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Hundreds Of POWs Freed In Latest Russia-Ukraine Prisoner Swap
Russia and Ukraine have conducted another prisoner swap brokered by the United Arab Emirates, freeing hundreds of prisoners of war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the exchange in a post on Telegram announcing that 189 Ukrainians returned home as a result of the action.
“These are the...defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Zmiiniy Island, from different directions of the front,” Zelenskiy said. “Among them are soldiers, sergeants, officers.”
Two civilians who were captured in Mariupol also were among those released, Zelenskiy said. In the post, which included photos of smiling soldiers seated on a bus, he added that Ukraine continues working to free all those held in Russian captivity.
The Russian Defense Ministry also announced the prisoner exchange, saying the number released was 150 on each side. There was no explanation for the discrepancy.
"On 30 December, as a result of the negotiation process, 150 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In return, 150 Ukrainian army prisoners of war were handed over," a ministry statement said.
The statement said the 150 Russian soldiers had been evacuated to Belarus, where they were receiving medical and psychological assistance and were given the opportunity to contact their relatives.
"All released servicemen will be delivered to the Russian Federation for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense,” the statement added, noting the U.A.E. assistance in providing humanitarian efforts during the return of the POWs.
Russia and Ukraine have conducted 59 POW exchanges since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Fighting on December 30 included 104 combat clashes at the front on December 30 through 4:00 p.m. local time, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian military. More than half of the battles took place in the areas around Pokrovsk, Kurakhiv, and Vremovskiy.
In the Russian-occupied Kherson region of Ukraine, the Kremlin-installed governor said a Ukrainian strike hit a hospital, killing a doctor and wounding another.
Russian-installed Governor Vladimir Saldo accused Ukraine's Western military backers of participating in the attack, which occurred in the Russian-held town of Oleshkiy.
Deputy chief physician Vasily Borisov was killed in the attack, while chief physician Vladimir Kharlan was injured by shrapnel, Saldo said on Telegram.
Images published by Saldo showed the facade of a building with its windows blown out, while another showed a room cluttered with damaged furniture.
Kyiv did not immediately comment but denies targeting civilians in Russian-held areas.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Finnish Investigators Find Anchor Marks On Seabed Near Damaged Cables
Finland said drag marks from an anchor have been found on the Baltic Sea floor in an area where several power and data cables were damaged, which authorities suspect was caused by a vessel linked to Russia's "shadow fleet."
"Our current understanding is that the drag mark in question is that of the anchor of the (seized) Eagle S vessel. We have been able to clarify this matter through underwater research," said Sami Paila, the chief investigator for Finnish police in the case.
He added that the trail created by the anchor ran "dozens" of kilometers.
Finland seized the Eagle S on December 26, citing suspicions that it caused an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable and damaged four Internet lines. Finnish investigators said the ship may have caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the sea floor.
Finnish and EU officials say the Eagle S is believed to belong to a "shadow fleet" of old, uninsured oil vessels used to bypass Western sanctions and maintain a source of revenue for Russia's economy and its war against Ukraine.
The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has described the suspected sabotage of a Baltic Sea power cable as a "wake-up call" for the West and urged the European Union to impose new sanctions targeting Russia's "shadow fleet."
Kaja Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister who is now the EU's top diplomat, said on December 30 that "sabotage in Europe has increased" since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In an interview with the German newspaper Welt, she said recent "sabotage attempts in the Baltic Sea are not isolated incidents" but "part of a pattern of deliberate and coordinated actions to damage our digital and energy infrastructure."
Though the investigation continues, a media outlet focusing on shipping news and intelligence reported that the ship suspected of damaging the cable linking Finland and Estonia on December 25 was equipped with "special transmitting and receiving devices that were used to monitor naval activity."
The Eagle S "had transmitting and receiving devices installed that effectively allowed it to become a 'spy ship' for Russia," Lloyd's List reported on December 27, citing "a source familiar with the vessel who provided commercial maritime services to it as recently as seven months ago."
Baerbock has reiterated the need for "new European sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet," which she said is "a major threat to our environment and security" used by Russia "to finance its war of aggression in Ukraine."
"Almost every month, ships are damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea," Baerbock said in a statement to the Funke media group.
"Crews are leaving anchors in the water, dragging them for kilometers along the seafloor for no apparent reason, and then losing them when pulling them up."
"It's more than difficult to still believe in coincidences," she said. "This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us."
With reporting by AP
13, Including Former Cabinet Minister, Indicted Over Deadly Serbian Roof Collapse
Thirteen people including a former government minister have been indicted over the deadly collapse of a train station roof last month in Novi Sad that sparked massive protests, turning up the heat on the government.
Former Transport Minister Goran Vesic and the former director of Serbian Railway Infrastructure, Jelena Tanaskovic, were among those named in the indictment, handed down by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad on December 30.
"The indictment was submitted to the Higher Court in Novi Sad, accompanied by the complete documentation collected during the pre-investigation and investigation process, as well as all other evidence," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Thousands have taken to the streets to demand accountability for the collapse of a canopy at the train station in Novi Sad that killed 15 people.
Some of the protests have been marred by violence.
The organizers of a massive student demonstration on December 22 demanded the government identify and prosecute the people who allegedly attacked demonstrators during previous protests over the accident.
The organizers also called for the release of activists detained during earlier protests and an end to legal proceedings against them.
The collapse of the canopy has turned into a political headache for President Aleksandar Vucic as more than 50 academic faculties at four state universities, the offices of several university rectors, and dozens of high schools remain blocked in solidarity with the protests.
Students also have taken part in daily protests in which traffic stops for 15 minutes in cities across Serbia.
The accident occurred after the railway station had been renovated twice in recent years by a Chinese-led consortium of four companies. Serbian Railways insisted that the renovation didn’t include the concrete overhang, but some experts disputed that.
Those indicted face up to 12 years in prison if they are found guilty of charges of committing criminal acts against public security, endangering the public, and irregular construction work.
U.S. Announces $5.9 Billion In Aid To Ukraine As Biden Term Nears End
The United States announced $5.9 billion in a three-pronged aid package to Ukraine on December 30 as the White House ramps up support to the war-torn country before President Joe Biden's term ends next month.
The White House said in a statement on December 30 that the pledge includes an additional $1.25 billion drawdown package for the Ukrainian military and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package.
Hours later, the treasury announced a separate $3.4 billion disbursement to Ukraine in direct budget support.
"I've directed my Administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible -- including drawing down older U.S. equipment for Ukraine, rapidly delivering it to the battlefield, and then revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base to modernize and replenish our stockpiles with new weapons," Biden said in the White House statement.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen added in a separate statement: "Our direct budget support to Ukraine arrives at a critical time as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure."
"Economic assistance from the United States and our allies is crucial for Ukraine’s ability to defend its sovereignty and achieve a just peace by maintaining the critical government services that underpin its brave fight," she said in the statement.
The pledges come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Washington was set to announce an "important decision" on support for his war-torn country's armed forces.
Despite the pledge to continue ratcheting up support, the package is likely to be the last brought forth during the Biden administration, which is said to fear that President-elect Donald Trump will significantly reduce or halt arms supplies to Ukraine in order to push Kyiv to negotiate a peace settlement with Russia.
"At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine's position in this war over the remainder of my time in office," Biden added.
Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 20.
Russia has been pushing back Ukrainian troops on the front lines for weeks and claimed on December 29 to have seized another town in Ukraine's Donetsk region as it continues its long, bloody drive against the strategic -- but nearly destroyed -- southern logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces captured Novotroyitske, a settlement with a prewar population 6,300 about 16 kilometers south of Pokrovsk.
The Ukrainian military did not comment specifically about Novotroyitske, but it said Russian troops had carried out 133 attacks on its positions, most of which were in the Pokrovsk area.
Analysts have speculated on what the Kremlin forces' next steps will be for the city, a strategic logistics hub for Kyiv.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said geolocation data suggested the Russian military was about 10 kilometers from the border of the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin may be putting pressure on the Russian military command to advance to the border, and not to cover Pokrovsk at this time," it wrote.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Viktor Muzhenko, the former Ukrainian military commander, said any truce between Kyiv and Moscow that leaves swaths of Ukrainian territory under Russian control would represent a victory for the Kremlin and "fully compensate [it] for its costs of the war."
Muzhenko, who led the military from 2014-19, said the situation with the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and parts of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions is "critical" -- "not only for the loss of territories, but also [the loss of] half of the resource base of Ukraine."
Any new support from Washington would come on the heels of an announcement by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on December 29 that Kyiv had received an additional 150 million euros ($156 million) in aid from Denmark, France, and Lithuania to help finance the country's defense industry.
"These funds, in particular, will be used for the production of missiles, deep-strike drones and artillery installations," he said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, outgoing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she does not expect the next government in Berlin to "abandon" Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
"No German government devoted to the security of Germany and Europe will abandon the people of Ukraine," she said in an interview published by Bild newspaper on December 29.
Germany will vote on February 23, a day after the anniversary of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. after a coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed last month.
Berlin trails only Washington in the amount of support provided to Ukraine, although Scholz has been reluctant to send heavy weaponry to Kyiv, often angering the Ukrainian leadership.
Addressing worries that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may push a peace deal detrimental to Kyiv following his January 20 inauguration, Baerbock underlined the importance of providing for Ukraine's security needs in any such agreements.
"Only reliable, long-term and, above all, truly sustainable security guarantees will prevent [Russian President Vladimir] Putin from resorting to further campaigns of conquest. Only then will there be lasting peace and stability in Ukraine," she told Bild, without being specific.
- By RFE/RL
Jimmy Carter, Nobel Laureate Whose Presidency Was Marred By Iran Hostage Crisis, Dies Aged 100
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was marred by the 444-day Iran hostage crisis, has died at age 100 after receiving hospice care for almost two years.
"Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, died peacefully Sunday, December 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family," the Carter Center in his home state of Georgia said in a statement.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that "America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian."
Biden declared January 9, the day Carter's funeral will be held in Washington, D.C., as a national day of mourning.
Though his presidency was marked by his failure to rein in rampant inflation, revive the economy, and his inability to free dozens of Americans held captive at an embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran, his life after office was celebrated for his humanitarian work around the world.
"God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes -- and we must," Carter said in his speech upon accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the first former U.S. president to win the award.
Former President Barack Obama praised Carter's "decency," saying in a tribute the onetime peanut farmer who was raised in poverty "taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service."
President-elect Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that "the challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans."
The iconic Empire State Building in New York City was lit up in red, white, and blue to honor Carter.
Carter, a one-term leader, is remembered for having brokered a peace deal between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work and efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.
But it was the Iranian hostage crisis that would come to define Carter's presidency from 1977 to 1981.
The Islamic Revolution in 1979 toppled the U.S.-backed shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and brought to power a group of clerics led by exiled Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Carter granted the ailing shah political asylum, to the anger of many Iranians.
In late 1979, a group of hard-line Iranian students who were believed to have had the tacit support of Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. They demanded the return of the shah and an apology for past actions by the United States in Iran.
444 Days: Looking Back At The U.S.-Iran Hostage Crisis
Carter said the United States could not give in to the hostage-takers, and the crisis dragged on for over a year.
"It's vital to the United States and to every other nation that the lives of diplomatic personnel and other citizens abroad be protected, and that we refuse to permit the use of terrorism, and the seizure and the holding of hostages, to impose political demands,” he said.
“No one should underestimate the resolve of the American government and the American people in this matter."
With negotiations with the Iranians proving fruitless, Carter ordered U.S. Special Forces to try to rescue the American hostages in April 1980. The mission ended in disaster, and eight U.S. soldiers died in an accident caused by equipment failure.
Carter announced the failed rescue mission to the nation: "I share the disappointment of the American people that this rescue mission was not successful. And I also share the grief of our nation because we had Americans who were casualties in this effort to seek freedom for their fellow citizens who have been held hostage for so long.
"But I also share a deep pride in the commitment and courage and the integrity and the competence and determination of those who went on this mission."
The Iranian hostage crisis -- and Carter's inability to resolve it -- dominated the news in the United States throughout 1980, a presidential election year.
He was easily defeated in his reelection bid by Ronald Reagan, a former Hollywood actor who had energized the Republican party with his smooth appearance and supply-side economic policies.
In a final insult to Carter, Iran decided to release the hostages on January 20, 1981, the day Carter left office and Reagan was inaugurated as president.
One of Carter's first goals after becoming president was to work on a second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, known as SALT II, with the Soviet Union. The treaty was designed to further limit the number of nuclear weapons held by both countries.
Negotiating the treaty with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was difficult because of Carter's persistent criticism of Moscow's human rights record. But in June 1979 the two leaders signed SALT II. The U.S. Senate did not ratify the treaty following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, but its terms were honored by both sides.
In response to the Soviet invasion, the president announced what came to be known as the Carter Doctrine -- that the United States would defend its interests in the Persian Gulf with military force if necessary. The United States also boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
"I have given notice that the United States will not attend the Moscow Olympics unless the Soviet invasion forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan before February 20,” said Carter at the time. “That deadline is tomorrow, and it will not be changed."
Though his term in office is often characterized as a failure, Carter's presidency had its share of triumphs.
He established an effective national energy policy and encouraged the creation of 8 million new jobs, although at the cost of high inflation. He also improved the operation of the U.S. federal government through reform of the civil service.
Carter's greatest achievement as U.S. president was the 1978 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, brokered at the Camp David presidential retreat. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.
Carter's wife, Rosalynn, died in November 2023, at age 96.
- By RFE/RL
World Reacts To Life, Passing Of Former President Jimmy Carter
U.S. President Jimmy Carter's Democratic presidency was marred by the 444-day Iran hostage crisis but he was hailed as a humanitarian figure later in life, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter died at age 100 on December 29.
Here is a roundup of reactions from leaders around the world following news of his death.
U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: “America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.
“Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. “
U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: “The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: "Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did — advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion.
"Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image."
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Carter's legacy will "inspire Americans for generations [and he] set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.
"He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office."
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: "From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as president to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-Presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity—he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world."
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: "Throughout his life, Jimmy Carter has been a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace. France sends its heartfelt thoughts to his family and to the American people."
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER: "I would like to pay tribute to his decades of selfless public service.
"His presidency will be remembered for the historic Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, and it was that lifelong dedication to peace that saw him receive the Nobel Peace prize.
"Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad."
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: “Jimmy Carter, former US president who was committed to human rights, has died. He was 100 years old.
"Carter set a powerful example for world leaders to make human rights a priority, and he continued to fight for human rights after he left office.”
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION CHIEF TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS: "His unwavering commitment to people's wellbeing in the United States and around the world will be remembered forever.
"His work through the Carter Center has saved countless lives and helped bring many neglected tropical diseases close to elimination."
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Jimmy Carter, Whose Presidency Was Marred By Iran Hostage Crisis, Dies Aged 100
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was marred by the 444-day Iran hostage crisis, has died at age 100.
"Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, died peacefully Sunday, December 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family," the Carter Center in his home state of Georgia said in a statement.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that “America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.”
Biden said he will order a state funeral to be held in Washington, D.C., although he did not set a date as of yet.
President-elect Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that “the challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.”
“For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Human Rights Watch said in a statement that "Carter set a powerful example for world leaders to make human rights a priority, and he continued to fight for human rights after he left office."
The iconic Empire State Building in New York City was lit up in red, white, and blue to honor Carter.
Carter, a one-term leader, is also remembered for having brokered a peace deal between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work and efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.
But it was the Iranian hostage crisis that would come to define Carter's presidency from 1977 to 1981.
The Islamic Revolution in 1979 toppled the U.S.-backed shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and brought to power a group of clerics led by exiled Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Carter granted the ailing shah political asylum, to the anger of many Iranians.
In late 1979, a group of hardline Iranian students who were believed to have had the tacit support of Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. They demanded the return of the shah and an apology for past actions by the United States in Iran.
444 Days: Looking Back At The U.S.-Iran Hostage Crisis
Carter said the United States could not give in to the hostage-takers, and the crisis dragged on for over a year.
"It's vital to the United States and to every other nation that the lives of diplomatic personnel and other citizens abroad be protected, and that we refuse to permit the use of terrorism, and the seizure and the holding of hostages, to impose political demands,” he said.
“No one should underestimate the resolve of the American government and the American people in this matter."
With negotiations with the Iranians proving fruitless, Carter ordered U.S. Special Forces to try to rescue the American hostages in April 1980. The mission ended in disaster, and eight U.S. soldiers died in an accident caused by equipment failure.
Carter announced the failed rescue mission to the nation: "I share the disappointment of the American people that this rescue mission was not successful. And I also share the grief of our nation because we had Americans who were casualties in this effort to seek freedom for their fellow citizens who have been held hostage for so long. But I also share a deep pride in the commitment and courage and the integrity and the competence and determination of those who went on this mission."
The Iranian hostage crisis -- and Carter's inability to resolve it -- dominated the news in the United States throughout 1980, a presidential election year.
He was easily defeated in his reelection bid by Ronald Reagan, a former Hollywood actor who had energized the Republican party with his smooth appearance and supply-side economic policies.
In a final insult to Carter, Iran decided to release the hostages on January 20, 1981, the day Carter left office and Reagan was inaugurated as president.
One of Carter's first goals after becoming president was to work on a second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, known as SALT II, with the Soviet Union. The treaty was designed to further limit the number of nuclear weapons held by both countries.
Negotiating the treaty with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was difficult because of Carter's persistent criticism of Moscow's human rights record. But in June 1979 the two leaders signed SALT II. The U.S. Senate did not ratify the treaty following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, but its terms were honored by both sides.
In response to the Soviet invasion, the president announced what came to be known as the Carter Doctrine -- that the United States would defend its interests in the Persian Gulf with military force if necessary. The United States also boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
"I have given notice that the United States will not attend the Moscow Olympics unless the Soviet invasion forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan before February 20,” said Carter at the time. “That deadline is tomorrow, and it will not be changed."
Though his term in office is often characterized as a failure, Carter's presidency had its share of triumphs.
He established an effective national energy policy and encouraged the creation of 8 million new jobs, although at the cost of high inflation. He also improved the operation of the U.S. federal government through reform of the civil service.
Carter's greatest achievement as U.S. president was the 1978 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, brokered at the Camp David presidential retreat. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.
Carter's wife, Rosalynn, died in November 2023, at age 96.
- By RFE/RL
Syria's De Facto Leader Wants To Maintain 'Respectful' Ties With Iran, Russia
New Syrian de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa told the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television channel that he wants relations with Iran and Russia, but he insisted any ties must be based on mutual "respect."
Russia and Iran were major allies of Syria under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad until the totalitarian leader was ousted by rebels in early December.
The West is closely watching the new ruler's actions, including the depth of any future ties with Tehran and Moscow.
"Syria cannot continue without relations with an important regional country like Iran," Sharaa told Al Arabiya in a wide-ranging interview on December 29.
But relations "must be based on respect for the sovereignty of both countries and noninterference in the affairs of both countries," he added.
Sharaa urged Tehran to rethink its regional policies and interventions and pointed out that opposition forces protected Iranian positions during the fighting to oust Assad, even though rebels knew Iran was a major backer of the president.
Sharaa said he had expected positive overtures from Iran following these actions but said they have not been forthcoming.
Sharaa, previously known by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, said that while he expects Moscow to withdraw its forces from Syria, he also spoke of "deep strategic interests" with the "second most powerful country in the world."
"We don't want Russia to exit Syria in a way that undermines its relationship with our country,” he told Al-Arabiya, without providing details.
"All of Syria's arms are of Russian origin, and many power plants are managed by Russian experts.... We do not want Russia to leave Syria in the way that some wish," he said.
According to flight data analyzed by RFE/RL, Russia is reducing its military footprint in Syria and shifting some of its assets from the Middle Eastern country to Africa.
To offset the potential loss of its air base in Hmeimim and naval base in Tartus, Russia appears to be increasing its presence in Libya, Mali, and Sudan, although experts say the loss of Syrian bases is a major blow to the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, Sharaa also said that organizing elections in the country could take up to four years and that a new constitution could require three years to be finalized.
The leader expressed hope that the new U.S. administration under Donald Trump -- set to take office on January 20 -- would lift sanctions on his country.
"We hope the incoming Trump administration will not follow the policy of its predecessor," Sharaa said.
The rebels who ousted Assad were led by Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamist group, a U.S. and EU-designated terrorist organization.
Sharaa has publicly pledged to adopt moderate policies regarding women's rights, national reconciliation, and relations with the international community, although world leaders say they remain wary of the new rulers pending concrete actions.
- By RFE/RL
Russian Forces Claim Capture Of Town In Pokrovsk Area, But Next Steps Unclear
Russia on December 29 claimed to have seized another town in Ukraine's Donetsk region as it continues its long, bloody drive against the strategic -- but nearly destroyed -- southern logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces have captured Novotroyitske, a settlement with a prewar population 6,300 about 16 kilometers south of Pokrovsk.
The Ukrainian military did not comment specifically about Novotroyitske, but it said Russian troops had carried out 133 attacks on its positions as of 4 p.m. on December 29 -- the largest number in the Pokrovsk area.
"In the Pokrovsk direction, since the beginning of the day, the occupiers have already made 26 attempts to push our defenders out of their positions" in several settlements, it said.
On December 15, British intelligence said Russian forces had made gains south of Pokrovsk, but it is not clear what the Kremlin forces' next steps will be.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said geolocation data suggested the Russian military was about 10 kilometers from the border of the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin may be putting pressure on the Russian military command to advance to the border, and not to cover Pokrovsk at this time," it wrote.
Heavy fighting was also reported in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces battle to hold territory taken earlier this year.
"In the Kursk region, Ukrainian defenders repelled 16 attacks by Russian invaders today, 19 clashes continue. In addition, the enemy launched 152 artillery attacks," the military said.
Meanwhile, Russia's assault on Ukraine's Mykolayiv region in the south also intensified.
Regional Governor Vitaliy Kim on December 29 said defense forces had shot down at least nine Iranian-made Shahed drones, although falling debris hit one of the targets -- an energy infrastructure facility -- causing a fire and injuring one person.
On December 28, the military said Ukrainian defenders had neutralized all 16 drones launched by Russia in Mykolayiv city, the capital of the region adjacent to Kherson.
Russia and Ukraine have used drones regularly since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, with the Kremlin increasingly targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure as the winter cold sets in.
Russia has denied it targets civilian infrastructure sites, despite widespread evidence of such attacks, as the Kremlin seeks to solidify positions in the territories it has occupied, not only since the February 2022 full-scale invasion but since its invasion of 2014.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Viktor Muzhenko, the former Ukrainian military commander, said any truce between Kyiv and Moscow that leaves swaths of Ukrainian territory under Russian control would represent a victory for the Kremlin and "fully compensate [it] for its costs of the war."
Muzhenko, who led the military from 2014-19, said the situation with the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and parts of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions is "critical" -- "not only for the loss of territories, but also [the loss of] half of the resource base of Ukraine."
On the foreign-aid front, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on December 29 said Kyiv had received an additional 150 million euros ($156 million) in aid from Denmark, France, and Lithuania to help finance the country's defense industry.
"These funds, in particular, will be used for the production of missiles, deep-strike drones and artillery installations.," he said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, outgoing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she does not expect the next government in Berlin to "abandon" Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
"No German government devoted to the security of Germany and Europe will abandon the people of Ukraine," she said in an interview published by Bild newspaper on December 29.
Germany will vote on February 23, a day after the anniversary of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. after a coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed last month.
Berlin trails only Washington in the amount of support provided to Ukraine, although Scholz has been reluctant to send heavy weaponry to Kyiv, often angering the Ukrainian leadership.
Addressing worries that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may push a peace deal detrimental to Kyiv following his January 20 inauguration, Baerbock underlined the importance of providing for Ukraine's security needs in any such agreements.
"Only reliable, long-term and, above all, truly sustainable security guarantees will prevent [Russian President Vladimir] Putin from resorting to further campaigns of conquest. Only then will there be lasting peace and stability in Ukraine," she told Bild, without being specific.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian and Russian services
- By Current Time
Russian Arrested For Running Gay Travel Agency Found Dead In Cell
A Russian man arrested in October for operating a travel agency for gay customers was found dead in his Moscow cell while in pretrial detention, the OVD-Info rights group said on December 29. The group quoted the lawyer of Andrei Kotov, 48, as saying the man had died by suicide in his cell, although the report cannot independently be confirmed. Kotov was director of the Men Travel agency, and was facing charges of "organizing extremist activity and participating in it." Russia in recent years has intensified its relentless crackdown on LGBT rights, often accusing suspects of extremist activities. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
Black Box Sent To Brazil As Baku Accuses Russia Of 'Covering Up' Cause Of Crash
Kazakh authorities on December 29 said the cockpit recorders of the Brazilian-made plane involved in a deadly crash are being sent to Brazil for investigation amid accusations by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that Russia is trying to "cover up" the cause of the tragedy.
The Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane was flying from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to Grozny in Russia's Chechnya region on December 25 when it was diverted and crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
There has been growing evidence that the jet was hit by a Russian air-defense missile in Chechnya before it went down near the city of Aqtau in western Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh Transport Ministry said the commission in charge of the probe had "decided to send the flight recorders to the Center for the Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents in Brazil" -- the country that manufactured the popular Embraer-190 jet, utilized mainly for flights of less than three hours.
Aliyev said the plane was mistakenly shot down while approaching Grozny, adding that the jet's GPS systems were affected by electronic jamming.
"Our plane was hit by accident," Aliyev told state television on December 29. "Therefore, admitting the guilt, apologizing in a timely manner to Azerbaijan, which is considered a friendly country, and informing the public about this -- all these were measures and steps that should have been taken."
"Unfortunately, for the first three days, we heard nothing from Russia except for some absurd theories," added Aliyev, citing statements in Russia that attributed the crash to birds or the explosion of some sort of gas cylinder on the plane.
Those theories, Aliyev said, showed "that the Russian side wanted to cover up the issue."
Aliyev's comments came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev but did not accept blame for the plane crash.
In a phone call with Aliyev, Putin said Russian air defenses were repelling an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Grozny when the plane was trying to land at the airport there, a Kremlin statement said.
Putin "conveyed his apologies in connection with the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace," the statement said, indicating that Putin acknowledged the plane was damaged over Chechnya but stopped short of stating a Russian missile strike was the cause.
Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into the possible violation of flight safety rules, the statement said. It said two Azerbaijani prosecutors were working with Russian law enforcement in Grozny and that Russian, Azerbaijani, and Kazakh authorities were working together at the crash site in Kazakhstan.
The Kremlin statement is likely to further increase suspicions that a Russian missile damaged the Embraer-190 jet before it was diverted to Aktau, across the Caspian Sea from Chechnya, where it crashed near the shore after a steep descent and burst into flames.
Evidence of a missile strike includes footage of damage inside the plane before the crash and images of the hole-pocked tail section after the crash, as well as comments from survivors who said they heard at least one explosion outside the plane over Chechnya.
Azerbaijani lawmaker Hikmat Babaoghlu told RFE/RL on December 27 that there is a "very strong" possibility that the plane was damaged by a Russian air-defense missile. He said that the "observations and conclusions drawn so far support the idea that the plane being shot down is the closest to the truth."
New Georgian President Sworn In Amid Political Standoff
TBILISI -- Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer player and right-wing populist, has been sworn in as Georgia's new president amid a monthslong political crisis, likely further complicating the country's prospects for European Union membership.
Outgoing President Salome Zurabishvili left her residence in the presidential palace in the capital, Tbilisi, on the same day but said she remained the legitimate head of state.
The pro-Western Zurabishvili, whose term ended on December 29, had said she would not step down. She claimed her successor -- chosen by an electoral college dominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party -- is "illegitimate."
Georgia has been the scene of anti-government protests since Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that were marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation.
The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on the South Caucasus country joining the European Union.
In a defiant speech to thousands of supporters outside the presidential palace on December 29, Zurabishvili said she remained the "only legitimate president" and vowed to continue to fight on.
"This building was a symbol only as long as a legitimate president was sitting here," she said. "I take the legitimacy with me."
Zurabishvili, who called for new parliamentary elections, called Kavelashvili's inauguration a "parody."
Her remarks came moments after the 53-year-old Kavelashvili, a hard-line critic of the West, was formally sworn in during a ceremony in parliament.
In his speech, Kavelashvili called for the country to unite behind him around "shared values, the principles of mutual respect, and the future we should build together."
Kavelashvili has been known to make fiery anti-Western remarks in the past, although during his speech he stated that Georgians should "strengthen our country and move toward the European family."
In 2016, he helped found the People's Power party, a more-radical offshoot of Georgian Dream.
But he has remained close to the ruling party and has been criticized for his ties to Moscow-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and founder of the Georgian Dream party,
The presidency is a largely ceremonial post, but in the current tense political environment holds deeper symbolic meaning, and the departure of Zurabishvili could deepen Georgia's split with the West -- once the nation's closest backers.
Several hundred protesters rallied outside the parliament building, with some holding up red cards in a gesture to Kavelashvili's soccer career.
The demonstrators dispersed shortly afterward but vowed to rally again in the evening.
The Interior Ministry said six protesters were detained outside the parliament building. Local media reported that several demonstrators were injured by police.
A day earlier, Zurabishvili joined protesters in Tbilisi as rally participants waved Georgian and EU flags, played music, and marched along the Saarbruecken Bridge in the capital to form a "chain of unity."
The rally marked one month since the start of the recent wave of protests, which have been met with violent police action, injuries, and mass arrests by Georgian authorities.
Protesters accuse the Georgian Dream-led government of moving the country away from the EU and tilting closer to Russia.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson on December 29 told RFE/RL in e-mailed comments that the United States is closely monitoring the situation in Georgia.
The spokeperson added that respect for the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly are critical to a functioning society.
On December 27, the United States said it had slapped fresh sanctions on Ivanishvili for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation."
"Under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
The action prompted anger from the Georgian Dream party, while the Georgian opposition hailed the action and called on the EU to also move against Ivanishvili and other Georgian leaders.
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said in an X post on December 29 that he commends Zurabishvili "for her vital leadership and unwavering commitment to Georgia's European course."
"For a month now, Georgian people are peacefully defending their democratic and European future in the streets despite violence and intimidation," he said, adding that the Georgian government should "restore public trust" and "consider possible new elections."
Zurabishvili -- who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters early in the wave of rallies -- had called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29.
In another show of Western support, U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson on December 27 wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012.
Russia Cuts Gas To Moldova Used By Moscow-Backed Separatist Region
Russia's state energy giant Gazprom on December 28 said it would cease gas deliveries to Moldova at the end of this year because of a dispute over debt with the small Balkan nation that is aligned with the West. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean condemned Gazprom's decision, describing it as "an oppressive tactic" through which Russia "uses energy as a political weapon" and said he would pursue international legal means to fight it. The head of Moldovagaz said that, as early as December 2022, the entire volume of gas supplied by Gazprom was intended for the Moscow-backed separatist region, Transdniester, located on the left bank of the Dniester River. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Zelenskiy Blasts Fico In Energy Feud As Fighting Intensifies On Battlefield
Drone attacks and fighting intensified in Ukraine and Russia on December 28, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Slovakia's prime minister of taking "orders" from the Kremlin to harm Kyiv and his own people as an energy feud heightened as well.
"It appears that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin gave [Robert] Fico the orders to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people's interests," Zelenskiy wrote on social media.
"Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply this winter while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid can only be explained by this."
The comments came after Fico on December 27 threatened to halt supplies of electricity to Ukraine if Kyiv blocks transit of Russian gas to Slovakia.
Ukraine has announced it will not extend the transit contract of Russian state-owned company Gazprom after January 1 -- ceasing deliveries of gas to several European nations -- as the West looks to cut off the Kremlin's source of funding for the war.
The transport deal was signed before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and most European nations have since begun developing alternative sources of gas, although Fico says finding alternatives would be too costly for Slovakia.
Fico, along with Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, has angered the West by continuing to have close ties to Putin despite U.S. and EU sanctions. Fico visited Putin in Moscow earlier this week and has offered to host potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
Zelenskiy said Slovakia accounts for nearly 20 percent of Ukraine's power imports.
"Slovakia is part of the single European energy market and Fico must respect common European rules," Zelenskiy wrote.
"Any arbitrary decisions in Bratislava or Moscow's orders to Fico regarding electricity cannot cut Ukraine's power supply, but they can certainly cut current Slovak authorities' ties to the European community," he added, suggesting the move would deprive Slovakia itself of some $200 million a year.
Meanwhile, as Russia's full-scale invasion grinds on toward its fourth year, Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations of drone attacks in several regions as battlefield clashes intensified along the front lines, with the "hottest" fighting reported around the embattled Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.
Russian air defenses destroyed 56 drones overnight, the Defense Ministry said on December 28.
It said 28 drones were shot down in the Rostov region, 17 in the Voronezh region, and 11 in the Belgorod region, where local officials reportedly said two residents of a village were injured by shrapnel from a blast. The Russian claims could not be independently verified.
A Russian occupation official said on Telegram that four people were wounded in what he said was a Ukrainian drone attack that hit a car in the Russian-held city of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine’s Kherson region early in the morning.
In Mykolayiv, the Ukrainian-held capital of a region adjacent to Kherson, the military said Ukrainian defenders had neutralized all 16 drones launched by Russia on December 28.
"Of the 16 UAVs launched, 15 were shot down, another one was a simulator. All 15 were shot down in the Mykolaiv region," the Ukrainian Air Force said
Earlier, a Russian drone attack in the city caused fires on the roof of a five-story residential building and on the grounds of a commercial enterprise, regional governor Vitaliy Kim said on Telegra.
He said that nobody was hurt, and that the military had destroyed 12 drones over the region overnight.
Russia and Ukraine have used drones regularly since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
There are mounting suspicions that the crash of a Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet earlier this week near Aqtau, Kazakhstan, that killed 38 of the 67 people aboard was caused by Russian air-defense systems on alert for Ukrainian drone attacks on the Chechnya region, where the jet was due to land in Grozny before it was diverted across the Caspian Sea.
Ukraine said its forces struck a "protected facility" of the Russian military in the Oryol region near the border with Ukraine. It said the target was a warehouse holding Iranian-made Shahed drones.
Also on December 28, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed it had thwarted a plot to kill a high-level Russian military officer and an unnamed Russian “war blogger” who writes about the invasion.
The FSB, whose claim could not be independently verified, said it had arrested a Russian man it said was acting under instructions from Ukrainian military intelligence. It said it had found a cache outside Moscow with an improvised explosive device camouflaged as a stereo speaker.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the FSB claim, which came 11 days after the general who headed Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces (RKhBZ) was killed, along with an assistant, by a bomb concealed in a scooter.
A source at Ukraine's SBU security service told RFE/RL that the blast that killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant was the result of a special operation by the Ukrainian agency.
In the United States, White House spokesman John Kirby on December 27 said Washington has reports of North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops "taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces."
He said the action was "likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they’re captured. "
In a video address, Zelenskiy had said "several" North Korean soldiers -- badly wounded in fighting alongside Russian forces -- have died after being captured by Ukrainian troops on the battlefield.
Zelenskiy said, without providing details, that Kyiv had reports of North Korean "enforcers" executing wounded soldiers to prevent them being captured alive by Ukrainian forces.
Western sources estimate that 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia's Kursk region, parts of which are occupied by Ukrainian forces amid ongoing pitched battles and reports of heavy losses.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian and Ukrainian services
Germany Says Baltic Cable Damage A 'Wake-Up Call' As Report Describes 'Spy Ship'
Germany's foreign minister described the suspected sabotage of a Baltic Sea power cable as a "wake-up call" for the West and urged the European Union to impose new sanctions targeting what is known as Russia's "shadow fleet."
Meanwhile, a media outlet focusing on shipping news and intelligence reported that the ship suspected of damaging the cable linking Finland and Estonia on December 25 was equipped with "special transmitting and receiving devices that were used to monitor naval activity."
The Eagle S "had transmitting and receiving devices installed that effectively allowed it to become a 'spy ship' for Russia," Lloyd's List reported on December 27, citing "a source familiar with the vessel who provided commercial maritime services to it as recently as seven months ago."
Finland seized the Eagle S on December 26, citing suspicions that it caused an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable and damaged four Internet lines. Finnish investigators said the ship may have caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the sea floor.
Finnish and EU officials say the Eagle S is believed to belong to a "shadow fleet" of old, uninsured oil vessels used to bypass Western sanctions and maintain a source of revenue for Russia's economy and its war against Ukraine. The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters.
"The suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment, while funding Russia's war budget," the European Commission said on December 26, suggesting the incident was part of a deliberate effort to damage "critical infrastructure" in Europe. "We will propose further measures, including sanctions, to target this fleet."
In comments on December 28, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged "new European sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet," which she said is "a major threat to our environment and security" that is used by Russia "to finance its war of aggression in Ukraine."
"Almost every month, ships are damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea," Baerbock said in a statement to the Funke media group. "Crews are leaving anchors in the water, dragging them for kilometers along the seafloor for no apparent reason, and then losing them when pulling them up.”
"It's more than difficult to still believe in coincidences," she said. "This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us."
With reporting by AFP and dpa
Showdown Looms In Georgia As President Calls Supporters To Tbilisi Streets
TBILISI -- On the eve of a potentially explosion day, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili called for supporters to gather at the presidential palace on December 29 as she joined a mass rally against the Georgian Dream-led government’s moves to delay closer European Union integration.
"Greetings from the Orbeliani Palace,” she said in a video released to social media. "I am here, I will be here, I will spend the night here as well."
"Tomorrow, I will be waiting for you…at 10 a.m. -- and from here, I will tell you what tomorrow will be like. I will tell you what the following days will be like, and what the days of victory will be like."
A potential showdown looms on the streets of Tbilisi on December 29 as Zurabishvili has vowed not to step down at the end of her term on that day, claiming her successor -- chosen by an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream -- was "illegitimate."
She joined protesters in the capital on December 28 as rally participants waved Georgian and EU flags, played music, and marched along the Saarbruecken Bridge in the capital to form a "chain of unity."
The rally marked one month since the start of the recent wave of anti-government protests, which have been met with violent police action, injuries, and mass arrests by Georgian authorities.
Protesters accuse the government of the Georgian Dream party of moving the country away from the EU and tilting closer to Moscow.
The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said was marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation.
The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the EU.
On December 24, Human Rights Watch called for Georgian security forces to be investigated for the "brutal police violence" against largely peaceful protesters who have taken to the streets for the demonstrations.
On December 27, the United States said it had slapped fresh sanctions on Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and the founder of the Georgian Dream party, for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation."
"Under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
The action prompted anger from the Georgian Dream party, while the Georgian opposition hailed the action and called on the EU to also move against Ivanishvili and other Georgian leaders.
Zurabishvili -- who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters early in the wave of rallies -- on December 22 called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29.
In a show of Western support, U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson on December 27 wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20.
"I am in awe of her courage in the face of the assault by Ivanishvili and his friends" in China and Iran, Wilson added, without mentioning Russia.
Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former soccer player and right-wing populist, as Georgia's next president.
His inauguration is supposed to take place on December 29, though the 72-year-old Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she will not step down, setting up the potentially tense showdown.
"Next week at this time, I will be president," Zurabishvili restated on December 27.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012.
Afghan Taliban Says Its Forces Struck Targets In Pakistan As Cross-Border Clashes Erupt
Afghanistan's Taliban-led government said Taliban forces targeted what it claimed were "centers and hideouts for malicious elements" it said were involved in a recent attack in Afghanistan, as an upsurge of cross-border fighting continues.
The statement from the Taliban's Defense Ministry followed reports of deadly early morning clashes on December 28 between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards. It came days after the government said Pakistani aircraft bombed targets in Afghanistan in an attack it said killed dozens of civilians.
The ministry gave few details about the strikes, which it said were launched against targets in several districts behind the "hypothetical line" -- a reference to a portion of the border with Pakistan that Afghan authorities have long disputed.
Local sources told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that three people in Paktia Province were killed and two wounded by gunfire from Pakistani border guards, and that clashes also took place in the Khost province. The reports could not be independently verified.
There was no immediate comment from the Pakistani government. But the head of a community in the Kurram district told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that Taliban forces fired rockets at two security posts near the border at about 6 a.m., setting off fighting that continued for several hours.
The Taliban's Defense Ministry suggested the strikes on Pakistan were retaliation for what the Taliban-led government said were Pakistani air strikes that killed 46 civilians in Paktika Province, which also borders Pakistan, on December 24.
Pakistan says that militants from the Islamist group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are hiding across the border in Afghanistan, and Islamabad has repeatedly asked the Afghan Taliban to take action against them. The Afghan Taliban say the TTP is in Pakistan.
There has been a steady increase in TTP attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from Afghanistan.
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL,
- Kaisa Alliksaar,
- Kian Sharifi and
- Will Tizard
Why Iran And The U.A.E. Fight Over 3 Tiny Islands
Major oil exporters in the Persian Gulf region are keenly focused on who has control of a small archipelago in the middle of the Strait of Hormuz. Both Iran and the United Arab Emirates have made claims.
More Pardons In Belarus As Lukashenka Prepares To Extend His Rule
Authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka extended a wave of pardons ahead of a January presidential election in Belarus, ordering the release of 20 prisoners jailed on extremism charges his opponents and rights groups say were politically motivated.
Lukashenka's press service suggested the pardons were issued on humanitarian grounds, saying 14 of those ordered released have chronic illnesses and 10 of them have children. It said 11 of the 20 are women.
The press service claimed the prisoners had all sought pardons and expressed remorse, an assertion that could not be independently verified. It said that authorities would "monitor their behavior following their release."
Since July, Lukashenka has pardoned more than 225 people whom activists consider political prisoners. Rights groups have recognized nearly 3,600 people as political prisoners since the state launched a massive crackdown when pro-democracy protests erupted after Lukashenka, in power since 1994, claimed a landslide victory in an August 2020 election that millions believe was stolen though fraud. Many of those have served out their sentences.
Ahead of a January 26 election in which he is certain to be awarded a new term, Lukashenka may be seeking to signal to the West that he is easing off on the persistent clampdown that the state has imposed since the 2020 election.
But the crackdown continues, with frequent arrests and trials on what activists say are politically motivated charges. At least 1,253 people whom rights groups consider political prisoners remain behind bars, and the real number is believed to be higher.
Lukashenka has roped Belarus closely to Russia and has provided support for Russia's war on neighboring Ukraine, including by allowing Russian forces to invade from Belarusian territory, and he says Russian nuclear weapons have been deployed in Belarus. But over 30 years in power, he has often tried to capitalize on Belarus’ position between Russia in the east and NATO and the European Union to the west and north.
Putin Apologizes, Tells Azerbaijan Russian Air Defenses Were Activated When Jet Crashed
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized over the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane this week, the Kremlin said, amid growing evidence that the jet was hit by a Russian air-defense missile in the Chechnya region before it went down in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
In a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Putin said Russian air defenses were repelling an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Chechnya’s capital, Grozny, when the plane was trying to land at the airport there, a Kremlin statement said.
Putin "conveyed his apologies in connection with the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace," the statement said, indicating that Putin acknowledged the plane was damaged over Chechnya but stopped short of stating a Russian missile strike was the cause.
"In the conversation, it was noted that…the aircraft tried more than once to approach the Grozny airport for landing," it said, adding that “at this time, Ukrainian combat drones were attacking Grozny [and the nearby cities of] Mozdok and Vladikavkaz, and Russian air-defense systems were repelling these attacks."
Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into the possible violation of flight safety rules, the statement said. It said two Azerbaijani prosecutors were working with Russian law enforcement in Grozny and that Russian, Azerbaijani, and Kazakh authorities were working together at the crash site near Aqtau, Kazakhstan.
The Kremlin statement is likely to further increase suspicions that a Russian missile damaged the Embraer-190 jet before it was diverted to Aktau, across the Caspian Sea from Chechnya, where it crashed near the shore after a steep descent and burst into flames.
Evidence of a missile strike includes footage of damage inside the plane before the crash and images of the hole-pocked tail section after the crash, as well as comments from survivors who said they heard at least one explosion outside the plane over Chechnya.
Azerbaijani lawmaker Hikmat Babaoghlu told RFE/RL on December 27 that there is a "very strong" possibility that the plane was damaged by a Russian air-defense missile. He said that the "observations and conclusions drawn so far support the idea that the plane being shot down is the closest to the truth."
On the same day, White House spokesman John Kirby said U.S. experts "have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air-defense systems."
Reuters quoted an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation as saying results indicated the plane was hit by a Pantsir-S air-defense system, a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and missile system designed by Russia.
The crash has disrupted air traffic in the Caucasus and beyond. An Azerbaijan Airlines flight bound for the Russian spa town of Mineranlye Vody, not far from Grozny, took off from Baku on December 27 but then abruptly headed back after receiving a flight information notice that Russian airspace it was due to fly through was closed.
Azerbaijan Airlines later said it is suspending flights to several Russian cities, including Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, and Makhachkala.
Turkmenistan Airlines announced on December 28 that it was canceling all its flights between the capital, Ashgabat, and Moscow from December 30 to January 31, giving no reason for the decision. Turkmenistan borders Kazakhstan on the eastern shore of the Caspian.
Also on December 28, Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said that restrictions were briefly placed on the operation of the airport in the Tatarstan regional capital, Kazan, to ensure flight safety, and media reports said that all departures and arrivals had been suspended.
Flights heading to Kazan from the Siberian cities of Tomsk, Surgut, and Kemerovo were redirected to an airfield in Nizhnekamsk, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the airport's press service.
No specific reason was given for the measures, which Rosaviatsia said had been lifted a few hours later. Russia has closed airports at times due to alleged drone attacks, and a drone attack hit high-rise buildings in Kazan on December 21.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Tatar-Bashkir, and North Caucasus services.
- By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service,
- Vusala Alibayli,
- Rovshan Gambarov and
- Will Tizard
Azerbaijan Official: Passenger Plane Crash Caused By 'External Interference' (Video)
The crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in Kazakhstan on December 25 was caused by "external interference," according to Azerbaijan's transport minister. Rasad Nabiyev said that the plane lost control after flying over an area of Russia where anti-aircraft systems are frequently in use. At least 38 of the 67 passengers were killed as it crash-landed near Aqtau.
- By RFE/RL
NATO Vows To Bolster Baltic Presence Amid Suspected Undersea Sabotage
NATO has said it would bolster its presence in the Baltic Sea after undersea power lines and Internet cables were damaged by suspected sabotage believed to be carried out by vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
Estonia also announced on December 27 that it had begun a naval operation to guard a crucial electricity line in the Baltic Sea in coordination with allies as tensions mounted in the region.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a social media post following discussions with Finnish President Alexander Stubb that "NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea."
Both Finland and Estonia have coastlines on the Baltic Sea.
When asked for details about planned actions, NATO officials told AP that the alliance “remains vigilant and is working to provide further support, including by enhancing our military presence” in the region.
"We have agreed with Estonia, and we have also communicated to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, that our wish is to have a stronger NATO presence," Stubb told a news conference.
Stubb added that investigators did not want to jump to conclusions, but a day earlier he had said that "it is necessary to be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to the Russian 'shadow fleet.'"
The "shadow fleet" is a reference to old, uninsured oil vessels typically used to bypass Western sanctions on Russia and maintain a source of revenue.
European government and the United States have accused Russia of intensifying "hybrid attacks" following reports of damage to Baltic Sea communications cables, although they have not yet directly tied Moscow to the damage.
NATO stepped up monitoring critical infrastructure in the Baltic following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline seven months later.
Chinese-linked ships have also been suspected of sabotaging undersea infrastructure over recent years.
Sweden -- NATO's newest member, which also has a coastline on the Baltic Sea -- said its coast guard had stepped up surveillance of sea traffic and had deployed aircraft and vessels in concert with regional allies.
The European Commission on December 26 said a cargo ship suspected of having deliberately damaged power and Internet cables in the Baltic Sea was part of Russia's "shadow fleet."
The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters.
Finnish authorities on December 26 boarded and took command of the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S oil tanker in the Baltic Sea as part of its investigation into the damages, saying it likely belong to the "shadow fleet."
Investigators have said the damage could have been caused by the ship intentionally dragging its anchor.
The Kremlin said it had no connection to the ship seized by Finland. It has regularly denied that it is involved in any of the many incidents involving Baltic Sea region infrastructure assets.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
U.S. Sanctions Georgia's Ivanishvili For 'Undermining' Democracy
The United States said it has slapped fresh sanctions on Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation."
"Under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on December 27.
Blinken added that "Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream's actions have eroded democratic institutions, enabled human rights abuses, and curbed the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Georgia."
"We strongly condemn Georgian Dream's actions under Ivanishvili's leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures."
The new measures will block transactions involving entities owned by Ivanishvili, the statement said.
According to Bloomberg News, Ivanishvili's fortune is estimated at $7.5 billion, much of it coming through metals, banking, and telecom assets in Russia during the 1990s.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the U.S. action "blackmail" and said it was Ivanishvili's "reward" for protecting Georgia's national interest.
However, opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze of the Unity National Movement hailed the U.S. decision, according to Georgia's Interpress news agency.
"I welcome this step from the United States and believe that we are quickly moving toward victory and will celebrate Georgia without Ivanishvili, who is the bringer of chaos and misery to this country," he was quoted as saying.
In a previous action, the United States on December 12 said it would "prohibit visa issuance to those who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia."
That move affected some 20 people, "including individuals serving as government ministers and in parliament, law enforcement and security officials, and private citizens," it said in a statement, without naming the individuals.
Georgia, once a closer U.S. ally, has angered Washington and the European Union with its perceived tilt toward Russia and its violent crackdown on dissent in the Caucasus nation.
The sanctions come at a crucial time, as Georgia's fate hangs in the balance -- whether it will intensify its tilt toward Moscow, return to the pro-Europe path, or remain in an environment of unrest and uncertainty.
Police in Tbilisi have clashed with pro-West protesters over the past several weeks, detaining dozens and injuring scores of people who accuse the government of the Georgian Dream party of moving the country away from the European Union and closer to Moscow.
The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said was marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation.
The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the EU.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on December 24 called for Georgian security forces to be investigated for the “brutal police violence” against largely peaceful protesters who have taken to the streets for huge anti-government demonstrations.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili – who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters -- on December 22 called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29.
"Next week at this time I will be president," Zurabishvili restated on December 27.
U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20
"I am in awe of her courage in the face of the assault by Ivanishvili and his friends" in China and Iran, Wilson added, without mentioning Russia.
Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former soccer player and right-wing populist, as Georgia's next president.
His inauguration is supposed to take place on December 29, though the 72-year-old Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she will not step down, setting up a potentially explosive showdown.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012.
Montenegro To Extradite 'Crypto King' To U.S. After Long Legal Battle
PODGORICA -- After a multinational back-and-forth legal battle, Montenegro on December 27 said it would extradite South Korean cryptocurrency entrepreneur Hyeong Do Kwon -- the so-called Crypto King -- to the United States.
Do Kwon is sought by both the United States and South Korea and also faces possible legal action in Singapore.
Montenegrin courts have previously issued at least eight often-contradictory decisions regarding Do Kwon's fate.
In September, the Montenegrin Supreme Court ruled that Do Kwon could be sent to either the United States or South Korea and that the final decision on which country would be up to Justice Minister Bojan Bozovic.
On December 24, Do Kwon lost his final appeal against extradition with Montenegro's Constitutional Court.
In the latest ruling, the Justice Ministry said the U.S. request had met the threshold for removal and, as a result Bozovic "issued a decision approving the extradition."
The ministry said the criteria included the gravity of the criminal acts, the order of submission of the extradition requests, and the citizenship of the person in question.
The former CEO and co-founder of the cryptocurrency company Terraform Labs is wanted by U.S. and South Korean authorities for his alleged role in capital market and securities fraud involving assets worth some $40 billion.
Do Kwon was arrested with business partner Chang Joon in March 2023 at Podgorica airport while attempting to fly to Dubai using on allegedly forged passports.
They each received a four-month prison sentence on the forged-passport charge.
Chang, who was wanted only by South Korea, was extradited to that country on February 5.
After serving his sentence, Do Kwon was sent to a shelter for foreigners near Podgorica, where he awaited extradition.
Do Kwon in October claimed that the South Korean charges were illegitimate and "politically motivated."
Despite the legal struggle, Do Kwon's trial in absentia took place in the United States, where a New York jury on April 5 found him and Terraform labs liable on civil fraud charges, agreeing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that they had misled investors.
Terraform Labs agreed to pay about $4.5 billion in a civil settlement with the SEC following the court's ruling. Do Kwon was ordered to pay $204 million.
Following the verdict, a Terraform spokesperson said, "We continue to maintain that the SEC does not have the legal authority to bring this case at all" and that the company was weighing its options.
- By RFE/RL
Italian Podcaster Detained In Tehran For 'Journalistic Activities'
Italy’s Foreign Ministry said journalist Cecilia Sala, who was in Iran to carry out "journalistic activities," has been detained by Tehran police authorities.
The ministry said in a statement on December 27 that Sala, who has a podcast called Stories that covers life in places around the world, was detained on December 19.
It gave no reason for the detention, but said in a statement that the ambassador from Italy's embassy in Tehran had paid a consular visit "to verify the conditions and state of detention of Sala."
"The family was informed of the results of the consular visit. Previously, Sala had the opportunity to make two phone calls with her relatives," it said.
Sala posted a podcast from Tehran on December 17 about patriarchy in the Iranian capital.
Iran is routinely accused of arresting dual nationals and Western citizens on false charges to use them to pressure Western countries.
Earlier this month, Reza Valizadeh, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Farda, was handed a 10-year sentence by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "collaborating with a hostile government."
Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda in November 2022 after a decade of work. He returned to Iran in early 2024 to visit his family but was arrested on September 22.
His two court sessions, held on November 20 and December 7, reportedly lacked a prosecution representative, with the judge assuming that role.
Sources close to the journalist claim he fell into a "security trap" despite receiving unofficial assurances from Iranian security officials that he would not face legal troubles upon returning to Iran.
Iran is among the most repressive countries in terms of freedom of the press. Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 176th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
The Paris-based media watchdog says Iran is now also one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists.
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