Category: European Union

Russia says it is closely watching the situation with Greenland, following US President-elect Donald Trump’s refusal to rule out military or economic measures to take control of the territory from Denmark. As Henry Ridgwell reports, geopolitical tensions are growing in the Arctic region amid rapid global warming. Camera: Henry Ridgwell …

KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukraine’s air force said on Friday on Russia attacked it with 72 drones overnight though it downed 33 of them while 34 others disappeared from radar without reaching their targets. Five drones struck various buildings in the northern region of Chernihiv, wounding one person, the air force said. One downed drone fell on a building in the capital Kyiv but did not cause casualties. Video footage filmed by Reuters carried the sound of an explosion and showed a fire burning in the distance in Kyiv during the overnight attack. More footage after daybreak showed the charred corner of a high-rise apartment block in Kyiv with windows blown out and a line of cars parked below suffering damage. Massed Russian aerial attacks using long-range drones have been a near-daily occurrence over Ukraine in the past several months, as Moscow looks to exhaust Kyiv’s air defenses almost three years into its full-scale war against its neighbor. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s army struck a supermarket on Friday in the Russian-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine in an attack that used U.S.-supplied missiles and wounded two people, a senior Russian-backed official said. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine and Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. Unverified photos posted on social media showed a burnt out car in front of a shattered two-story circular building surrounded by debris. Dashcam footage posted by a driver nearby appeared to show the moment the supermarket — called Moloko (Milk) — was struck, with an ensuing large explosion and flames soaring into the sky. Reuters was able to confirm the location from a nearby building’s facades, signages and road layout that matched satellite imagery and street view imagery. The date was verified by a timestamp on the footage. Denis Pushilin, a senior Russian-backed official, accused the Ukrainian army of firing U.S.-supplied HIMARS missiles into the area during the morning rush hour. Russia’s TASS state news agency said other buildings and around 15 cars had been damaged in the same attack. Pushilin said in a statement on his official Telegram account that an apartment building in the city of Svitlodarsk in the Donetsk region had also been struck by Ukrainian forces, killing one woman and wounding four others.  …

WASHINGTON — Russia’s efforts to obtain China’s help in enhancing artificial intelligence is seen as a bid to challenge America’s lead in the field even as the outgoing Biden administration is expected to impose new export control measures to further curb Beijing’s access to AI chips. As the new year began, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the country’s state-owned Sberbank, to work with China in researching and developing AI technology, according to the Kremlin. “The Russian president sees his country in global competition for AI with the United States and has positioned the state resources to try and compete with the U.S. in information and cyberspace – two areas where artificial intelligence is supposed to aid Russia in what they see as Western narratives and influence,” said Samuel Bendett, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Moscow views Beijing’s success in AI as an example to follow, and its “cooperation with China is viewed as a necessary step towards acquiring artificial intelligence-related skill sets, knowledge and technology,” Bendett told VOA in written comments. The U.S. currently leads in AI innovation, followed by China, which is falling behind by wide margins, according to a November report by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. Russia ranks 31st out of 83 countries in AI implementation, innovation and investment, according to U.K.-based Tortoise Media’s Global AI Index. Response to sanctions Western sanctions imposed on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have limited the country’s AI development, and Moscow has turned to Beijing to offset the restriction, according to Bendett in his report “The Role of AI in Russia’s Confrontation with the West.” Sberbank, which Putin instructed to collaborate with China, is under Western sanctions. It is Russia’s largest bank and leads the country’s AI development efforts. The outgoing Biden administration is expected to impose a new set of export control measures aimed at further limiting China’s ability to access chips that support AI technology. The new measures could come as early as Friday, according to Bloomberg. Sberbank CEO German Gref said in 2023 that Russia cannot obtain graphics processing units, microchips needed to support AI development, according to Reuters. But the bank’s first deputy CEO, Alexander Vedyakhin, said in December that despite Western sanctions, Russia can improve its AI ranking by 2030 through its own development. Another key area where Russia has sought to further apply AI help … “Russia turns to China to step up AI race against US” →

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — Denmark acknowledged Thursday that it had long neglected the defense of Greenland, a vast and strategically important Arctic island – and one that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has called vital for U.S. security. Trump, who takes office Jan. 20, said this week that U.S. control of Greenland – a sovereign Danish territory – was an “absolute necessity,” and he did not rule out using military or economic action against Denmark to make it happen. “We have neglected for many years to make the necessary investments in ships and in aircraft that will help monitor our kingdom, and that is what we are now trying to do something about,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told journalists. The U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen said earlier Thursday that the United States had no plans to increase its military presence in Greenland. “There are no plans to increase the United States’ current military footprint in Greenland,” the spokesperson told Reuters. “We will continue to work closely with Copenhagen and Nuuk [Greenland’s capital] to ensure any proposals meet our common security needs.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said late Thursday that she had asked for a meeting with Trump but did not expect one to happen ahead of his inauguration. US military presence Greenland has been controlled by Denmark for centuries, though its 57,000 people now govern their own domestic affairs. Its security and foreign affairs, however, are still handled by Copenhagen. The U.S. military maintains a permanent presence at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland’s northwest. Greenland is crucial for the U.S. military and its ballistic missile early-warning system, since the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the island. “I think that the Americans are quite concerned that Russia could actually launch or initiate a major attack against the United States, and that could be done from the Russian side,” Jens Wenzel at Nordic Defense Analysis told Reuters. “There is no real monitoring of the airspace in Greenland. It is largely a free-for-all,” he said. Greenland is already covered by U.S. security guarantees via Denmark’s membership in NATO. Frederiksen said this week that she could not imagine the United States would use military intervention in Greenland and said it was up to the people of Greenland to decide what they want. ‘Tightrope’ Frederiksen summoned leaders of Denmark’s political parties to a meeting Thursday for a briefing about Trump’s renewed … “Denmark says it has neglected Greenland defense for years “ →

london — Russia has said it is closely watching the situation with Greenland, following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s refusal to rule out military or economic measures to take control of the territory from Denmark. “We are observing this rather dramatic development of the situation, but so far, thank God, [it remains] at the level of statements,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday. “The Arctic zone is a zone of our national and strategic interests. We are present in the Arctic zone, and we will continue to be there,” Peskov added. The vast territory of Greenland — most of which lies above the Arctic Circle — has been officially part of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1953, although the island has its own government. National security Questioned at a news conference in Florida on Tuesday, Trump said the United States needs Greenland for security purposes, and he refused to rule out using economic or military means to achieve that goal. “People really don’t even know if Denmark has any legal right to it. But if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security. That’s for the free world. I’m talking about protecting the free world,” Trump said. “You have Chinese ships all over the place. You have Russian ships all over the place. We’re not letting that happen,” he added. Like much of the Arctic, Greenland is rapidly warming. That is changing the geopolitics of the region, said analyst Liana Fix of the Council on Foreign Relations. “The Arctic is increasingly becoming a zone of a great power competition and rivalry. And the United States is concerned it is losing this game,” Fix said. “The Arctic becomes much more accessible, both for trading goods but also for critical minerals, especially for rare earth [minerals],” Fix said. “And also it becomes increasingly a militarized zone,” she added, noting that Russia is cooperating with the Chinese coast guard in the region. Not for sale Denmark has made it clear that Greenland is not for sale. Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen rejected the suggestion that Trump’s comments presented a foreign policy crisis for his government. “I see a president who is on his way into the White House, who has a heightened focus on the Arctic, and I can understand that he has that. We also have that from the Danish side, and we also have that … “Russia ‘observing’ Greenland situation; Europe cautious on Trump remarks “ →

ROME — Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is traveling to Syria on Friday to encourage the country’s transition following the ouster of President Bashar Assad by Islamist insurgents, and said Europe should review its sanctions on Damascus now that the political situation has changed.  Tajani presided Thursday over a meeting in Rome of foreign ministry officials from five countries — Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States — and spoke earlier by telephone with his counterparts from Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The aim, he said, is to coordinate the various post-Assad initiatives, with Italy prepared to make proposals on private investments in health care for the Syrian population.  Going into the meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their European counterparts, Tajani said it was critical that all Syrians be recognized with equal rights. It was a reference to concerns about the rights of Christians and other minorities under Syria’s new de facto authorities of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, an Islamic militant group that the U.S. and United Nations have long designated as a terrorist organization.  “The first messages from Damascus have been positive. That’s why I’m going there tomorrow, to encourage this new phase that will help stabilize the international situation,” said Tajani.  Speaking to reporters, he said the European Union should discuss possible changes to the sanctions regime on Syria. “It’s an issue that should be discussed because Assad isn’t there anymore, it’s a new situation, and I think that the encouraging signals that are arriving should be further encouraged,” he said.  Syria has been under deeply isolating sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others for years as a result of Assad’s brutal response to what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and spiraled into civil war.  HTS led a lightning insurgency that ousted Assad on December 8 and ended his family’s decades-long rule. From 2011 until Assad’s downfall, Syria’s uprising and civil war killed an estimated 500,000 people.  The U.S. has gradually lifted some penalties since Assad departed Syria for protection in Russia. The Biden administration in December decided to drop a $10 million bounty it had offered for the capture of a Syrian rebel leader whose forces led the ouster of Assad last month.  Syria’s new leaders also have been urged to respect the rights of minorities and women. Many Syrian Christians, who made up 10% of the population … “Italy’s FM encourages post-Assad transition, calls for EU to review sanctions” →

In an exclusive interview with VOA, former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss issued a stark warning against China’s authoritarian ambitions and called for the West to adopt a tougher stance to protect global freedom. Truss laid out her vision for an “economic NATO” to deter Beijing, criticized the Labour government’s soft approach to China, and defended her controversial lobbying for a defense export license involving China. Click here to read the full story in Mandarin. …

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” →