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Russian Blogger Finally Allowed To Enter Georgia, Immediately Flies From Tbilisi To Lithuania
A blogger from Russia's North Caucasus facing terrorism charges that she says are an attempt to stop her investigative reporting has been allowed to enter Georgia after being stranded for more than two weeks in a neutral zone at the Russian-Georgian border.
Insa Lander, also known as Insa Oguz, told RFE/RL on June 29 that she had gone to Georgia and then flew on to Lithuania after Georgian authorities allowed her to enter the country on July 27.
Lander, who fled her native Kabardino-Balkaria region on June 12, was stuck in a neutral segment of the border as Georgian authorities refused to allow her to enter the country, saying she had given "controversial information about the goal of her visit to the country." They never explained what that meant.
Amid an outcry by human rights groups, Georgia's Foreign Ministry then tried to justify its hesitance to allow the blogger to enter the country by saying that she was facing terrorism-related charges at home.
Lithuania's ambassador to Tbilisi, Andrius Kalindra, said at the time that Vilnius was ready to provide Lander with a visa if she was allowed to enter Georgia.
Lander, who resided in Moscow for many years, was arrested in Kabardino-Balkaria in December when she came to visit relatives. She was charged with recruiting a person to a terrorist group. The charge was based on an online chat she had with an acquaintance.
Lander and her supporters have rejected the charge, saying the case was fabricated to stop her from investigating possible corruption at a charity foundation led by a top official in Kabardino-Balkaria.
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Despite Urgent Calls For Halt, Azerbaijan Says Only Armenians' Surrender Can End Offensive In Nagorno-Karabakh
Azerbaijan signaled its intention to continue military operations launched a day earlier in Nagorno-Karabakh in the absence of a surrender by ethnic Armenian forces despite appeals for a halt to the hostilities that have killed dozens so far in the mostly ethnic-Armenian breakaway region from the United Nations, Western powers, and Russia.
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said early on September 20 that what it has described as an "anti-terrorist operation" targeting saboteurs was continuing "successfully."
The office of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued a statement saying he had told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call "that anti-terrorist measures will be stopped if [forces in Karabakh] lay down their arms."
The UN Security Council has meanwhile scheduled an emergency meeting for September 21 as the international community seeks ways to avoid an intensification of a long-running conflict that has already sparked two intense wars between the post-Soviet Caucasus neighbors, most recently just three years ago.
Reports have cited nearly 30 people killed on the first day of the operation and hundreds more injured, with children among the casualties.
"The secretary-general calls in the strongest terms for an immediate end to the fighting, de-escalation, and stricter observance of the 2020 cease-fire and principles of international humanitarian law," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric said.
Blinken spoke by telephone with the leaders of both countries late on September 19.
The U.S. State Department said he urged Aliyev to stop military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, immediately and return to dialogue.
Blinken "noted President Aliyev’s expressed readiness to halt military actions and for representatives of Azerbaijan and the population of Nagorno-Karabakh to meet, and he underscored the need for immediate implementation," according to the State Department.
Blinken reportedly told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian that the United States "fully supports Armenia’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity."
In an increasingly rare show of agreement with the West, Moscow called on both sides to stop the violence.
"Due to the rapid escalation of armed clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh, we call on the parties to the conflict to immediately stop the bloodshed, cease hostilities, and avoid civilian casualties," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to TASS.
It added that Russian peacekeepers were assisting the civilian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, made up mostly of around 120,000 ethnic Armenians, and providing medical and evacuation assistance.
After weeks of bloody skirmishes and one day after an aid shipment was finally allowed into the area, Azerbaijan launched the major escalation on September 19 with the breakaway region already teetering on the brink of a humanitarian crisis after being essentially blockaded for more than eight months despite international calls for Baku to allow food and other shipments.
The shelling started shortly after Azerbaijan blamed what it called "Armenian sabotage groups" for two separate explosions that killed at least four military personnel and two civilians in areas of Nagorno-Karabakh that are under the control of Russian peacekeepers.
Those peacekeepers are in place since a cease-fire that ended six weeks of fighting in 2020 in which Azerbaijan recaptured much of the territory and seven surrounding districts controlled since the 1990s by ethnic Armenians with Yerevan's support.
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry has said it is seeking the surrender and the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the region.
Yerevan has said it doesn't have troops in Nagorno-Karabakh.
France called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to tackle the crisis, which erupted as many world leaders gathered for a UN General Assembly in New York at which the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a major topic of speeches and debate.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called Baku's latest operation "illegal, unjustifiable, and unacceptable."
"I would like to emphasize that we hold Azerbaijan responsible for the fate of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh," she said.
Albania, which holds the rotating Security Council chair, said the emergency session would take place on September 21.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said "the renewed military activities lead to a dead end," adding, "They need to end."
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said on the first day of intensification that “only legitimate military targets are being destroyed," and its Foreign Ministry said the only path peace in the region is the complete withdrawal of Armenian forces from the territory.
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry has claimed to have seized more than 60 military posts and destroyed up to 20 military vehicles.
The de facto human rights ombudsman in the ethnic Armenian-controlled Azerbaijani region said that two civilians had been killed and 23 wounded -- including at least eight children -- in the attacks.
And ethnic Armenians inside Nagorno-Karabakh quickly took to social media with posts of video and accounts saying the de facto capital, Stepanakert, known as Xankandi in Azeri, was under bombardment. There were no immediate details on damage or casualties there.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry said it has no forces in Nagorno-Karabakh and that Baku's offensive "violated the cease-fire along the entire line of contact with missile-artillery strikes."
Pashinian said he was looking toward Moscow, which leads a military security alliance that Armenia is a part of, and the international community, to help put a stop to Baku's attacks.
"First of all, Russia must take steps and, secondly, we expect the UN Security Council to also take steps," Pashinian said in televised comments.
In the evening, angry crowds gathered outside government buildings in Yerevan, calling for Pashinian to resign, and clashed with police.
Protesters angry by what they saw as Moscow's failure to stop Azerbaijan also gathered outside the Russian Embassy in Yerevan, chanting anti-Russian slogans, TASS reported.
The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, condemned the operation and called on Azerbaijan to stop its military activities in Nagorno-Karabakh, while saying Brussels remains committed to facilitating dialogue to bring a lasting peace to the region.
U.S. and European leaders had long called for Azerbaijan to ease the transit of humanitarian aid to the beleaguered region, which is experiencing shortages of food, energy, and medicine.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian-populated mountainous enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
The cease-fire signed at the end of the 2020 conflict was hailed as a triumph in Azerbaijan, but Armenian losses sparked months of massive protests in Yerevan to demand Pashinian's resignation.
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven nearby regions had been controlled by ethnic Armenians since a bitter war began as the Soviet Union crumbled in the late 1980s and then gave way to a three-decade "frozen conflict."
With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
- By AP
Iranian President Urges U.S. To Demonstrate It Wants To Return To The 2015 Nuclear Deal
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on September 19 that his country will never give up its right “to have peaceful nuclear energy” and urged the United States “to demonstrate in a verifiable fashion” that it wants to return to the 2015 nuclear deal. Addressing the annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly, Raisi said the American withdrawal from the deal trampled on U.S. commitments and was “an inappropriate response” to Iran’s fulfillment of its obligations. Iran has long denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and continues to insist that its program is entirely for peaceful purposes. But UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said in an interview with the Associated Press that the Iranian government’s removal of many cameras and electronic monitoring systems installed by the International Atomic Energy Agency make it impossible to give assurances about the country’s nuclear program. To read the original story by AP, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Zelenskiy Accuses Russia Of 'Weaponizing' Food, Children Against Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of “weaponizing” everything from food and energy to abducted children in its war against Ukraine in an address to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 19.
Zelenskiy said while there are various agreements that restrict arms themselves, “There are no real restrictions on weaponization.”
"It's clear: Russia's attempt to weaponize the food shortage on the global market in exchange for recognition for some, if not all, of the captured territories," Zelenskiy said. "Russia is launching the food prices as weapons. Their impact spans from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the southeast Asia. And this is a threat scale."
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
Zelenskiy was making his first in-person appearance at the annual UNGA since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. His trip to UN headquarters in New York comes three months into Ukrainian counteroffensive that has not advanced as fast or as well as hoped for at first.
In his speech, Zelenskiy also accused Russia of exploiting European countries that were dependent on its oil and gas.
The "Kremlin weaponized oil and gas to weaken the leaders of other countries," he said, adding that "now, this threat is even greater."
"It is also turning other country's power plants into real dirty bombs. Look, please, what Russia did to our Zaporizhzhya [nuclear] power plant -- shelled it, occupied it and then blackmails others with radiation leaks," Zelenskiy added, referring to the Ukrainian power station that Russian invading forces took control of in March 2022.
Zelenskiy also noted that Ukraine was not the only victim of Russian aggression.
When hatred is weaponized against one nation, it never stops there. Each decade Russia starts a new war. Parts of Moldova and Georgia remain occupied. Russia turned Syria into ruins," he said. "Russia has almost swallowed Belarus. It's obviously threatening Kazakhstan and Baltic states."
Zelenskiy condemned Russia's wartime practice of forcibly taking Ukrainian children to Russia, calling it "genocide."
"We know the names of tens of thousands of children, and have evidence on hundreds of thousands of others kidnapped by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine and later deported," the Ukrainian president said.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in March for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of being responsible for the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine, which constitutes a war crime.
In his address, Zelenskiy also said Kyiv was working on preparing a global peace summit.
"Ukraine is doing everything to ensure that after the Russian aggression, no one in the world would dare to attack any nation," Zelenskiy said. "The occupier must return to his own land."
Zelenskiy spoke hours after U.S. President Joe Biden urged the leaders gathered at the UNGA to stand by Ukraine against invading Russia.
"Russia alone bears responsibility for this war," Biden said. "Russia alone has the power to end this war immediately."
Biden’s address comes as Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding to Ukraine.
Biden has sought a package of $13.1 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8.5 billion for humanitarian support. But conservative Republican lawmakers have been pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied with Trump are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine.
Russia gets its chance to address the UNGA on September 23 when Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected on the rostrum.
Hours before Zelenskiy spoke at the UN, allied defense leaders convened at a U.S. military base in Germany to discuss next steps.
Some nations pledged further money and weapons. But a key sticking point is whether to supply longer-range missiles that Kyiv insists it needs in order to hit Russian troops and facilities from a safe distance -- as far as about 300 kilometers away. Washington is wary of the request, worried that Ukraine could use such weapons to strike deep into Russian territory and provoke Moscow.
Zelenskiy also is due to speak on September 20 at a UN Security Council meeting about Ukraine. Russia is a permanent, veto-wielding member of the council, and Lavrov is expected to make remarks.
Asked whether he would stay in the room to listen, Zelenskiy was quoted by AP as saying, “I don't know how it will be, really.”
With reporting by Reuters and AP
Turkish Citizen Reportedly Abducted In Tajikistan, Brought To Turkey
Turkish media reports say a Turkish citizen who had resided in Tajikistan for 28 years was abducted by unknown individuals in Dushanbe on September 16 and forcibly taken to Turkey, where he is wanted for alleged links with the Gulen movement that is banned in Turkey.
For many years, Vural worked as a teacher in Tajikistan after studying English at Tajik State University in the Tajik capital. He later opened a restaurant, called Ozyurt, in Dushanbe. It was near the eatery that he was kidnapped by several people over the weekend, his relatives say.
Vural's daughters, Sumeyra Nur and Yasemin Nur Vural, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, expressing concern for their father and asking for help to find him.
Earlier in July, another Turkish national, teacher Emsal Koc, who had been living in Tajikistan for 29 years, was abducted and brought to Turkey, where he is also accused of alleged ties with Gulen.
In another Central Asian country, Kyrgyzstan, a Turkish-Kyrgyz educator Orhan Inandi was abducted by Turkish agents in 2021 and brought to Turkey against his will in 2021.
In June this year, Inandi, who is a Kyrgyz-Turkish dual citizen, was handed 21 years in prison on charge of "establishing of an armed terrorist group."
Turkish officials have called Inandi a top Central Asian leader of the Gulen movement, which is led by U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former close friend of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan before falling out of favor and becoming a rival.
Turkey considers the movement, known as Hizmet in Turkish, to be a terrorist organization, though it is mainly involved in educational activities and promoting civil society.
Turkey blames Gulen supporters for an attempted coup in 2016 that killed some 250 people. Turkey arrested tens of thousands of people while purging the civil service and military of people suspected of being loyal to Gulen. It has also had many so-called Gulenists living abroad extradited to face charges in Turkey.
Tajik authorities have yet to comment on the reports about Vural's abduction.
- By RFE/RL
Biden Warns International Community That Russia's 'Naked Aggression' Can't Be Appeased
U.S. President Joe Biden has warned world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly that allowing Ukraine "to be carved up" will mean no nation is secure.
"Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence," Biden said in his speech to UNGA. "If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?"
Biden said the United States and its allies would stand with Ukraine as it fights for its freedom.
"Russia alone bears responsibility for this war," Biden said. "Russia alone has the power to end this war immediately."
Biden’s speech to the annual gathering was billed as the highlight of his three-day visit to New York, which will also include meetings with the leaders of five Central Asian nations.
Biden’s address comes as Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding to Ukraine.
Biden has sought a package of $13.1 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8.5 billion for humanitarian support. But conservative Republican lawmakers have been pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied with Trump are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine.
In his speech, Biden said Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and occupation of territory violated the founding UN Charter, a main principle of which is respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Earlier in his opening speech, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Russia's invasion "has unleashed a nexus of horror."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who attended and applauded Biden's remarks ahead of his own speech at UNGA later on September 19, was expected to visit Biden at the White House on September 21 and to meet some congressional leaders as well.
In other remarks, Biden said the United States does not seek conflict with China.
“When it comes to China, I want to be clear and consistent," Biden said. "We seek to responsibly manage the competition between our countries so it does not tip into conflict."
Biden also emphasized that Washington does not want to separate the U.S. economy from China: "I've said we are for de-risking, not de-coupling with China."
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa
Iranian Misery Index Hits New High As Unemployment, Inflation Rise
Iran's Misery Index, a calculation that combines unemployment and inflation rates, has risen to 60.4 percent, its highest point ever and more than double what it was six years ago.
The index, calculated by the Iranian Statistics Center and released on September 18, shows how the average citizen is faring economically.
The latest data, the center said, showed a 1.2 percentage point rise at the end of the first quarter, and in some provinces, such as Lorestan, the index reached almost 70 percent.
The index shows the depths to which Iran's economy has been ravaged by U.S. sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program.
In 2018, when then U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of a global deal on Iran's nuclear program and reintroduced sanctions on Tehran, the Misery Index stood at 38.9 percent.
In response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support, Iranians have taken to the streets to protest living conditions and demand government action.
In Lorestan, the province's annual inflation rate was reported at 57.1 percent for the month of June, making it one of the highest among Iran's 31 provinces. Meanwhile, Lorestan's unemployment rate was 12.4 percent, the second-highest nationally.
The Misery Index showed provinces such as Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari -- both of which had readings in the high 60s -- aren't lagging far behind. Sistan-Baluchistan, which has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 12.8 percent, was also hard hit, the index shows.
The Tehran-based Donya-e-Eqtesad newspaper cited experts who underscored the importance of the Misery Index in gauging stagflation within an economy.
The index is also seen as a barometer for societal issues, with a direct link to crime rates and even instances of suicide. The publication highlighted that in the past year, 22 of Iran's 31 provinces have reported a Misery Index surpassing the national average.
The death in September 2022 of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly has added fuel to the unrest, as Iranians demonstrate against a lack of freedoms and women's rights.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
- By RFE/RL
Moscow Court Declines To Hear U.S. Reporter Gershkovich's New Appeal Against Detention
The Moscow City Court on September 19 declined to hear U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich's latest appeal against his pretrial detention on spying charges, sending it back to the Lefortovo district court citing procedural violations. Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that carry up to 20 years in prison. No date has been set for his trial, and last month his detention in Moscow's Lefortovo prison was extended by three months to November 30. To read the original story by RIA Novosti, click here.
Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office Launches Probe Of Nazarbaev's Nephew
ASTANA -- The Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office said on September 19 that it had launched a probe against former President Nursultan Nazarbaev's nephew Samat Abish on a charge of abuse of office while serving as the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of National Security (KNB), the post he was dismissed from in January 2022 after mass anti-government protests turned violent, leaving at least 238 people dead.
Following the protests, Abish's boss, one of Nazarbaev's closest associates, KNB Chairman Karim Masimov, and his three other deputies were arrested on high-treason charges.
In April, Masimov was sentenced to 18 years in prison over his role in the deadly events that followed the unprecedented antigovernment protests. His former deputies, Anuar Sadyqulov, Daulet Erghozhin, and Marat Osipov, were sentenced to 16, 15, and three years in prison, respectively, at the same trial.
Nazarbaev, 83, and his inner circle lost power and influence after the January 2022 protests.
Nazarbaev resigned as president in 2019, picking longtime ally Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev as his successor.
But he retained sweeping powers as the head of the Security Council, enjoying the powers as "elbasy," the leader of the nation. Many of his relatives continued to hold important posts in the government, security agencies, and profitable energy groups.
The protests in January started over a fuel-price hike and spread across Kazakhstan amid widespread discontent over the cronyism that has long plagued the country. Toqaev subsequently stripped Nazarbaev of the Security Council role, taking it over himself.
Just days after the protests, Nazarbaev's two sons-in-law, Qairat Sharipbaev and Dimash Dosanov, were pushed out of top jobs at two major state companies, QazaqGaz and KazTransOil, respectively.
Timur Kulibaev, Nazarbaev's billionaire son-in-law, also resigned as chairman of the oil-rich country's main business-lobby group.
Since then, several other relatives and those close to the family have been pushed out of their positions or resigned. Some have been arrested on corruption charges.
In September 2022, a court in Astana sentenced Samat Abish's older brother Qairat Satybaldy to six years in prison on corruption charges.
Former Belarusian Security Force Member Confesses In Swiss Court To Kidnapping Opposition Figures
Yury Harauski, a former member of Belarusian authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s special security forces, has confessed in court to taking part in the kidnapping of three opposition figures who ended up dead.
Harauski offered his apologies to the relatives of former Interior Minister Yury Zakharanka, former Deputy Prime Minister Viktar Hanchar, and businessman Anatol Krasouski, who had gone missing in 1999, as his trial started on September 19 in a Swiss court.
Harauski confessed to taking part in the abduction of the three men but added that he was not aware of why they were kidnapped and said he did not take part in their killings.
During his testimony, Harauski said Zakharanka was kidnapped in Minsk on May 7, 1999, driven to a military base outside the Belarusian capital, and then shot by his superior, Dzmitry Paulichenka, a lieutenant colonel who had headed the special unit.
He added that Hanchar and Krasouski were abducted in September 1999 while they were leaving a sauna in Minsk and later shot execution style by Paulichenka.
According to Harauski, the two men's bodies were buried sometime later and their clothes and belongings were burned.
Harauski first declared in 2019 his involvement in the unit that orchestrated the disappearances of opposition politicians. Paulichenka has rejected Harauski's comments on what happened, saying his comments were “nonsense” and alleging that Harauski was thrown out of the unit for criminal activity.
Lukashenka, in power since 1996, has denied any official role in the disappearances.
Harauski in 2018 applied for asylum in Switzerland, settling in the northern city of St. Gallen, where the trial is being held.
The Associated Press said earlier that an extract of the court filing, obtained by its reporters, indicated that prosecutors planned to seek a three-year prison sentence -- of which two would be suspended -- for Harauski.
With reporting by Novy Chas, AP, and dpa
Kazakhstan Declassifies Files Of 2.4 Million People Repressed By Soviets
Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office said in a statement late on September 18 that the Central Asian nation's authorities had declassified documents for 2.4 million cases of individuals repressed by Soviet authorities between 1929-1956 on politically motivated charges. According to the statement, the declassified cases include documents related to 516,000 persons who were deported from other parts of the Soviet Union in the 1940s, of whom 311,000 have been already exonerated. The State Commission to Exonerate Victims of Political Repressions was established in 2020. Rights groups have warned about political repression in modern Kazakhstan, a charge officials reject. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Ukraine Tells UN's Top Court Russia Using 'False' Genocide Allegations As Pretext For War
Ukraine accused Russia at the UN's highest court of using "false allegations of genocide" to justify its full-scale invasion in February 2022, saying Moscow has invoked the Geneva Convention "to destroy."
Ukraine presented its case at the second day of preliminary hearings at The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) on September after Moscow opened the court a day earlier saying the case was "hopelessly flawed" and should be dismissed. The hearings, set to run until September 27, will focus on legal arguments about the jurisdiction of the ICJ.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
Kyiv argues Moscow is abusing international law by saying the invasion was justified to prevent an alleged genocide in eastern Ukraine. Kyiv says there was no risk of genocide in the area, where it had been fighting Russian-backed forces since 2014, and that the Genocide Convention does not allow an invasion to stop an alleged genocide.
Kyiv also accuses Russia of “planning acts of genocide in Ukraine” and of “intentionally killing and inflicting serious injury on members of the Ukrainian nationality,” and is thus committing genocide itself.
“Russia is waging war against my country in the name of this terrible lie that Ukraine is committing genocide against its own people,” Ukraine's representative Anton Korynevych told the judges on September 19.
He called on the ICJ to decide that it has jurisdiction to hear the case fully and eventually rule that Russia must pay reparations for invading Ukraine under a false pretext.
“Can a state use false allegations of genocide as a pretext to destroy cities, bomb civilians, and deport children from their homes? When the Genocide Convention is so cynically abused, is this court powerless? The answer to these questions must be ‘no,’” Korynevych said.
Russian officials continue to accuse Ukraine of committing genocide without providing evidence of such alleged crimes. Moscow says Ukraine is using the case before the UN’s top court as a roundabout way to get a ruling on the overall legality of Russia's military actions.
WATCH: International monitoring organizations estimate thousands of Ukrainians have been illegally held prisoner and deported by Russian forces since the beginning of the full-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022.
On September 18 Russia urged the ICJ to dismiss the case, claiming Kyiv's legal arguments were “hopelessly flawed.”
In March 2022, the ICJ sided with Ukraine, ordering Russia to “immediately suspend” its military action.
Russia has so far ignored the court’s order to stop the invasion.
Earlier in 2023 the court admitted requests by 32 of Ukraine's allies to join the case on Kyiv’s side. Those include all European Union member states except Hungary, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other allies of Ukraine, but not the United States.
The ICJ is expected to hear from Ukraine’s allies on September 20.
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide as crimes committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.”
The Hague-based ICJ was created after World War II to resolve legal complaints submitted by states over alleged breaches of international law. It is the supreme judicial institution of the United Nations. The rulings of the ICJ are binding but it has no direct means of enforcing them.
Experts quoted by Reuters said a ruling in Kyiv's favor would not stop the war but could impact future reparation payments.
With reporting by AP, AFP and Reuters
- By Reuters
U.S. Reporter Gershkovich Returns To Moscow Court In New Appeal Against Detention
U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich returned to a Moscow court on September 19 to appeal against the latest extension of his pretrial detention on spying charges, which he denies. Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, was arrested on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that carry up to 20 years in prison. No date has been set for his trial, and last month his detention in Moscow's Lefortovo prison was extended by three months to November 30. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
NYT Says 'Evidence Suggests' Ukrainian Missile Misfire To Blame For Market Tragedy
The New York Times has published a report suggesting a deadly bombing at an outdoor market in eastern Ukraine earlier this month was likely caused by an errant missile fired by Ukraine's armed forces.
Kyiv rejected the September 19 report by the U.S. daily, again stating that the September 6 blast in Kostyantynivka that killed at least 15 people and injured 30 more was caused by a Russian missile.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
The report cites "evidence collected and analyzed by The New York Times, including missile fragments, satellite imagery, witness accounts and social media posts, strongly suggests the catastrophic strike was the result of an errant Ukrainian air defense missile fired by a Buk launch system."
It shares security footage appearing to show a missile flying at the market "from the direction of Ukrainian-held territory, not from behind Russian lines," and images of scarring on the ground near the impact.
Asked about the report, the press service of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said that according to an investigation still under way, the Russians were responsible for the strike, which it said had involved a Russian S-300 missile system.
"This is evidenced, in particular, by the identified missile fragments recovered at the scene of the tragedy," it said, adding that the investigation was also examining other materials that pointed to Russian involvement in the shelling.
Mykhaylo Podolyak, a senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the circumstances were being studied by law enforcement agencies and that "the legal truth will be established."
Zelenskiy initially blamed Russian forces for the "attack by Russian terrorists" in Kostyantynivka, adding, "This Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible."
Moscow, which has denied targeting civilian targets despite months of bombardments and drone attacks on Ukrainian population centers, quickly seized on The New York Times' findings to suggest they supported Kremlin talking points since the unprovoked full-scale invasion began 18 months ago.
"Even if it was done unintentionally, it is obvious to everyone: the complete demilitarization of the Kyiv regime is not just a requirement, but a vital necessity," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on September 19.
Without providing evidence, she alleged that Ukraine had fired a 9M38 missile from a Buk surface-to-air missile system that hit the market.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy initially blamed Russian forces for the "attack by Russian terrorists" in Kostyantynivka, adding, "This Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible."
The NYT report quoted experts saying that air-defense missiles can go off-course for many reasons that include possible electronic malfunction or damage to guidance systems.
With reporting by Reuters
- By Reuters
Russia's Defense Minister To Visit Tehran On September 19
Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will visit Tehran on September 19, Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported, adding that he would meet top Iranian officials. Since the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Tehran and Moscow have deepened their bilateral ties, notably in the military sphere. Last month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia's military cooperation with Iran would not succumb to geopolitical pressure, following a report that Washington had asked Tehran to stop selling drones to Moscow.
- By RFE/RL
HRW Calls On Biden To Put Human Rights 'At The Center' Of Talks With Central Asian Leaders
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on U.S. President Joe Biden to "put human rights at the center" when he meets the leaders of five Central Asian later on September 19 amid a renewed focus on the region sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The upcoming meeting, slated to take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, will be the first by a U.S. president with all five Central Asian presidents.
Both the United States and the European Union have been urging Central Asian governments to resist efforts by Moscow to use trade routes through the region to evade sanctions imposed on Moscow because of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
But HRW said in a statement on September 18 that "Biden should not allow this to eclipse urgent human rights concerns."
"Biden should ask for explicit steps to end politically motivated prosecutions, suppression of free speech, and impunity for torture and police brutality," said Iskra Kirova, Europe and Central Asia advocacy director at HRW.
The meeting comes six months after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his first visit to Central Asia, where ties with Moscow have remained strong despite its invasion of Ukraine.
HRW called on the United States to use the meeting to insist on independent investigations of the human rights abuses and seek progress in reforms, citing concrete cases in the five countries, all once part of the Soviet Union.
Kazakhstan has been criticized for a crackdown on protests in January 2022 that killed at least 238 people and hundreds of people alleged ill-treatment and torture in detention in the aftermath of the violence.
In Kyrgyzstan, the government has initiated a series of repressive laws and measures restricting the operations of media and civil society. HRW also mentioned the court decision to deport prominent investigative journalist Bolot Temirov to Russa, saying that it "sent a chilling message to dissenting voices in the country."
Rights groups have criticized Tajikistan for repressing peaceful gatherings in the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan, using "trumped-up" charges against human rights defenders and journalists in retaliation for their professional activities, and disbanding many of the country’s civil society organizations.
HRW noted that in Uzbekistan, legislative reforms have stalled, while restrictions on media and politically motivated prosecutions of bloggers and journalists have increased and that in Turkmenistan, one of the most closed and repressive countries in the world, authorities keep behind bars journalist and activists on politically motivated charges.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were among 32 countries that abstained from voting on a UN resolution calling for an immediate end to Russia's war and the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory in February 2023. Turkmenistan did not vote at all.
In recent month concerns among Western countries are growing that Russia uses countries in Central Asia to bypass the sanctions imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
An RFE/RL investigation published in June revealed how sanctioned Western electronics make their way to Russia via Kyrgyz and Kazakh firms -- some set up shortly after the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- and end up in the hands of companies that have supplied the Russian defense industry.
In July, the United States imposed new sanctions targeting 18 individuals and more than 120 entities based in Russia and Kyrgyzstan in a move aimed at inhibiting Moscow's access to products and technology that support its war efforts.
Hong Kong-Based Russian In U.S. Custody Charged With Smuggling Military Technology
The U.S. Justice Department said in a statement on September 18 that a Russian national, Maksim Marchenko, who has resided in Hong Kong for years, has been taken to the United States and charged with smuggling U.S.-produced dual-use microelectronics to Russia. According to the statement, the 51-year-old Marchenko and two unidentified Russian citizens are suspected of using Marchenko's three shell companies to illegally delver OLED micro-displays to Russia. The probe was coordinated via the Justice Department's Task Force KleptoCapture, the group that was established to enforce sanctions and other restrictions imposed on Russia over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Ukrainian Deputy PM Says First Vessel Departs Chornomorsk With Grain Via 'Temporary Corridor'
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on September 19 that one of two bulk carriers has left the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk with 3 tons of wheat in the first major test of Kyiv's new scheme to encourage grain exports from its seaports.
Kyiv announced "temporary corridors" primarily from Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdenniy to skirt a de facto Russian blockade for civilian vessels prepared to accept the risk.
Kubrakov noted in his post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the departing Resilient Africa was "one of two vessels that entered the port of Chornomorsk last week through a temporary corridor for civilian vessels established by the Ukrainian Navy."
Earlier reports said two carriers were loading some 20,000 tons of wheat with plans to transport it to Africa and Asia.
Kubrakov added that "another vessel is in the port loaded with Ukrainian wheat for Egypt."
The Marine Traffic website was reporting after noon on September 19 that the Resilient Africa was under way about 10 kilometers off Ukraine's Black Sea coast, with Israel as its reported destination.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has included a naval blockade that has contributed to a global food crisis.
Two months ago, Russia shrugged off international pressure to extend a deal negotiated with UN and Turkish mediation allowing for agricultural exports to reach world markets.
The Ukrainian Navy announced its "temporary corridors" for shipping despite "a military and mortal danger from the Russia Federation" less than a month later.
The European Union last week opted not to renew a ban on Ukrainian food bound for nearby countries complaining of a glut of agricultural products from war-torn Ukraine, ratcheting up tensions with EU members Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
EU 'Concerned' At Unmet Serbian-Kosovar Pledges, As U.S. Official Pushes Kosovo President On 'De-Escalation'
The European Union expressed "concern" over unfulfilled pledges from earlier this year by both sides in talks to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo, and urged them to "engage constructively and in good faith," while a special counselor to the U.S. State Department reiterated to Kosovo's president the need for de-escalation in the Balkan hot spot.
In a statement on September 19, the EU diplomatic service complained about a "lack of progress from both parties in de-escalating the tensions in the north of Kosovo" months after unrest injured NATO KFOR peacekeepers and civilians.
It called out Pristina for expropriations, evictions, and using special forces for routine policing, while it blamed Belgrade for "blocking the energy roadmap" and other actions.
The EU demanded that the work to establish an association of Serb-majority municipalities -- as Pristina pledged to do a decade ago -- "needs to start without any further delay or precondition."
State Department counselor Derek Chollet, meanwhile, met in New York with Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani, who is there to attend the 78th UN General Assembly, to stress the "need to de-escalate the situation" in northern Kosovo, where a local Serb majority with support from Belgrade has for years bucked Pristina's authority.
Serbia doesn't recognize its former province's 2008 declaration of sovereignty, which is acknowledged by more than 100 states but not Russia, China, or a handful of EU member states.
Chollet said in an early morning post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he'd had a "good discussion" with Osmani.
He said they discussed a "shared commitment to Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic future, the need to de-escalate tensions, and engage urgently in the EU-Facilitated Dialogue to normalize relations with Serbia -- the key to regional stability and EU integration."
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell signaled frustration at Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti after talks in Brussels on September 14 that also involved Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Those negotiations are part of a decade-long U.S. and EU diplomatic push toward normalization and to repair some of the wounds from bloody internecine wars in the 1990s following the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Western patience with Kurti appeared to wear thin in May and June after Pristina ignored outside warnings and tried to forcibly install four mayors in mostly Serb northern municipalities following boycotted by-elections to fill posts vacated by protesting Serbs.
The resulting tensions erupted into violence that injured dozens of NATO KFOR peacekeepers and some ethnic Serb protesters.
Azerbaijan Launches Offensive In Breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh, Children Among Casualties
After weeks of bloody clashes, Azerbaijan on September 19 said it had launched an “anti-terrorist operation” in Nagorno-Karabakh, a major escalation in hostilities with Armenia as the breakaway region already teeters on the brink of a humanitarian crisis after being blockaded for more than eight months.
The shelling -- which triggered an immediate international outcry -- started shortly after Baku accused what it called "Armenian sabotage groups" for the two separate explosions that killed four military personnel and two civilians in areas of Nagorno-Karabakh that are under the control of Russian peacekeepers.
Ethnic Armenians inside Nagorno-Karabakh quickly took to social media with posts of video and accounts saying the de facto capital, Stepanakert, was under bombardment. There were no immediate details on damage or casualties.
WATCH: Azerbaijan on September 19 said it had launched an "anti-terrorist operation" in Nagorno-Karabakh following recent bloody clashes and a monthslong blockade of the breakaway territory.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that "only legitimate military targets are being destroyed," while the Foreign Ministry said the only way for peace in the region was the complete withdrawal of Armenian forces in the region.
Armenia's Defense Ministry, however, disputed Baku's statement, saying the country had no forces in Nagorno-Karabakh and that Baku's offensive "violated the cease-fire along the entire line of contact with missile-artillery strikes."
Later in the day, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a statement that Azerbaijani forces had so far seized more than 60 military posts and destroyed up to 20 military vehicles with other hardware.
The de facto human rights ombudsman in the ethnic Armenian-controlled Azerbaijani region said that two civilians had been killed and 23 wounded -- including at least eight children -- in the attacks.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian immediately convened a meeting of the country's Security Council and said he was looking toward Moscow, which leads a military security alliance Armenia is a part of, and the international community, to help put a stop to Baku's attacks.
"First of all, Russia must take steps and, secondly, we expect the UN Security Council to also take steps," Pashinian said in televised comments.
In the evening, angry crowds gathered outside government buildings in Yerevan, calling for Pashinian to resign, and clashed with police, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported.
Protesters angry by what they saw as Moscow's failure to stop Azerbaijan also gathered outside the Russian Embassy in Yerevan, chanting anti-Russian slogans, TASS reported.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Azerbaijan to halt its operation immediately, saying it was worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in Karabakh.
"The United States is deeply concerned by Azerbaijan's military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh and calls on Azerbaijan to cease these actions immediately," Blinken said in a statement.
Earlier, Armenia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh will take "clear and unequivocal steps to stop Azerbaijan's aggression," referring to the cease-fire agreement Moscow brokered between Yerevan and Baku after the two sides fought a six-week war in late 2020 over the region, leaving some 7,000 people dead.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists in Moscow that Russia was worried by the escalation but that its peacekeepers in the region would continue their mission. She added that Moscow had only "several minutes" notice before Baku launched its offensive.
"The most important thing is to convince both Yerevan and Baku to reject using force and sit down at the negotiating table," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, condemned the operation and called on Azerbaijan to stop military activities in Nagorno-Karabakh, while saying Brussels remained committed to facilitating dialogue to bring a lasting peace to the region.
Armenia's government said in a statement that French President Emmanuel Macron told Pashinian in a phone call that he will call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council over the situation. Reuters quoted U.S. officials as saying Washington had already started a diplomatic outreach over the situation.
Nagorno-Karabakh-based independent journalist Marut Vanian confirmed to RFE/RL that Azerbaijan had "intensively" shelled the region.
"From my balcony I could see smoke rising from the direction of Shushi [known as Susa in Azerbaijani]. From my balcony I could hear sounds of explosions coming from different directions.... Several explosions were very close," Vanian said, adding that the shelling had sent many families scrambling for cellars and shelters.
Metakse Hakobian, the secretary of the opposition "Justice" faction of Nagorno-Karabakh's de facto parliament, told RFE/RL that Stepanakert was "being bombarded from all sides."
Artak Beglarian, former minister and and ex-ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh, called the attacks "the bloody stage of the genocide" of Nagorno-Karabakh people and called on Russia, the United States, and the European Union to stick to their guarantees for peace and security in the breakaway region.
The situation escalated in the region just one day after humanitarian aid delivery for ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh resumed after Nagorno-Karabakh's de facto authorities agreed to allow Russian-provided aid to be delivered directly from Baku-controlled territory via the Agdam road.
In return, Azerbaijani authorities agreed to allow simultaneous aid deliveries to the breakaway region through the Lachin Corridor.
U.S. and European leaders have called for Azerbaijan to ease the transit of humanitarian aid to the beleaguered region, which is experiencing shortages of food, energy, and medicine.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian-populated mountainous enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
The cease-fire signed at the end of the 2020 conflict was hailed as a triumph in Azerbaijan, but Armenian losses sparked months of massive protests in Yerevan demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's resignation.
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven nearby regions had been controlled by ethnic Armenians since a bitter war began as the Soviet Union crumbled in the late 1980s and then gave way to a three-decade "frozen conflict."
- By RFE/RL
Ukraine Revs Up Diplomacy With Defense Meeting In Germany, Zelenskiy At UN
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said ahead of a meeting of Ukrainian and allied defense ministers in western Germany on September 19 that Ukraine was making "steady" progress in its three-month-old counteroffensive against invading Russian forces, as Kyiv looked to leverage reports of recent gains into renewed international commitments of weapons, ammunitions, and support.
The meeting in Ramstein, Germany, of military and defense leaders from more than 50 countries is the 15th gathering of the so-called Ramstein format.
But it's the first for Ukraine's new defense minister, Rustem Umerov, who was appointed as part of a reshuffle in which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was seeking "new directions" in the 18-month-old full-scale war.
Reuters quoted a senior U.S. defense official as saying the Ramstein setting was an opportunity "to hear from minister Umerov himself what his vision is, what his priority is."
"Democracies like Ukraine have...turnover in leadership all the time," the unnamed official said. "We do expect continuity [from Kyiv]."
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
Lloyd said that the "counteroffensive continues to make steady forward progress" and added at the opening of a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein, Germany, "And brave Ukrainian troops are breaking through the heavily fortified lines of Russia's army of aggression."
He added that Ukraine would "soon" receive M1 Abrams tanks from the United States that were promised earlier this year as part of a $43 billion pledge of U.S. security assistance.
"I'm...pleased to announce that the M1 Abrams tanks that the United States had previously committed to will be entering Ukraine soon," Austin said, according to AFP.
Austin also cited a "long road ahead" and asked allied defense leaders to "dig deep" to provide greater air defenses to Ukraine.
"Air defense is saving lives," Austin said, according to AP. "So I urge this group to continue to dig deep on ground-based air defense for Ukraine. We must continue to push hard to provide Ukraine with air-defense systems and interceptors."
Soon after Austin spoke, Reuters cited Danish news agency Ritzau as reportinging that Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced that Copenhagen would donate 45 more tanks to Ukraine: 30 Leopard 1 tanks and 15 T-72s.
Western militaries have already pledged around 100 advanced Leopard 2 tanks, along with 14 Challenger 2 tanks supplied by Britain and 31 M1 Abrams tanks from the United States.
Zelenskiy is expected to use his speech before the 78th UN General Assembly to urge the United States and other allies to step up military and other contributions to the fight against Russia's unprovoked 18-month-old invasion.
Pressure from the United States and other allies has reportedly mounted on Ukraine to demonstrate success amid criticisms about the pace of the Ukrainian military's push to retake Russian-occupied areas of southern and eastern Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Zelenskiy explained a defense reshuffle that included replacement of his defense minister and six deputies by saying "new approaches" were needed in the war. He plans to meet with senior U.S. lawmakers and other officials in Washington later this week.
After his arrival in New York, Zelenskiy visited a hospital where seriously wounded Ukrainian soldiers are treated, presenting some with medals for courage.
With reporting by AP, AFP and Reuters
Nine Killed In Ukraine In Russian Attacks, Including On Warehouse Storing Humanitarian Aid
At least nine people were killed in Russian attacks across Ukraine on September 19, including a massive drone strike on the western city of Lviv, setting ablaze a warehouse storing humanitarian supplies as U.S President Joe Biden urged world leaders to stand by Ukraine against invading Russia.
One person was also killed in the fire at the industrial storage facility in Lviv, regional Governor Maksim Kozitskiy said.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
Denise Brown, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said the attack violated international humanitarian law that protects workers, facilities, and supplies.
“Attacks impacting humanitarian assets have escalated throughout the year and ultimately impact those who are suffering the horrific consequences of the war,” Brown said.
In other Russian attacks, six people were killed by a guided aerial bomb in Kupyansk, a city in the eastern Kharkiv region.
Regional Governor Oleh Synehubov described the attack as a "military crime against the civilian population of the Kharkiv region.”
An artillery strike in Kherson in the south struck a bus, killing two people, Ukrainian officials said. That strike also torched a warehouse.
Meanwhile, fighting continued in southern and eastern regions of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military's General Staff said in its regular briefing on September 19 that its forces were conducting offensive operations in areas around Melitopol, in the southeast, and Bakhmut, in the east, in efforts to retake territory and "consolidate new positions."
At the United Nations General Assembly, Biden warned that allowing Ukraine “to be carved up” will mean no nation is secure.
"Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence," Biden said. "If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?"
Biden said the United States and its allies would stand with Ukraine as it fights for its freedom.
"Russia alone bears responsibility for this war," Biden said. "Russia alone has the power to end this war immediately."
With reporting by Reuters and AP
- By RFE/RL
Putin And Xi To Meet In Beijing In October, Russia Says
Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Beijing in October for talks with China's Xi Jinping, the Kremlin's chief's first known trip abroad since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him.
Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, said that the West's attempt to contain both Russia and China should deepen cooperation between the two powers.
Putin will attend the third Belt and Road Forum after an invitation by Xi during a high-profile visit to Moscow in March.
Earlier on September 19, the Group of Seven (G7) called on China to press Russia to stop its aggression in Ukraine after foreign ministers of the bloc met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and released a joint statement.
The statement, released by G7 chair Japan, said the members hoped China would push for the immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
The statement comes as China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, visits Russia for a four-day trip during which both countries are expected to pledge deeper political ties.
With reporting by Reuters
- By Reuters
Coal From Russian-Occupied Ukraine Reportedly Sold In NATO-Member Turkey
At least $14.3 million worth of coal produced in areas of Ukraine illegally annexed by Russia has been exported to NATO-member Turkey this year, according to Russian customs data reviewed by Reuters. Between February and July 2023, about 160,400 tons of coal from the annexed eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk arrived in Turkey. Three producers listed in the customs data confirmed to Reuters they had shipped coal from the two regions to Turkey during that period. Unlike the United States and European Union, Turkey has not restricted trade with Russia or the areas of Ukraine controlled by Moscow. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
Former Head Of Kherson Region Found Dead In Kyiv
Hennadiy Lahuta, the former head of the Kherson region, was found dead in Kyiv. He was 49. Police suspect either murder or suicide. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in October 2021 appointed Lahuta, the former deputy mayor of Kherson city, to oversee the region. Four months later, in February 2022, Lahuta fled to Kyiv as Russian troops overran much of the region. He was fired by Zelenskiy in July of that year. Lahuta's body was found on September 17 near a garage in a Kyiv neighborhood. His wife had reported him missing three days earlier. To read the original version by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Swapped Americans Delight In 'Freedom' On Arrival In U.S. After Deal With Tehran
Five Americans who were swapped for $6 billion in unfrozen assets and five detained Iranians have arrived home in the United States, hailing "freedom" and the end of a "nightmare" after their plane landed outside Washington early on September 19.
They hugged relatives to cheers as they left the Gulfstream 5 jet following their predawn arrival at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
The five U.S. nationals had first been flown to Doha, where some embraced the U.S. ambassador to Qatar and walked seemingly in high spirits to a building at the airport in anticipation of the flight to the United States.
"Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement as they made their way to the United States.
In New York, hard-line Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called the deal to swap a total of 10 individuals along with the assets "a step in the direction of a humanitarian action between us and America" that could "definitely help in building trust."
The agreement took months to clinch and has sparked criticism from some hawkish elements in the United States who think it extends a lifeline to an Iranian regime laboring under tough U.S. sanctions.
The five were expected to land in the United States as soon as late on September 18.
"I would not be free today, if it wasn't for all of you who didn't allow the world to forget me," one of three of the U.S. citizens who have been identified, Siamak Namazi, said in a statement on his behalf.
After their U.S. arrival with Namazi the first off the plane, his brother Babak said, with his arms around Siamak and their father, Baquer, who was released separately from Iranian custody last October, "The nightmare is finally over."
The freshly released prisoners posed for a group photo with family members saying, "Freedom!"
A Qatari plane had taken off from Tehran carrying the five with two of their relatives, news agencies reported, hours after a Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the prisoner exchange would occur shortly.
Some $6 billion of Iranian assets once frozen in South Korea is now in Qatar, a key element for the prisoner exchange, added Nasser Kanaani in comments during a news conference aired on state television.
The exchange comes amid a major U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf.
According to the deal, the funds will be kept in accounts in Qatar, a U.S. ally on the Arabian Peninsula and home to a major U.S. military installation. Those funds would be allowed for so-called humanitarian spending, like on food and medicine, already allowed under the sanctions, Washington has said.
Iranian officials had identified five individuals in U.S. custody whom Tehran would like handed over as part the deal.
They include three Iranians -- Mehrdad Ansari, Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, and Kambiz Attar Kashani -- charged with illegally obtaining advanced or potentially dual-use technology thought to be bound for Iran that has been under tightly reimposed U.S. sanctions since 2018.
Two others -- Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi and Amin Hasanzadeh -- were jailed for failing to register as a foreign agent and stealing engineering plans on behalf of Iran, respectively.
"Out of the five Iranian citizens in America, two will return to Iran, two will stay in America at their own request, and one person will go to a third country at their request," Kanaani said. He did not identify which prisoners would return to Iran and which would not.
The freed Americans include Namazi, who was detained in 2015 and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison on internationally criticized spying charges; Emad Sharghi, a venture capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence. The fourth and fifth prisoners were not identified.
Iran has been accused of taking foreign nationals hostage under the guise of breaking the law to use as bargaining chips. Iranian security forces have taken some 40 foreign nationals into custody during a current wave of unrest, often without revealing any charges.
Iran has been isolated and hit with tightened economic and diplomatic sanctions since then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from a three-year-old deal between world powers and Iran to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from previous measures aimed at stopping the country from developing its atomic capabilities.
Aside from the diplomatic and economic fallout, observers since then have attributed a series of ship seizures and attacks in the crucial Strait of Hormuz region to Tehran.
Tehran has also cooperated with Russia in the Middle East in addition to supplying Moscow with crucial attack drones to further the Kremlin's war plans in Ukraine.
With reporting by AP
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