Month: December 2023

Washington — Russian authorities have added fresh charges in the case of an RFE/RL journalist held in custody since October. Authorities now accuse Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian national, of spreading false news about the Russian military, Kremlin-backed media reported Tuesday. Kurmasheva, a Prague-based editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir Service, is already facing charges that she failed to register as a “foreign agent.” She and her network reject the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. If convicted of spreading false news, Kurmasheva could face an additional 10 years in prison, according to the state-controlled …

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The White House — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside President Joe Biden, on Tuesday forcefully, evocatively, and emotionally pressed his case for $61 billion in new U.S. aid to help his country fight off Russia’s invasion – a prospect that hangs in the balance as Congress decides on the matter. Zelenskyy, who has met in person with Biden multiple times since the Russian invasion in early 2022, rejected the notion that his nation would cede territory to the Russians after nearly two years of brutal warfare. “That’s insane, to be honest,” he said. He added: “I don’t know whose idea it …

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Washington — Newly declassified U.S. intelligence indicates Russia has suffered from some staggering losses as a result of its nearly two-year-old invasion of Ukraine, including major setbacks during its latest offensive. The assessment, parts of which were shared with VOA, estimates more than 13,000 Russian forces have been killed or wounded since Moscow launched its October offensive along the Avdiivka-Novopavlivka axis in eastern Ukraine. U.S. intelligence also believes Ukraine’s military has destroyed or immobilized more than 220 Russian combat vehicles, the equivalent of six battalions’ worth of vehicles. “Russia’s attempt at an offensive has resulted in no strategic gains,” National Security …

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Undeterred by wars at home, delegations from Ukraine and the Palestinian territories are active at COP28, determined to call attention not only to the environmental threats facing their homelands but also to emphasize their places in the global community. Ukraine, attending its second COP international conference, is using its pavilion in Dubai to highlight the extensive environmental damage caused by Russia’s invasion and propose preventive measures against ecocide on a global scale. Ruslan Strilets, Ukraine’s minister of environmental protection and natural resources, told VOA that the delegation aims not only to showcase the environmental and climate …

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Anxiety is growing among Ukrainians as a U.S. emergency spending bill to provide additional aid to Ukraine remains stuck in Congress. For VOA, Anna Chernikova reports from Kyiv. (Camera: Eugene Shynkar) …

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ANKARA — The Turkish Football Federation has suspended all league games in the country after a club president punched the referee in the face at the end of a top-flight match. MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca attacked referee Halil Umut Meler on the pitch late Monday after the final whistle, following a 1-1 draw in a Super Lig game against Caykur Rizespor. The referee, who fell to the ground, was also kicked in a melee that occurred after fans also invaded the pitch after Rizespor scored a last-minute equalizer.  The federation announced it suspended all league games indefinitely after an emergency …

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TBILISI/BRUSSELS — While Ukraine’s hopes of beginning membership talks will take center-stage at this week’s European Union summit, another potential member, Georgia, will also be seeking progress towards eventual entry to the coveted club. Surveys show that up to 90% of Georgia’s 3.7 million people support EU accession, and blue and yellow European flags are ubiquitous in the capital Tbilisi, fluttering from government buildings, businesses and private homes.  For Giorgi Popiashvili, a 40-year old art director, Georgia’s future clearly lies with Europe, not Russia, which effectively ruled the South Caucasus country for 200 years until the collapse of the Soviet Union …

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Germany expects Israel to adapt its military strategy to better prevent suffering among Palestinian civilians, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday, marking a slight shift in Berlin toward a more critical stance of its ally. Germany has staunchly defended Israel’s right to defend itself since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, underscoring its duty to stand by the country’s side in atonement for its perpetration of the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews died. The government has faced accusations, including from prominent Jewish residents in Germany, of allowing guilt to blinker its response to Israel’s retaliation, which has caused …

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