debate a 40-article piece of legislation that amends multiple laws governing press, advertising and social media. The most controversial change is an amendment to the press law that would criminalize the spreading of “fake news” with a sentence of up to three years in prison.

Critics, including opposition lawmakers and nongovernmental organizations, say the law is too vague and could potentially be abused by the government to further crack down on independent journalism, especially media that has developed on the internet.

The government already controls most major news outlets and has been named among the world’s biggest jailers of journalists.

Representatives of various Turkish journalist associations wearing black face masks gathered outside parliament in Ankara, urging legislators not to pass the law, which was submitted to parliament in May.

“As journalists, in line with our responsibility to society, we once again warn both legislators and the public: If this law is implemented in this form, there will be no freedom of press, expression and communication in our country,” said Kemal Aktas, head of the Parliamentary Correspondents Association.

Meanwhile, main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu claimed in a speech on Tuesday that Erdogan’s government, which faces elections in June, introduced the changes to prevent the dissemination of allegations of corruption against the government.

International media freedom organizations have also called for the dismissal of the bill, saying it puts millions of internet users at risk of criminal action for online posts the government disagrees with, could become a tool “for harassing journalists and activists” and could lead to self-censorship.

Disinformation is an important issue and needs to be combated but not at the price of restricting journalists’ rights and the public’s rights of freedom of expression,” the groups, including PEN and the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in June.

Article 29 of the bill is an amendment to the Turkish penal code mandating one to three years in prison for spreading information that is “contrary to the truth” about Turkey’s domestic and international security, public order and health for the alleged purpose of causing “public worry, fear and panic.” The sentence can be increased by a half if that crime is committed by an anonymous user or as part of an organization.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has argued for a law to combat disinformation, saying fake news and rising “digital fascism” is a national and global security issue.

The proposal, put forth by his ruling Justice and Development Party and its nationalist ally, says fake news and its dissemination or disinformation pose a “serious threat” by preventing people to access the truth, while also undermining freedom of expression and information by “abusing certain freedoms.”

The proposal also says the internet allows ill-intentioned users to hide their identities for illegal acts and posts like attacks, slander, hate speech and discrimination, therefore requiring regulation. It says the state has the obligation to protect rights and freedoms, especially for people whose rights were violated online.

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