Author: Mirits

VIENNA — Talks to form a coalition government led by Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, or FPO, will begin Friday, the party said on Thursday, as thousands protested in Vienna against the prospect of the country’s first FPO-led government. The eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO won September’s parliamentary election with around 29% of the vote but was initially sidelined as centrist parties tried to form a ruling coalition without it. That effort failed at the weekend, and FPO leader Herbert Kickl was tasked with forming a government. “First step: negotiations on the budget as of tomorrow,” Kickl said in a statement on Thursday evening while protesters carrying placards reading “Nazis out” and “History is repeating itself” gathered in the square that stands between the offices of the president and the chancellor. Chancellor Karl Nehammer of the conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP), who had led the centrist coalition talks, said on Saturday he was stepping down because they had collapsed. His successor as head of the caretaker government, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, is due to take over on Friday. Various nongovernmental organizations that deal with human rights, refugees and the environment called Thursday’s protest. “Our republic is at a crossroads,” the organizers said in a statement. “The threat of an extreme right-wing chancellor looms and with him an attack on democracy, human rights, judiciary, independent media and social cohesion in our country.” More than 10,000 protesters packed tightly together on the square and streets leading into it whistled, jeered and shone their phone lights toward the chancellor’s office, chanting “Kickl out” in a peaceful atmosphere. The OVP, which under Nehammer said it would not govern with Kickl, calling him a conspiracy theorist and a security threat, now says under interim leader Christian Stocker that it prefers to reach a coalition deal with Kickl to holding a snap election. On Wednesday, however, Stocker said he demanded assurances from Kickl that he wants to keep Austria free from Russian interference — a reference to FPO positions including opposing sanctions against Moscow over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Support for the FPO has only increased since September, polls show, and the party now has a lead of more than 10 percentage points over the OVP. “We are entering negotiations with the FPO,” the OVP said in a statement minutes before the FPO’s, confirming that Kickl and Stocker had held initial discussions and that the first issue would be the … “Thousands protest as Austria’s far-right-led coalition talks set to begin” →

GENEVA — U.N. human rights experts have accused Russia of waging a war of attrition against Ukraine by pursuing a policy of mass destruction to crush the spirit of the nation. A report issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, or OHCHR, Wednesday says that since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago, there has been “a dangerous escalation of hostilities,” which has had a huge, injurious impact “on the civilian population.” U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif, who presented the report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, told the 47- member body that “September, in fact, marked the highest number of civilian casualties since July 2022.” Most civilian casualties, she said, were caused by “relentless attacks with aerial glide bombs, long-range missiles, and drones that contributed to the killing of some 574 civilians — an increase of 30% over the previous year.” “Russian bombardment damaged civilian infrastructure and water, heating and transportation services, including four major attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since mid-November,” she said. The report covers the period from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, 2024. It documents continued and increasing gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of humanitarian law, “including possible war crimes.” “We are deeply concerned by the impacts on civilians of the increased use of drones and the use of new weapons during the reporting period,” said Al-Nashif. “Russian armed forces launched some 2,000 long-range drones in November alone, killing scores of people,” she said. “We are also concerned about the potential increased use of anti-personnel landmines, due to the threats they pose to civilians, both now and long into the future.” The report documents “credible allegations” of executions of Ukrainian military personnel captured by Russian armed forces, noting that “summary executions constitute a war crime.” The OHCHR has verified the execution of 68 Ukrainian POWs captured by Russian armed forces. The office also has verified the summary executions of 170 civilians since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, in areas controlled by Russian armed forces, including in places of detention. “Accountability for all of these killings is essential. Instead, there is almost total impunity,” Al-Nashif said. The 26-page report also documents torture of POWs at the hands of Russian and Ukrainian armed forces, calling it “a violation of international law.” However, the report says the torture and ill-treatment of prisoners … “UN accuses Russia of waging war of attrition against Ukraine” →

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, GERMANY   — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday told allies and partners in Germany that it would be “crazy to drop the ball now” and end support Ukraine against Russia.  “It’s clear that a new chapter starts for Europe and the entire world just 11 days from now,” Zelenskyy told the Ukraine Defense Contact Group during opening remarks in Ramstein Germany, referring to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration as president. “We have to cooperate even more, rely on one another even more and achieve even greater results together,” he said. “No matter what’s going on in the world, everyone wants to feel sure that their country will not just be erased of the map.” As Ukrainians fight continuing Russian assaults, international support for their fight is uncertain. Trump has not indicated whether he will continue America’s leadership of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group when President Joe Biden leaves office January 20. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the group of about 50 nations has provided Kyiv with more than $126 billion in weapons, training and equipment. The U.S. has provided about $66 billion, slightly more than half of the group’s aid. The group came together under U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s leadership to coordinate security assistance after the invasion. Austin on Thursday announced a $500 million in additional weapons and equipment for Kyiv, which officials say will be the final military aid package before Biden leaves office. He said the package includes additional missiles for Ukrainian air defense, more artillery ammunition, more air-to-ground munitions and equipment to support Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jets. The additional U.S. weapons and equipment are being pulled from the Pentagon’s existing military stockpiles. Austin, who is hosting the group for the last time, said leading the group has been “one of the great honors of my life.” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius thanked Austin for his leadership on behalf of the allies and partners present. “Your personal dedication has made a major difference. Without you, your commitment and your leadership. Ukraine’s fight for freedom would not have yielded the same results,” he told Austin. Austin and defense analysts have warned that failing to continue coordinated support for Ukraine could prove catastrophic. “If tyrants learn that aggression pays, we will only invite even more aggression, chaos and war, but we are still determined to not let that happen,” Austin told the group. Bradley … “Zelenskyy urges coalition aiding Ukraine not to ‘drop the ball’” →

Beijing — China said Thursday that an investigation had found the European Union imposed unfair “trade and investment barriers” on Beijing, marking the latest salvo in long-running commercial tensions between the two economic powers.  Officials announced the probe in July after Brussels began looking into whether Chinese government subsidies were undermining European competition.  Beijing has consistently denied its industrial policies are unfair and has threatened to take action against the EU to protect Chinese companies’ legal rights and interests.  The commerce ministry said Thursday that the implementation of the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) discriminated against Chinese firms and “constitutes trade and investment barriers.”  However, it did not mention whether Beijing planned to take action in response.  The two are major trade partners but are locked in a wide-ranging standoff, notably over Beijing’s support for its renewables and electric-vehicle sectors.  EU actions against Chinese firms have come as the 27-nation bloc seeks to expand renewable energy use to meet its target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  But Brussels also wants to pivot away from what it views as an overreliance on Chinese technology at a time when many Western governments increasingly consider Beijing a potential national security threat.  When announcing the probe, the ministry said its national chamber of commerce for importing and exporting machinery and electronics had filed a complaint over the FSR measures.  The 20-page document detailing the ministry’s conclusions said their “selective enforcement” resulted in “Chinese products being treated more unfavorably during the process of export to the EU than products from third countries.”  It added that the FSR had “vague” criteria for investigating foreign subsidies, placed a “severe burden” on the targeted companies and had opaque procedures that created “huge uncertainty.”  EU measures such as surprise inspections “clearly exceeded the necessary limits,” while investigators were “subjective and arbitrary” on issues like market distortion, according to the ministry.  Companies deemed not to have complied with probes also faced “severe penalties,” which placed “huge pressure” on Chinese firms, it said.  The European Commission on Thursday defended the FSR, saying it was “fully compliant with all applicable EU and World Trade Organization rules.”  “All companies, regardless of their seat or nationality, are subject to the rules,” a commission spokesperson said in a statement.  “This is also the case when applying State aid or antitrust rules.”    Projects curtailed  The Chinese commerce ministry said FSR investigations had forced Chinese … “Beijing says EU imposed unfair trade barriers on Chinese firms” →

LONDON — Britain will create a new sanctions regime to target the leaders of networks that smuggle tens of thousands of people into Britain each year, as well as the often-Chinese makers of the boats and motors they use, the government said Wednesday. Under huge political pressure to cut the numbers arriving in small boats from France, the government said the laws would complement other reforms. “We will target those profiting off putting lives at risk, and disrupt the gangs’ finances,” interior minister Yvette Cooper said in a statement. The policy was due to be the centerpiece of a speech by foreign minister David Lammy on Thursday, seeking to demonstrate coordination between the foreign and interior ministries. Lammy said Britain would pursue the makers of the boats used by migrant smugglers. He told Times Radio many of the manufacturers were from China. Asked by the BBC whether the government would sanction those businesses, Lammy said: “Absolutely, because when you look at those boats, where do the engines come from? Where does the rubber come from?” The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The government said the sanctions would be in place by the end of the year and enable authorities to ban those linked to people-smuggling from entering Britain, punish those trying to do business with them, and freeze assets. Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer was elected in July and immediately ditched the previous, Conservative government’s plan to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda as a deterrent, instead switching focus to breaking up the gangs that organize crossings. Migrants from North Africa, the Middle East, Europe and elsewhere pay thousands of pounds to traffickers for places in small inflatable boats that then try to cross one of the world’s busiest shipping channels to reach the English coast. Over 36,800 people made the crossing in 2024, 25% more than the previous year, according to government data, while dozens have died in the attempt.  …

Ukraine’s military said Thursday it shot down 46 of 70 drones that Russian forces used in attacks targeting areas in central and eastern Ukraine. Falling debris from downed drones damaged houses in the Cherkasy, Kharkiv and Sumy regions, the Ukrainian air force said. Ukraine’s air defenses also shot down drones in the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Poltava and regions. The attacks came a day after Russian missiles struck the city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least 13 people and wounding 30 others. “There is nothing more cruel than launching aerial bombs on a city, knowing that ordinary civilians will suffer,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it shot down 15 Ukrainian drones, including over the Belgorod, Bryansk and Krasnodar regions along the Russia-Ukraine border. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram that drone debris damaged a home, but that there were no casualties from the Ukrainian attack. Some information for this report was provided Reuters …

TALLINN, ESTONIA — An imprisoned opposition activist in Belarus resurfaced Wednesday in a video shot by a pro-government blogger after more than 700 days of no contact with his family, weeks before an election that is all but certain keep the country’s strongman leader in power. Viktar Babaryka, 61, has been denied meetings with his family and lawyers while serving a 14-year sentence in a penal colony after failing to get on the ballot against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in a 2020 election. Babaryka was last heard from in February 2023, and other prisoners said later that year he was hospitalized with signs of beatings. Since then, authorities haven’t released any information about his condition and barred his lawyer from visits. The European Parliament has urged authorities to release him and other political prisoners. Raman Pratasevich, a former opposition journalist who later became a government supporter after being arrested himself, posted photos and a brief video in which Babaryka greeted his family. It wasn’t clear when or under what conditions the images were taken, and The Associated Press could not independently verify them. Babaryka, who looked visibly thinner than in his last appearance, was pictured wearing a prison uniform bearing a yellow tag designating him as a political prisoner and thus subjecting him to particularly harsh prison conditions. Pavel Sapelka, a representative of the Viasna Human Rights Center, noted that the images were released ahead of the Jan. 26 presidential election, in which Lukashenko is seeking a seventh, five-year term to add to his more than three decades in power. “The authorities decided to show Babaryka in the run-up to the election to avoid accusations of forced disappearance of opposition activists behind bars,” Sapelka said. “The terribly emaciated Babaryka epitomizes the nightmare of repressions in Belarus, a sad reminder for others who dare to challenge Lukashenko.” In November, Pratasevich posted photos of Maria Kolesnikova, another prominent opposition activist who had been held for more than 20 months without any communication with relatives or friends. Babaryka is one of 1,258 political prisoners in Belarus, according to Viasna, the country’s leading human rights group. Top opposition figures were imprisoned or fled the country amid the sweeping crackdown that followed the 2020 election. Authorities responded to massive demonstrations protesting vote-rigging with brutal repressions in which about 65,000 people were arrested and thousands were brutally beaten by police. At least seven political prisoners have died … “Imprisoned Belarus activist resurfaces after being held incommunicado for 700 days” →

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held bilateral meetings Thursday with his Ukrainian and British counterparts Wednesday before hosting the Ukraine Defense Contact Group one last time. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb is traveling with Austin as the U.S. is expected to announce its final military aid package for Kyiv under the Biden administration. …

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, GERMANY — The United States is providing Ukraine with $500 million in additional weapons and equipment from its existing military stockpiles, in what officials told VOA will be the final military aid package before President Joe Biden leaves office. The officials were speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement, which is expected Thursday when U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s hosts the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein, Germany, for the last time. “Our focus will be on maintaining momentum, delivering results, and sending a clear message: The international community stands resolute in its support for Ukraine,” Austin said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he will join Austin at the 25th meeting of the group, which comprises about 50 nations that came together under Austin’s leadership to coordinate security assistance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “They [Ukrainians] continue to survive, but they do that with the support of the U.S. and other allied countries and coalitions through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. And I think it’s pretty clear that the Ukraine Defense Contact Group is, it’s more than just a common understanding. It’s a common cause,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said Wednesday. As Ukrainians fight to survive, that common cause to support their fight is shrouded in uncertainty. President-elect Donald Trump has not indicated whether he will continue America’s leadership of the group when President Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, and current administration officials and defense analysts warn that could prove catastrophic for Kyiv. Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that Trump, who has been very critical of the Biden administration’s handling of Afghanistan, would not want to see a similar humanitarian crisis “on his record.” “If you have a major curtailment or end of U.S. support for Ukraine, then you could have a major disaster in Ukraine,” he told VOA. Rather than cut Kyiv’s lifeline, Bowman said, the U.S. should surge support to Ukraine in the first months of the new administration “to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position” ahead of any peace negotiations. There is still $3.8 billion in approved funds for Ukraine that was passed by Congress in April, but the Pentagon says it can’t send that aid at this time because it needs additional funds from Congress to … “US to pledge $500M for Ukraine at Ramstein meeting” →

WASHINGTON — Russian space technologies, if transferred to Pyongyang in compensation for its support of Moscow’s war on Ukraine, could enhance North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities, U.S. experts say.  “The DPRK [North Korea] is already receiving Russian military equipment and training,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Monday in Seoul. “Now, we have reason to believe that Moscow intends to share advanced space and satellite technology with Pyongyang.” According to U.S. defense officials, North Korea has deployed an estimated 12,000 troops to Russia, of which roughly 1,000 have already fallen casualty to fighting Ukrainians in Russia’s Kursk region. For months, top diplomats and defense analysts have said North Korea anticipates Russian technical assistance for nuclear and missile programs in exchange. Robert Peters, research fellow for nuclear deterrence and missile defense at the Heritage Foundation, suggested that any of Russia’s technological assistance would likely aim to develop Pyongyang’s ICBM program under the guise of non-military satellite programs, as solutions for space launch vehicles can be applied to ballistic missiles.  “It would be politically very challenging for Russia to announce that it is going to help North Korea with its ICBM program,” Peters told VOA’s Korean Service on Tuesday. “Russians are able to have this fig leaf of, ‘Well, we’re just helping North Korea with a satellite program.’ But I don’t think anyone’s fooled by this.”  According to Peters, two areas where North Korea could substantially benefit from Russia’s space program: Accuracy and reliability, both of which are crucial for delivering nuclear warheads effectively.  “Getting the actual warhead package on target is no small task,” he explained. “And the United States and also Russia has, over the past 35 years, figured out a way to get warheads on target in a way that was not possible during the Cold War.”  Peters also said North Korean engineers have struggled with having warheads reliably survive reentry from space to produce yield.  Vann Van Diepen, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation from 2009 to 2016, told VOA Korean that technologies related to satellite dispensing and maneuvering could enhance North Korea’s ICBM program.  “If space launch vehicle technology or booster technology gets transferred as part of so-called ‘space technology,’ then that potentially could be applicable to probably liquid-propellant ICBMs,” Van Diepen said.  Many satellites are known to use liquid propellants for efficiency and controllability.  Bruce Bennett, a … “Experts: Russian technology could enhance North Korea’s ICBM capabilities” →

With the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, Turkey sees an opportunity to send home up to 4 million Syrians who came there during Syria’s civil war, amid growing public hostility toward the refugees. Many of those interviewed in Istanbul, however, have built new lives in Turkey and say that with no guarantees of safety or livelihood, they are not ready to return. Dorian Jones reports. …

A Russian missile attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least 13 people Wednesday and injured dozens more, Ukrainian authorities reported. The attack came minutes after regional Governor Ivan Fedorov warned that “high-speed missiles” and “glide bombs” were heading toward the Zaporizhzhia region. Bodies of the victims and people injured in the attack were strewn across a road and adjacent paved areas next to damaged public transportation facilities. The debris hit a tram and a bus with passengers inside, Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said. High-rise apartment blocks, an industrial facility and other infrastructure were damaged in the attack. Emergency workers were trying to resuscitate a man while raging flames, smoke and burned cars could be seen in the background. Russian troops used two guided bombs to hit a residential area, Fedorov told reporters. He said at least four of the injured were rushed to a hospital in serious condition. Fedorov said Thursday would be an official day of mourning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X, “There is nothing more cruel than launching aerial bombs on a city, knowing that ordinary civilians will suffer.” As he often has, Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s Western allies to step up pressure on Russia. Russia regularly carries out airstrikes on the Zaporizhzhia region, which its forces partially occupy. Moscow claims to have annexed the Ukrainian region along with four others, including Crimea, which it unilaterally seized in 2014. Ukraine hits fuel depot Earlier Wednesday, the Ukrainian military said it struck a fuel storage depot deep inside Russia near Engels in the Saratov region about 600 kilometers east of the Ukrainian border. The attack caused a huge fire at the facility, which supplies an important Russian air base. Ukraine’s General Staff said, “The damage to the oil base creates serious logistical problems for the strategic aviation of the Russian occupiers and significantly reduces their ability to strike peaceful Ukrainian cities and civilian objects. To be continued.” Russian officials acknowledged a major drone attack in the area and said authorities had set up an emergency command center to fight the fire. Ukraine’s General Staff said the attack hit the depot that supplied a nearby airfield used by aircraft that launch missiles across the border into Ukraine, a statement on Facebook said. Ukraine has been developing its own arsenal of domestically produced long-range missiles and drones capable of reaching deep behind the front line as … “Russian missile attack kills at least 13 in southern Ukraine” →

With the slogan “Security Europe!” Poland assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union Council in 2025 at a pivotal moment. The 27-member EU country grouping faces a fragile economy, the ongoing impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and hurdles to enlargement. Adding to the shifting geopolitical landscape, the return of Donald Trump to the White House this month, with his “America First” agenda, raises concerns about potential new U.S. tariffs on European exports and increased pressure on EU countries to boost defense spending. While leaders in France and Germany are preoccupied with domestic political challenges, Poland, often seen as a disruptive force in EU politics, is now moving into the driver’s seat. At an inauguration gala at the National Theatre in Warsaw on Jan. 3, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged his EU partners to focus on strength and resilience. “If Europe is powerless, it won’t survive,” Tusk said. “We must protect freedom and sovereignty and make Europe strong again.” Security, defense in focus “Security, security, security — defense security, energy security, and food security,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski emphasized to VOA when asked about Poland’s main objectives. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus put Poland at the front line of European and NATO defense. Poland, which invests 4.7% of its GDP into defense — far surpassing NATO’s 2% guideline — is pushing EU member states to ramp up defense spending and develop a collective security strategy. “Two percent is not enough. It is the absolute minimum,” Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told VOA, echoing President-elect Trump on his demand for European nations to spend more on their defense. The Polish defense minister added that nations that fall short risk losing influence in strategic decisions. “Europe must do more for security, not to replace the Americans in Europe, but to keep them in Europe,” he said. “Poland’s role will be crucial during this time,” Mykola Kniazhytsky, co-chair of the Ukrainian parliamentary group on relations with Poland, told VOA. He emphasized that Poland has been a strong ally of Ukraine, and with its leadership in the EU, he hopes it “will help to build a stronger defense system within the union.” In addition to security, Poland aims to bolster the EU’s economic resilience. That includes fostering competitiveness, enhancing trade independence, and addressing energy challenges exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. The vice president … “Poland assumes EU council presidency amid challenges” →

The European Union on Wednesday dismissed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s refusal to rule out a military attack to take control of Denmark’s autonomous territory of Greenland as “wild hypothetical stuff,” while confirming that EU states would be compelled to defend the island if Trump invaded it. Trump, set to be inaugurated for a second, nonconsecutive term in the White House on Jan. 20, refused at a news conference Tuesday to rule out military action to take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island and earlier had vowed to slap high tariffs on Denmark if it refused to cede control. The Brussels-based 27-nation bloc, long a U.S. ally, however, attempted to avoid being drawn into a verbal sparring match with Trump, saying it was “looking forward” to working with the incoming administration. As for Trump’s refusal to rule out military action to take over Greenland, a European Commission spokesperson said, “We are talking about fairly wild hypothetical stuff about an administration that hasn’t come in yet.” Another spokesperson added that the sovereignty of states had to be respected “as a matter of principle.” Asked if Greenland was covered by a mutual defense clause binding EU members to assist each other in case of attack, commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said that was the case. “But we are indeed speaking of something extremely theoretical on which we will not want to elaborate,” she said. Greenland is a mineral-rich autonomous territory of EU member Denmark and an associated territory of the EU. Trump has long publicly hypothesized about taking over Greenland, saying Tuesday, “We need Greenland for national security purposes,” arguing that Denmark should give it up to “protect the free world.” Aside from minerals on the island, it is a strategic Arctic shipping portal, especially as ice floes melt at the top of the world as the planet warms. Trump earlier in the day wrote on social media that the potential American takeover of Greenland “is a deal that must happen” and uploaded photos of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who was visiting Greenland. “MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN,” Trump added. Panama and Canada At his news conference, Trump also refused to rule out military action to secure control of the Panama Canal and use economic force against neighboring Canada to gain the upper hand in trade deals or merge the two countries. “Canada and the United States, that would really be something,” Trump … “European Union rebuffs Trump’s designs on Greenland takeover” →

YAOUNDE — Chad’s government has reiterated its order for French troops to withdraw from the central African country before the end of this month, following remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron that African countries are ungrateful for France’s role in helping to fight jihadist insurgencies. Macron said on Monday that France did the right thing by deploying its military to the Sahel region but that the region failed to say thank you. Macron said the states of the Sahel region would have fallen under the control of jihadist insurgencies and would not be sovereign today without French intervention. Macron’s statements sparked a wave of anger and disbelief across Africa. Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby said Tuesday that Macron’s declaration dishonored and disrespected Africa. Deby accused Macron of being in the wrong era — and said that France has until the end of January to withdraw its troops. A special commission created by Chad’s government to supervise the withdrawal of French troops also met in N’Djamena. Chadian Prime Minister Allamaye Halina, who chaired the meeting, said Macron’s statements are an insult to Africa, which deployed over 200,000 soldiers conscripted from French colonies to help France battle Nazi Germany during World War II. Halina said France never gave significant assistance to Chadian troops, adding that Paris often focused only on achieving what he called French strategic interests. Caman Bedaou Oumar, a political affairs consultant and researcher at Chad’s Consortium for International Migration Studies, said there is an unprecedented wave of growing anti-French sentiment all over Africa, especially in Mali, Senegal, Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Niger, Gabon and Chad. Oumar said those nations, in particular, were places where France attempts to dominate politics by imposing people loyal to Paris as presidents. He said African countries are sovereign nations with militaries strong enough to assure the integrity of their territories. He added that Africans see the presence of France in countries that are rich in natural resources such as gold, uranium and oil as exploitative. France says its troops are in Africa to fight Islamic State and other terrorist groups. In 2012, French troops helped drive out Islamist militants who had seized control of northern Mali. But Senegal’s prime minister, Ousmane Sonko, said Macron’s assertion that France is helping Africa to maintain peace and protect its sovereignty is wrong. In addition to Chad, Senegal and Ivory Coast have demanded the departure of French … “Chadian leaders denounce Macron’s remarks, order French troops out of Chad this month” →

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was freed from an Iranian prison Wednesday and was flying home, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office said. Her release came three weeks after she was detained in Tehran while working on a journalist visa. Iran had accused Sala of “violating the law of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Meloni’s office praised the “intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels” in securing Sala’s release. Iran has denied any link between Sala’s detention and the arrest of an Iranian businessman days earlier days by Italian authorities. The United States accused the Iranian of illegally supplying drone parts used in an attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. Iran has denied involvement in the strike. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. …

Ukrainian forces carried out what Russian officials said Wednesday was a mass drone attack on the Saratov region, causing damage to an industrial enterprise. Saratov Governor Roman Busargin said the attack targeted the neighboring cities of Saratov and Engels, an area that is home to an airbase for Russian bomber planes. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones in the Saratov region, but did not say anything about damage in the area. Ukrainian drone attacks are typically focused on the areas directly along the Ukraine-Russia border, with some targeting regions further into Russia. Saratov is located in southwestern Russia about 450 kilometers from Ukraine. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it also destroyed 21 total Ukrainian drones over Kursk, Rostov, Belgorod, Bryansk, Krasnodar, Volgograd and the Sea of Azov. Ukraine’s military said Wednesday that Russian attacks overnight included 64 drones mostly targeting areas in central Ukraine. Air defenses destroyed 41 of the drones over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy and Zhytomyr regions, the Ukrainian air force said. Officials in Sumy said the attacks damaged a house and injured one person. Some information for this report was provided Reuters …

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s foreign ministry called upon Paris to review its “unconstructive” approach, a few days before Tehran is set to hold a new round of talks about its nuclear program with major European countries. On Monday, Emmanuel Macron said Tehran’s uranium enrichment drive is nearing a point of no return and warned that European partners in a moribund 2015 nuclear deal with Iran should consider reimposing sanctions if no progress is reached. “Untrue claims by a government that has itself refused to fulfill its obligations under the nuclear deal and has played a major role in (Israel’s) acquisition of nuclear weapons is deceitful and projective,” Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on X on Wednesday. France, Germany and Britain were co-signatories to the 2015 deal in which Iran agreed to curb enrichment, seen by the West as a disguised effort to develop nuclear-weapons capability, in return for lifting international sanctions. Iran says it is enriching uranium for peaceful purposes and has stepped up the program since U.S. President-elect Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the 2015 deal during his first term of office and restored tough U.S. sanctions on Tehran. French, German and British diplomats are set to hold a follow-up meeting with Iranian counterparts on Jan. 13 after one in November held to discuss the possibility of serious negotiations in coming months to defuse tensions with Tehran, as Trump is due to return to the White House on Jan. 20. Baghaei did not mention French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot’s comment regarding three French citizens held in Iran. Barrot said on Tuesday that future ties and any lifting of sanctions on Iran would depend on their release. …

With temperatures dipping below freezing this week in Moldova’s Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria, the end of an agreement to ship natural gas from Russia through Ukraine has led to rolling blackouts, idle factories and a lack of hot water. Ukraine decided not to renew a five-year gas transfer deal with Russia’s state-controlled energy giant Gazprom. The agreement, which was negotiated before the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, allowed natural gas shipments across Ukrainian territories to countries in Europe. Before the war, Russian pipelines supplied 40% of Europe’s natural gas. Now, that figure is about 8%, according to data from the European Commission. Ukraine’s energy minister, Herman Halushchenko, confirmed Kyiv had stopped the transit “in the interest of national security,” according to The Associated Press.  The European Commission has repeatedly emphasized that ending the transfer of Russian natural gas across Ukraine was not a surprise and that countries had time to prepare for it.  But in Transnistria, a sliver of territory wedged between the Dniester River and the Ukrainian border, the end of the agreement is a serious matter. The pro-Russia separatist enclave, which fought against Moldova in 1992, declared a state of emergency over the end of the shipments. Moldova’s Foreign Ministry told VOA in a statement that parts of the country west of the Dniester River — which includes most of Moldova’s population and the nation’s capital, Chișinau — was preparing to stop supplies from Russia and has been buying gas on European markets, albeit at a higher price.    Moldovan authorities said they offered to help the breakaway region obtain gas from European markets. In response, Transnistria’s “Foreign Ministry” claimed Moldova was attempting “to manipulate public opinion by providing false information.”  In a statement issued on January 6, it said: “Transnistria has not received any specific forms of assistance or adequate practical support from the Moldovan side. There is none today.” Moldova’s pro-Western prime minister, Dorin Recean, said that by “jeopardizing the future of the protectorate it has supported for three decades in an attempt to destabilize Moldova, Russia is demonstrating the inevitable outcome for all its allies: betrayal and isolation.” “We view this as a security crisis aimed at allowing pro-Russian forces to return to power in Moldova and use our territory as a weapon against Ukraine, with which we share a 1,200-kilometer border,” Recean said. “The Moldovan government remains committed to supporting all citizens … “Russian gas shipments through Ukraine end; creating trouble for Transnistria” →

WASHINGTON — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday held an omnibus press conference at his Florida estate, where he explained his stances on key foreign policy issues as he prepares to take office in two weeks. He forcefully called for the release of hostages seized in Israel more than a year ago by militant group Hamas, saying, emphatically — six times — that “all hell will break loose” otherwise. The Palestinian group’s stunning terror attack on civilians in Israel sparked a brutal conflict that has since inflamed the region and killed tens of thousands of civilians. His Middle East envoy had, moments before, joined Trump at the podium to brief reporters on his recent high-level talks in the region, saying that his team was “on the verge” of a deal and that he would travel back in coming days. “I don’t want to hurt your negotiation,” Trump said to Steve Witkoff. “But if they’re not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East, and it will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone.” On Ukraine, he expressed interest in meeting with Russia’s leader and repeated his vow to get the conflict in Ukraine “straightened out.” Trump has not explained how he would do this. When asked about a key demand in Ukraine’s peace plan — that it be allowed to join NATO — Trump said, “My view is that it was always understood” that Ukraine would not be admitted to the security alliance. He repeated his tariff threats against Canada and Mexico and his line that Canada should be a U.S. state, and he floated a name change, saying: “We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.” Thessalia Merivaki, an associate teaching professor at Georgetown University, said Trump often uses bluster as a strategy. “So, Trump has a record of just floating controversial ideas and positions to attract attention and generate interest and media coverage,” she said. Foreign policy Trump has not said how the United States will acquire control of Greenland, the large North American island that is an autonomous territory of Denmark. On Tuesday, he repeated his stance that “we need them for economic security.” When asked directly if he would commit to not use military or economic coercion to back his increasingly voluble … “Trump: ‘All hell will break out’ if Hamas hostages not returned” →

The eldest son of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump arrived in Greenland on Tuesday for a private visit that heightened speculation that the incoming U.S. administration could seek to take control of the mineral-rich Danish territory. The Danish state broadcaster reported that Donald Trump Jr.’s plane landed in Nuuk, capital of the vast and icy territory that has some 57,000 residents. Local media broadcast footage of him walking across a snowy tarmac. In a statement, Greenland’s government said that Trump Jr.’s visit would take place “as a private individual” and not as an official visit and that Greenlandic representatives would not meet with him. Greenland is an autonomous territory that’s part of Denmark. Mininguaq Kleist, permanent secretary for the Greenland Foreign Affairs department, told The Associated Press that authorities were informed that Trump Jr. would stay for about four to five hours. Neither Trump Jr.’s delegation nor Greenlandic government officials had requested a meeting, Kleist said. The visit nonetheless had political overtones. The president-elect recently voiced a desire — also expressed during his first presidency — to acquire the territory in the Arctic, an area of strategic importance for the United States, China, Russia and others. The world’s largest island, Greenland sits between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans and is home to a large U.S. military base. It is 80% covered by an ice sheet. “I am hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA.’ My son, Don Jr., and various representatives, will be traveling there to visit some of the most magnificent areas and sights,” the president-elect posted on his social media site Monday night, referring to his “Make America Great Again” slogan. “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our nation,” Trump wrote. “We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside world. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede has called for independence from Denmark, saying in a New Year’s speech that it would be a way for Greenland to free itself from its colonial past. But Egede has also said he has no interest in Greenland becoming part of the United States, insisting that the island is not for sale. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday that the future of Greenland would be decided by Greenland and called the United States Denmark’s most important ally. Denmark’s King Frederik X has … “Trump Jr. arrives in Greenland after his father said US should own it” →

London — In a major shift in West Africa’s security landscape, Ivory Coast and Senegal, regional economic powerhouses, have ordered France to remove its troops from their territories. The withdrawals will mark the effective end of a decadeslong military presence by France in Senegal and Ivory Coast. But why is this happening? Geoffroy Julien Kouao, an Ivorian political scientist, explained that it is part of a broader strategy by African nations wanting to forge new partnerships. “I think that African politicians want to diversify their relations, especially with the countries of the global south, such as China, Turkey, Brazil, the Arab monarchies of the Gulf, but also with Russia,” he said.  Ivory Coast and Senegal are following in the footsteps of Sahel countries that are fighting a war against jihadis linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida. After almost 10 years of French military involvement failed to stop escalating terrorist violence in the Sahel, the former colonial power began removing its troops from the region in 2022.  “Coastal countries like Senegal and Ivory Coast are part of the new dynamic initiated by the Sahel states, such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad,” Kouao said. “These countries are looking for more sovereignty and above all [politicians] don’t want to go against public opinion, which favors the departure of French troops.” Public opinion in West Africa has become critical of French and Western military presence in the region. Many see it as a continuation of colonial ties. It has even become the source of debunked conspiracy theories that France is supporting terrorist groups.  Rinaldo Depagne, West Africa project director for the International Crisis Group, doubts the French military departure will improve security in Senegal and Ivory Coast, which border the Sahel countries and have seen terrorist attacks spilling over from them. “The expansion of jihadism in the north of the coastal countries has been slow, but fairly constant since 2020,” Depagne said. “It is not certain that the departure of French troops, and more broadly of foreign troops, will make a big difference, except perhaps in terms of information.” Asked if Senegal and Ivory Coast could seek military partnerships with Russia, as some Sahel countries have, Depagne said that.the presence of French troops in the Sahel between 2013 and 2022 did not restore security, and that the Russian troops currently engaged in the Sahel haven’t done any better. He said that this is … “Why Ivory Coast, Senegal asked French troops to leave” →

Paris — Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front who was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, has died. He was 96. Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally as the party is now known, confirmed Le Pen’s death in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday. A polarizing figure in French politics, Le Pen’s controversial statements, including Holocaust denial, led to multiple convictions and strained his political alliances. Le Pen, who once reached the second round of the 2002 presidential election, was eventually estranged from his daughter, Marine Le Pen, who renamed his National Front party, kicked him out and transformed it into one of France’s most powerful political forces while distancing herself from her father’s extremist image Despite his exclusion from the party in 2015, Le Pen’s divisive legacy endures, marking decades of French political history and shaping the trajectory of the far right. His death came at a crucial time for his daughter. She now faces a potential prison term and a ban on running for political office if convicted in the embezzling trial currently underway. A fixture for decades in French politics, the fiery Jean-Marie Le Pen was a wily political strategist and gifted orator who used his charisma to captivate crowds with his anti-immigration message. The portly, silver-haired son of a Breton fisherman viewed himself as a man with a mission — to keep France French under the banner of the National Front. Picking Joan of Arc as the party’s patron saint, Le Pen made Islam, and Muslim immigrants, his primary target, blaming them for the economic and social woes of France. A former paratrooper and Foreign Legionnaire who fought in Indochina and Algeria, he led sympathizers into political and ideological battles with a panache that became a signature of his career. “If I advance, follow me; if I die, avenge me; if I shirk, kill me,” Le Pen said at a 1990 party congress, reflecting the theatrical style that for decades fed the fervor of followers. Le Pen had recently been exempted from prosecution on health grounds from a high-profile trial over his party’s suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds that opened in September. Le Pen had 11 prior convictions, including for violence against a public official and antisemitic hate speech. French judicial authorities placed Le Pen under legal … “Jean-Marie Le Pen, French far-right leader, dies at 96 “ →

Paris — France on Tuesday commemorated the victims of the deadly assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine 10 years ago that began a spate of Islamist militant attacks on the country and stoked a debate on press freedoms that still rages today. Two masked al Qaeda-linked gunmen with assault rifles stormed what were then the offices of Charlie Hebdo and killed 12 people. The attackers sought to avenge the Prophet Mohammad nearly a decade after the atheist and frequently provocative weekly published cartoons mocking the Prophet. The killings spurred an outpouring of national sympathy expressed in the slogan “Je Suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) and prompted an impassioned debate about freedom of expression and religion in secular France. “There were scenes I will never forget,” former French President Francois Hollande told Reuters. “We had to act and we did so responsibly, aware that we weren’t finished and that there would be other tragedies. And there were.” President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will lead the commemorations, which include a wreath-laying ceremony and a minute’s silence at three locations in the capital. Al Qaeda’s Yemen branch had placed Charlie Hebdo’s then editor, Stephane Charbonnier, on its “wanted list” after the magazine first ran the images of the Prophet Mohammad in 2006. Two attackers born and raised in France stormed Charlie Hebdo’s offices on Jan. 7, 2015, spraying gunfire. They killed eight members of the editorial team, including Charbonnier, and four other people before being shot dead by police. Over the next two days, another French-born man killed a policewoman and four Jewish hostages in a kosher supermarket in a Paris suburb. He was also shot dead by police. More than 250 people have been killed in France in Islamist violence since then, laying bare the struggle the country has faced to counter the threat posed by militants. Freedom of speech The anniversary has prompted renewed reflection in France about press freedoms. Hollande expressed concern that there was growing self-censorship stemming from fear. “Should we publish drawings, project certain images, or compile reports when we know they may hurt personalities or communities? There is a form of self-censorship that has taken root,” he said. Charlie Hebdo published a special edition to mark the anniversary, depicting a man sitting on the butt of gun in front of the word “Indestructible!” on its cover. “Today the values of Charlie Hebdo — such … “France commemorates victims of Charlie Hebdo attacks 10 years on “ →

Russia’s military said Monday its forces captured an important town in eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian officials cited tens of thousands of Russian casualties in the fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. The Russian Defense Ministry said its control of the town of Kurakhove after several months of fighting for the logistics hub will allow the Russian military to more quickly advance elsewhere in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials did not confirm the loss of Kurakhove on Monday, with the military’s General Staff saying in a late Monday report that Russian forces had launched attacks on Ukrainian positions in the town. Russian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Monday that the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, which began five months ago, had caused 38,000 Russian military casualties. “The Russians have deployed their strongest units to Kursk, including soldiers from North Korea. Importantly, all this manpower cannot now be redirected to other fronts – neither to the Donetsk region, nor against Sumy, the Kharkiv region or Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskyy said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier Monday that North Korea and China are the “biggest ongoing drivers” allowing Russia to carry out its war in Ukraine, and that security assurances will need to be a part of potential future negotiations ending the conflict. Speaking during a visit to South Korea, Blinken said North Korean supplies of artillery, ammunition and troops, along with Chinese support for Russia’s military industrial base are giving the Russian military the backing it needs to continue carrying out the fight it started in February 2022. He said North Korea is already seeing a return on its involvement in the conflict in the form of Russian military equipment and training for North Korea troops. “We believe it has the intent to share space and satellite technology with the DPRK,” Blinken said. With only two weeks left in the Biden administration, the United States has been rushing to send remaining authorized aid to Ukraine amid uncertainty about how President-elect Donald Trump may approach the war. Blinken said Monday the U.S. has been trying to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, and to have the “strongest possible hand” at a future negotiating table with Russia. “If there is going to be, at some point, a ceasefire, it’s not going to be, in Putin’s mind, ‘game over’,” Blinken said. “His imperial ambitions remain, and what he will … “Russia claims capture of town in Ukraine’s Donetsk region” →

UNITED NATIONS — The United States accused Russia at the United Nations on Monday of funding the two warring parties in Sudan, an apparent step up from Washington’s previous assertion that Moscow was playing both sides of the conflict to advance its political objectives. The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis. In November Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution that called on the warring parties to immediately cease hostilities and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. The remaining 14 council members voted in favor of the text. “Russia chose obstruction: standing alone as it voted to imperil civilians, while funding both sides of the conflict – yes, that’s what I said: both sides,” the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the council on Monday, without giving further details. When asked to elaborate, a spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the U.N. said Washington was aware of Russia’s “ongoing interest in Sudan’s gold trade” and condemns any material support for the warring parties – “whether it be through illicit gold trading or the provision of military equipment.” “We believe Sudanese authorities’ gold mining cooperation with sanctioned Russian entities and individuals could prove inimical to Sudan’s long-term interests and the aspirations of the Sudanese people for an end to the war,” the U.S. mission to the U.N. spokesperson said. In response, Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said: “We regret that the U.S. tries to judge other world powers by its own yardstick.” “It’s obvious that in the Pax Americana which our American colleagues try to preserve at any price, relations with other countries are built only on their exploitation and criminal schemes aimed at U.S. enrichment,” he said. Reuters was unable to immediately contact Sudan’s warring parties for comment. In December, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia rejected what he called “fabrications spread by Western countries and their media” that Moscow was trying to play both sides to gain an advantage from the war. At what she said would likely be her last council meeting, Thomas-Greenfield became visibly emotional while addressing her counterparts on Sudan, a crisis that has been a focus for her during her four years at the world body. “For all the disappointment that I … “U.S. accuses Russia of funding both sides of Sudan’s war” →