Month: February 2022

Sporting Sanctions Can Land Significant Blow on Putin, Say Experts

Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup, the scandal-plagued 2014 Winter Olympics and Gazprom’s sponsorship of the Champions League were powerful tools for the country’s global image and gained Vladimir Putin prestige amongst the Russian population. However, the Russian president’s decision to invade Ukraine has resulted in destroying the warm global afterglow and experts believe it could cost him dearly internally. Saint Petersburg has already been stripped of hosting this year’s Champions League final with Gazprom’s reported 40-million-euro ($45 million) a year sponsorship deal with UEFA also in doubt.  The Russian Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled and there are calls for the country’s football …

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Euro Backlash as FIFA Refuses to Expel Russia From Football

FIFA drew a swift backlash from European nations for not immediately expelling Russia from World Cup qualifying Sunday and only ordering the country to play without its flag and anthem at neutral venues under the name of its federation — the Football Union of Russia. Protesting against FIFA’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland said it would still refuse to play the country in a World Cup playoff semifinal, which is scheduled for March 24. “Today’s FIFA decision is totally unacceptable,” Polish football federation president Cezary Kulesza tweeted. “We are not interested in participating in this game of appearances. …

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Голова Єврокомісії: Україна має вступити до ЄС 

Україна має вступити до Європейського союзу, заявила в інтерв’ю Euronews президентка Європейської комісії Урсула фон дер Ляйєн.  Про це вона сказала, відповідаючи на питання про масові акції солідарності, які пройшли по всій Європі на підтримку України, в яку в четвер вранці вторглися російські війська Володимира Путіна.  «Згодом Україна має вступити до ЄС, ця країна – одна з нас, і ми хочемо бачити її у європейській сім’ї», – сказала фон дер Ляйєн.  При цьому вона нагадала, що Україна уже бере участь у деяких європейських процесах, наприклад, в інтеграції внутрішнього ринку в єдиний ринок ЄС, а також в енергетиці.  В інтерв’ю фон …

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Belarus Votes to Give Up Non-nuclear Status

Belarusians voted Monday to allow the country to host nuclear weapons and Russian forces permanently, results showed, part of a package of constitutional reforms that also extended the rule of leader Alexander Lukashenko. The referendum was held Sunday as the ex-Soviet country’s neighbor Ukraine is under attack from Russian troops and delegations from Moscow and Kyiv are expected to meet for talks on the Belarusian border. Central Election Commission head Igor Karpenko said 65.16% of referendum participants voted in favor of the amendments and 10.07% voted against, Russian news agencies reported. According to Karpenko, voter turnout stood at 78.63%.  To …

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Війська оборони Києва розгорнули систему захисту столиці – Генштаб ЗСУ

Ще в денному зведенні 27 лютого радник голови Офісу президента України Олексій Арестович повідомляв, що на північно-західних околицях Києва «противник спробував просунутися вперед окремими групами, але потрапив під вогневе ураження нашої авіації та артилерії» …

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EU to Finance Weapons Purchases For Ukraine, Ban Russian Media

The European Union plans to take the unprecedented step of funding weapons purchases for Ukraine, EU officials said on Feb. 27 as the bloc announced a raft of new sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  The EU’s plan to fund weapons purchases will use millions of euros to help buy air-defense systems, anti-tank weapons, ammunition and other military equipment for Ukraine’s armed forces. It would also supply things like fuel, protective gear, helmets and first-aid kits.  “For the first time ever, the European Union will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and other equipment to a country …

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US Urges Its Citizens to Consider Leaving Russia Immediately

U.S. citizens should consider leaving Russia immediately on commercial flights, the State Department said Sunday, citing an increasing number of airlines canceling flights and countries closing their airspace to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. “U.S. citizens should consider departing Russia immediately via commercial options still available,” said a security alert dated Feb. 27 on the website of the U.S. embassy in Moscow. It has asked U.S. citizens to have “a contingency plan that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two, has unleashed a barrage …

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Russians Hold Anti-War Rallies Amid Ominous Threats by Putin 

From Moscow to Siberia, Russian anti-war activists took to the streets again Sunday to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite the arrests of hundreds of protesters each day by police. Demonstrators held pickets and marched in city centers, chanting “No to war!” as President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear deterrent to be put on high alert, upping the ante in the Kremlin’s standoff with the West and stoking fears of a nuclear war. “I have two sons and I don’t want to give them to that bloody monster. War is a tragedy for all of us,” 48-year-old Dmitry Maltsev, who …

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