BLOGONITY

U.S.-based supporters of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny marked one year since his sudden and unexplained death in an arctic prison with vigils and protests in many U.S. cities, including Washington, New York and Los Angeles. VOA Russian correspondents spoke to Navalny supporters who urged the U.S. authorities to demand a release of Russian political prisoners as part of a U.S.-Russia deal on the war in Ukraine.  Click here for the full story in Russian.  …

Germany is set to hold an election on Sunday, with voter frustrations over migration and the cost of living at the forefront of a bitter campaign. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the lead candidate to be Germany’s next chancellor has accused Washington of interfering in the election. …

A British couple detained in Iran last month has been charged with spying, Iran’s state media reported Tuesday.   Britain’s Foreign Office has identified the couple as Craig and Lindsay Foreman.  “The detained individuals entered the country as tourists and collected information in several provinces of the country,” reported Iran’s judiciary-affiliated Mizan news agency. Iran has accused the couple of having connections with “hostile countries.”    “We are deeply concerned by reports that two British nationals have been charged with espionage in Iran,” a British Foreign Office spokesman said Tuesday. “We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities.”  The Associated Press reported that Hugo Shorter, Britain’s ambassador to Iran, has met with the couple in the southern city of Kerman, where they are jailed, with Iranian government officials in attendance.    The Foreign Office said it is providing the couple with consular assistance and is in close contact with their family.  The couple’s family said in a statement on Saturday, after the couple’s arrest, “This unexpected turn of events has caused significant concern for our entire family, and we are deeply focused on ensuring their safety and well-being during this trying time.” The family said it is “united on our determination to secure their safe return.”   The two were traveling around the world on motorbikes, according to an AP report, which said that they crossed Armenia’s border into Iran on December 30.    Iran has long used Western detainees to gain concessions in negotiations with Western countries, a move Tehran denies.   Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France Presse.   …

Ukrainian soldier Andriy Chernytskyi came up with a project to build a kids’ playground in his hometown – but didn’t live to see it come to fruition. The playground is now open. Tetiana Kukurika has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by Sergiy Rybchynski. …

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the United States is working toward a “fair” and “sustainable” solution to end Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine, but that both Moscow and Kyiv would have to make concessions to achieve peace. Rubio offered his assessment after he and other key U.S. officials met for several hours in Saudi Arabia with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his aides in a first effort toward ending the war and improving the contentious Washington-Moscow relationship. “The goal is to bring an end to this conflict in a way that’s fair, enduring, sustainable and acceptable to all parties involved,” Rubio told reporters, although no Ukrainian or European officials were at the table for the talks. Rubio said he was “convinced” that Moscow was willing to engage in a “serious process” to end the war, which Russia started with a full-scale invasion of its neighbor three years ago next week. Tens of thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers, along with Ukrainian civilians, have been killed in the fighting, Europe’s worst conflict since World War II. The U.S. and Russia agreed to “appoint respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. Bruce characterized the meeting as “an important step forward” toward peace. Rubio said Ukraine and European nations would have to be involved in talks on ending the war. He said that if the war is halted, the U.S. would have “extraordinary opportunities … to partner” with Russia on trade and other global issues. “The key to unlock that is the end to this conflict,” he said. National security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff joined Rubio for the talks. Waltz told reporters that negotiations to end the fighting will focus on territory and security guarantees for both Ukraine and Russia.   “This needs to be a permanent end to the war and not a temporary end, as we’ve seen in the past,” Waltz said. Russia now controls about a fifth of Ukraine’s internationally recognized 2014 territory. Moscow controls the Crimean Peninsula that it unilaterally annexed in 2014, along with a large portion of eastern Ukraine pro-Russian separatists captured in subsequent fighting and lands the Russian military have taken over since the 2022 invasion. As the invasion started, Moscow hoped for a quick … “Rubio: US looks for ‘fair, sustainable’ end to Russian war on Ukraine” →

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who began his fifth day in hospital on Tuesday for what doctors have described as a “complex” respiratory infection, will not take part in this weekend’s Holy Year events, the Vatican said on Tuesday.  The 88-year-old pontiff has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Friday.  A planned public papal audience set for Saturday had been canceled “due to the health condition of the Holy Father,” the Vatican said in a brief statement.   A papal mass scheduled for Sunday will still take place, but will be led instead by a senior Vatican official, it added.  The Vatican said on Monday that doctors had changed the pope’s drug therapy for the second time during his hospital stay to tackle a “complex clinical situation.” They described it as a “polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract.”    Doctors say polymicrobial diseases can be caused by a mix of viruses, bacteria and fungi.  Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has had influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years. As a young adult he developed pleurisy and had part of one lung removed, and in recent times has been prone to lung infections.  …

ISTANBUL — Turkish police detained 282 suspected members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, militant group in raids over the last five days, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday. The raids came as Turkey continues to remove elected pro-Kurdish mayors from their posts over militant ties in a crackdown coinciding with hopes for an end to a 40-year conflict between the PKK and authorities. Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is expected to make a statement on such efforts, four months after an ally of President Tayyip Erdogan urged him to call on the militants to lay down their arms. Police carried out this week’s counter-terror raids in 51 provinces, as well as in the capital, Ankara, and the largest city of Istanbul, the minister said on X. The suspects were accused of conducting PKK propaganda, providing financing for the group, recruiting members and joining in street protests, he said. The police seized two AK 47 rifles among other weapons. On Saturday, Turkey removed a pro-Kurdish DEM Party mayor from his post in the eastern province of Van over terrorism-related convictions, taking to eight the number of DEM mayors replaced by state-appointed officials since 2024 elections. The PKK, designated as a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, launched its insurgency against the state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. …

A Russian drone hit an apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Dolynska, officials said Tuesday, injuring at least three people. Andriy Raikovych, governor of the Kirovohrad region where the attack took place, said on Telegram that authorities evacuated dozens of people from the building and that those injured included a mother and two children. The attack was part of a widespread Russian aerial assault overnight, which the Ukrainian military said included 176 drones. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 103 of the drones, with intercepts taking place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr regions, the military said Tuesday. Cherkasy Governor Ihor Taburets said on Telegram that debris from a destroyed drone damaged four houses in his region. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it destroyed five Ukrainian drones, including four over the Voronezh region and one over Belgorod. Both regions are located along the Russia-Ukraine border and are frequent targets of Ukrainian drone attacks. Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said on Telegram there were no reports of casualties or damage. Some information for this story was provided by Reuters …

Top U.S. and Russian diplomats are set to meet Tuesday in Saudi Arabia for discussions about relations between their countries and a potential end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Both sides have tempered expectations, describing the talks as an initial step that could lay the framework for direct talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading the U.S. delegation, which also includes national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Wikoff. Russia’s side includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and senior Putin aide Yuri Ushakov. Ukrainian leaders said they were not invited to participate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to host U.S. envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg for talks on Wednesday. The U.S.-Russia engagement sparked concern among European leaders who in recent days have highlighted the need for Ukraine to be involved in discussions about its own future, and for European nations to play a role in what they also see as a key development in their own security. French President Emmanuel Macron convened a group of European leaders for a Monday session in Paris where they discussed boosting defense spending and potential security guarantees for Ukraine. There was division on the idea of deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of a potential end to the war, with governments such as Britain and Sweden expressing openness to the idea while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that discussion was premature. “We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine. To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians,” Macron said on X. The French leader said he had spoken with Trump and Zelenskyy after the Paris talks, and that it is important for Europeans, Americans and Ukrainians to work together. Zelenskyy expressed a need for “robust and reliable” security guarantees, saying that otherwise Russia will just start another war with Ukraine or other nations in Europe. …

PARIS — European leaders called for beefing up their defense spending Monday after a Paris summit on Ukraine and the region’s security — amid concerns about an aggressive Russia and declining support from Washington. The emergency meeting comes ahead of U.S.-Russian talks on ending the war in Ukraine — which it appears could leave out the Europeans. The summit, called by French President Emmanuel Macron, came as Europeans confront a shift in transatlantic relations under the new administration U.S. President Donald Trump. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said European security was at a “turning point.” Ahead of the Paris talks — gathering European Union, NATO and British leaders — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described efforts to introduce competition between the European Union and the United States as senseless and potentially dangerous. Ian Lesser, who heads the Brussels office of the German Marshall Fund policy institute, said there are two big issues on the agenda for European leaders in the near term. “It’s all about what can be done for and with Ukraine, in anticipation of the United States doing less, and possibly in anticipation of having to guarantee a settlement or at least a ceasefire,” Lesser said. “The other long-term question, which is some ways more serious, is how to secure Europe’s defense with the United States potentially absent in the years to come And there, I think, there’s very little consensus, and it’s a very big and expensive and long-term project for Europe.” Top U.S. and Russian officials were to hold talks Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to discuss Ukraine and a possible summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Neither Ukraine nor the Europeans have been invited. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country is willing to send troops to Ukraine as part of any peace deal. Other European leaders say that’s premature. Meanwhile, the foreign minister of Hungary, which is close to both Russia and the Trump administration, said the Paris talks undermine peace. Leaders in Paris also discussed ways to rapidly increase Europe’s own defense capabilities and support for Ukraine. “Increased spending at home, increased defense production, increased sizes of armies, increased intelligence cooperation, increased training — all of this is to happen, in addition to supplying Ukraine so its front line doesn’t collapse,” said Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank in London. … “European leaders gather for emergency summit on defense, Ukraine” →

London — European leaders held a crisis security meeting Monday in Paris after a blizzard of diplomatic interventions by Washington in recent days that have raised doubts over the U.S. commitment to the transatlantic alliance, the bedrock of European security.  British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders were among those attending the emergency summit at the Elysee Palace.  Starmer spoke to reporters after the meeting.  “At stake is not just the future of Ukraine. It is an existential question for Europe as a whole and therefore vital for Britain’s national interest,” he said.  “It’s clear the U.S. is not going to leave NATO. But we Europeans will have to do more. The issue of burden-sharing is not new, but it is now pressing. And Europeans will have to step up, both in terms of spending and the capabilities that we provide.”  “Europe must play its role, and I’m prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others, if there is a lasting peace agreement. … But there must be a U.S. backstop, because a U.S. security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again,” Starmer told reporters in Paris.  Scholz, who faces elections at the end of this week, echoed calls for Europe and Ukraine to be part of the peace talks.  “It is now very clear to us that we must continue to support Ukraine. And it must and can rely on us that this will be the case. We welcome the fact that there are talks on peace development, but it must be and is clear to us — this does not mean that there can be a dictated peace and that Ukraine must accept what is presented to it,” Scholz said.  Ukraine aid  A series of policy shifts by Washington over the past week have transformed Europe’s geopolitical calculations.  U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO allies last week that Europe must provide the overwhelming share of aid for Ukraine as it fights Russian invaders.  “Now is the time to invest, because you can’t make an assumption that America’s presence will last forever,” Hegseth said in a Friday speech in Warsaw.  “The reality that returning to 2014 borders as part of a negotiated settlement is unlikely. The reality of U.S. troops in Ukraine is … “European leaders hold crisis security talks as US signals transatlantic reset” →

European leaders held a crisis meeting Monday in Paris to discuss Ukrainian and European security. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the meeting comes after a blizzard of diplomatic interventions by Washington that have raised doubts over the U.S. commitment to the transatlantic alliance, the bedrock of European security. …

NICOSIA, CYPRUS — A pair of agreements outlining how sizable natural gas deposits inside Cypriot waters will get to market via processing facilities in Egypt are a milestone for energy cooperation, Cyprus’ president said Monday.  President Nikos Christodoulides said the cooperation between Cyprus and Egypt is helping to define the regional energy map, calling the agreements “game-changers” that are “pivotal for our strategic partnership.”  The first agreement between Egypt, Cyprus and a consortium made up of energy companies Total of France and Italy’s Eni foresees piping natural gas from a deposit known as Cronos to Egyptian facilities where it will be liquefied and processed for export to markets including Europe.  The Eni-Total consortium, which holds exploratory licenses for four of the 13 areas or blocks inside Cyprus’ offshore economic zone, will make a final decision on how it will extract and convey the gas before the summer this year.  Eni Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi called the agreement a decisive step toward creating an energy hub in the eastern Mediterranean.  Officials haven’t disclosed how large the Cronos deposit is, but it’s believed to hold more than the Aphrodite deposit — the first gas field discovered inside Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone in 2011 — that’s estimated to contain 4.5 trillion cubic feet of gas.  The second agreement between Egypt, Cyprus and a consortium composed of Chevron, NewMed Energy and Shell sets out the framework under which the Aphrodite deposit will be developed and monetized.  The Aphrodite deal comes three days after the Cypriot government and the Chevron-led consortium approved a revised development and production plan for the deposit that includes a floating platform that processes extracted natural gas as well as a pipeline link to Egypt.  Cypriot Energy Minister George Papanastasiou said last month the options of whether to use Aphrodite gas for Egypt’s domestic energy needs or to process it for export are still being weighed.  Christodoulides also held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on the two countries’ next energy cooperation goals as well as regional developments.  Christodoulides also met on the sidelines of Egypt’s energy exhibition EGYPES 2025 with ExxonMobil’s Vice President for Global Exploration John Ardill.  ExxonMobil and partners Qatar Petroleum — which hold exploration licenses for two Cypriot blocks — are currently drilling a new well near the existing Glaucus deposit, which is estimated to contain 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet of gas.  Papanastasiou has … “Getting Cyprus natural gas to market via Egypt hailed as milestone” →

ATHENS — The Greek government’s chief seismologist says the frequency of earthquakes affecting Santorini and nearby islands has eased in recent days, but that the outlook for continued tremors in the coming weeks remains uncertain. “Unfortunately, for now, we must wait. These seismic sequences do not end quickly. They follow their own timeline,” seismologist Costas Papazachos told state-run ERT radio Monday. “Hopefully, this particular sequence will surprise us in a positive way and resolve itself sooner rather than later,” he said. A state of emergency has been declared on Santorini and the nearby islands of Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi after a swarm of undersea earthquakes this month – sometimes felt every few minutes – prompted thousands of residents and workers to move to the Greek mainland. Schools on the islands remain closed for a third week, while security services have set up rescue teams and backup power generators as part of precautionary measures. The government announced Monday that an emergency port facility was being established on Santorini in case of a wide-scale evacuation. Papazachos, a professor of geophysics at the University of Thessaloniki, currently serves as the representative of two emergency committees that include scientists and officials from government, the military, and emergency services. He said Santorini, a volcanic island shaped by catastrophic eruptions, did not face danger from its dormant volcano, but noted that magma was affecting the tremors. “The root cause of the activity is the interaction of tectonic and magmatic processes,” he said. “That does not mean that the molten material – the magma – will manage to break through 8 kilometers [5 miles] of crust and reach the surface, causing a new volcanic eruption.” Scientists were developing a clearer picture after gathering data from multiple sensors, he said. “We are monitoring not only seismographs but also numerous other systems that track ground deformation, gas emissions, and satellite data,” he said. “At this moment, I can honestly say we do not have a definitive forecast, as it is too early to assess the current slight de-escalation of seismic activity. We have encountered many surprises.” Earthquakes of up to magnitude 5.1 were recorded Monday in the undersea area bordered by the four islands which remain under a state of emergency. …

Russia has freed a U.S. citizen arrested earlier this month on drug smuggling charges, according to Russian media reports and a U.S. official.  The move appears to be an effort to ease tensions between Moscow and Washington ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.  Kalob Byers, 28, was detained on Feb. 7 at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport after customs officials allegedly found cannabis-laced marmalade in his baggage. According to media reports, Byers had traveled from Istanbul with his Russian fiancee, who was also detained. The authorities said he had attempted to smuggle a “significant amount” of drugs into the country and put him in custody on the charges of drug smuggling, punishable by a prison term of up to 10 years.  Byers has been released from custody and is in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow where he is awaiting a flight home, Russian independent news outlet Meduza reported Monday, citing a Facebook post by his parents. A U.S. official confirmed to The Associated Press that Byers was released to the embassy late Sunday evening. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss sensitive matters.  Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday in response to a question about Byers that Moscow expects “to discuss restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations” at the talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, “so certain events can be viewed in this context.”  It wasn’t immediately clear whether Byers’ fiancee was also released. Russian media reports identified her as Naida Mambetova and said she was placed in pre-trial detention on the same charges.  Arrests of American nationals in Russia have become increasingly common in recent years, with relations between Moscow and Washington sinking to Cold War lows over the war in Ukraine. Some have been released in prisoner exchanges. The most recent one included Marc Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania imprisoned in Russia on charges similar to those Byers had faced.  Fogel was detained in 2021 when traveling to Russia to work at a school and handed a 14-year sentence for having what his family and supporters said was medically prescribed marijuana. He was released and brought back to the U.S. earlier this month in a swap that saw Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faced Bitcoin fraud charges in the U.S., returned to Russia.  The release of Fogel and Byers come as tensions between Russia and the … “American arrested in Moscow on drug smuggling charges freed” →

Vatican City — Doctors have changed treatment for Pope Francis’ respiratory tract infection to tackle a “complex clinical situation” and he will remain in hospital for as long as necessary, the Vatican said on Monday. “The results of the tests carried out in recent days and today have demonstrated a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract, which has led to a further modification of the therapy,” said a brief statement. “All tests conducted up to today are indicative of a complex clinical picture that will require an appropriate hospital stay,” it said. The 88-year-old pontiff has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Friday. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pontiff was “in good spirits.” He did not specify whether the pope was suffering from a bacterial or viral infection, but said a further update on the pope’s condition would be issued later on Monday. While a bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics, viral infections cannot. Viruses usually have to run their course, but the patient can be assisted with other medicines to bring down their fever or help their body fight the infection. A polymicrobial infection is one caused by two or more micro-organisms, and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The Vatican said on Monday that the pope’s planned weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square, set for Wednesday, had been cancelled “due to the continued hospitalization of the Holy Father.” The pope’s doctors had earlier ordered complete rest, and Francis was unable to deliver his regular weekly prayer on Sunday to pilgrims in St Peter’s Square or lead a special Mass for artists to mark the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year. ‘Quite worried’ by pope’s absence Pilgrims visiting the Vatican on Monday offered their hopes that Francis would recover soon. “We certainly wish for him to get better very quickly,” said Rev. Tyler Carter, a Catholic priest from the United States. “He is our father and our shepherd, and so we want his continued health and blessing.” Manuel Rossi, a tourist from Milan, Italy, said he was “quite worried” when the pope cancelled his appearance on Sunday. “I am 18 years old so I have seen few popes in my life, and am very close to him,” said Rossi. “I hope he recovers as soon as possible.” While in hospital over the weekend, the pope … “Doctors change pope’s treatment to tackle ‘complex’ situation, Vatican says” →

Taipei, Taiwan        — China has launched a new round of diplomatic outreach to European countries amid rising tension between the United States and its European allies. While top U.S. officials and European leaders clashed over issues such as values, democracy and Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held bilateral meetings with several top European officials, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “There is no fundamental conflict of interest or geopolitical conflicts between China and the EU,” Wang said during his meeting with Kallas on Saturday, adding that Beijing “supports all endeavors conducive to peace and backs Europe in playing a significant role” in the peace negotiation process regarding the war in Ukraine. The EU response was somewhat more reserved, with Kallas saying the EU was ready to “continue with dialogue and cooperate in selected areas, such as trade, economic affairs, and climate change.” He urged Beijing to halt exports of dual-use goods to Russia, which she said fuels Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Wang’s remarks were in stark contrast to U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s criticism of European countries. Instead of highlighting the threats posed by Russia and China, Vance accused European government of censoring right-wing parties and failing to control migration. “What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America,” he said in a defiant speech that stunned European officials in Munich. Several European leaders quickly rejected Vance’s remarks, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius saying the U.S. vice president’s characterization of European policies was “unacceptable.” The rare open clash between the U.S. and European countries came as top U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff flew to Saudi Arabia on Sunday for talks about the Ukraine-Russia war with Russian diplomats. To the surprise of many European leaders, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said in Munich that European countries wouldn’t be part of any peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which would be mediated by the U.S. Analysts say China’s effort to strengthen engagement with Europe is part of Beijing’s plan to take advantage of divisions between Washington and its European allies. … “China aims to improve ties with EU amid transatlantic tension” →