rferl--2020-04-27--COVID-19: Kazakhstan Softens But Prolongs Restrictions

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 206,000 with nearly 3 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakhstan will start easing some restrictions imposed on March 16 to slow down the spread of the coronavirus even as it extends a countrywide state of emergency .
President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said on April 27 that flights between Nur-Sultan , the capital , and the Central Asian nation 's largest city , Almaty , will resume operations on May 1 , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be lifted on April 30 will be prolonged until May 11 .
Kazakh health authorities said that the number of registered coronavirus cases in the country was 2,780 , including 25 deaths , the highest official COVID-19 death toll in the region .
In Uzbekistan , Inspector General Nurmat Otabekov said on April 27 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had reached 1,887 , including eight deaths .
Over the weekend the Uzbek government allowed some retailers and other businesses to reopen after being closed for weeks due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resume operations were retailers of construction materials , car parts , seeds and seedlings , as well as services such as dry cleaners , insurers , notaries , and those servicing construction and agricultural machinery .
In Kyrgyzstan , Deputy Health Minister Nurbolot Usonov said on April 27 that 695 coronavirus cases had been recorded in the country , including eight deaths .
In Tajikistan , where not a single coronavirus case had been officially reported as of April 27 , all public events were suspended and kindergartens , schools , and colleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` spread of infectious diseases . ''
While the Tajik government refuses to admit to any cases , the country reportedly has seen a suspicious increase recently in the number of deaths being attributed by government health officials to pneumonia .
Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are two Central Asian countries where no coronavirus cases have been reported , but experts are skeptical given the lack of transparency within their governments and a lack of independent media .
Turkmenistan marked national Horse Day on April 26 , an annual holiday particularly loved by authoritarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to host crowded festivities , sports competitions , and horse races despite the coronavirus pandemic .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Kazakh , Kyrgyz , Tajik , and Uzbek services

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 207,000 with nearly 3 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Russia
Russia has overtaken mainland China in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases.
The Russian authorities reported 6,198 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total to 87,147. That’s about 3,200 more than those reported by the Chinese authorities -- 83,912.
The virus, which first emerged in China, has caused a total of 794 deaths in neighboring Russia.
Meanwhile, pressure rose on the Russian government to consider easing lockdown restrictions for businesses to help shore up the rattled economy.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishushin on April 27 asked his government to submit proposals this week to ease some of the restrictions on businesses.
"As soon as the situation will be changing for good, we would need to consider a step-by-step cancellation of restrictions on certain companies...operations," he told an online government meeting.
The head of the state consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, told state television that, in her opinion, restrictions should be in place until May 12.
The Moscow region’s governor, Andrei Vorobyov, wrote on his Instagram account that self-isolation, the system of digital passes, and other restrictive measures “are still necessary, including on the May Day holidays."
The Moscow Patriarchate again extended a ban on worshippers visiting churches in the Moscow region from April 29 “until further notice," according to Interfax.
Russia has been on lockdown since President Vladimir Putin announced the closure of most public spaces in late March. These measures are due to expire on April 30 and Putin has not announced plans to extend them.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan will start easing some restrictions imposed on March 16 to slow down the spread of the coronavirus even as it extends a countrywide state of emergency.
President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said on April 27 that flights between Nur-Sultan, the capital, and the Central Asian nation's largest city, Almaty, will resume operations on May 1, while the state of emergency that was due to be lifted on April 30 will be prolonged until May 11.
Kazakh health authorities said that the number of registered coronavirus cases in the country was 2,780, including 25 deaths, the highest official COVID-19 death toll in the region.
Georgia
Georgia has started easing restrictions imposed to slow down coronavirus spread, though a ban on travel between major cities remains.
Georgian government spokesman Irakli Chikovani told reporters in Tbilisi that as of April 27, food markets and taxi services could resume operations in Georgian towns and cities.
Chikovani added that restrictions to online trade and delivery had been also lifted, except in areas where stricter limitations had been introduced due to extreme situations over the pandemic.
According to Chikovani, restrictions were lifted only for companies, facilities, and organizations that fully complied with the instructions and recommendations of the Health Ministry regarding the coronavirus.
The movement ban between Georgia’s major cities, the capital Tbilisi, Rustavi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, remains and as does a curfew regime across the country between 9.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m.
Chikovani added that restrictions may be reimposed in the future if the situation with the virus worsens.
As of April 27, the number of coronavirus cases in the South Caucasus nation was officially reported as 496, including six deaths.
Uzbekistan
In Uzbekistan, Inspector General Nurmat Otabekov said on April 27 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had reached 1,887, including eight deaths.
Over the weekend the Uzbek government allowed some retailers and other businesses to reopen after being closed for weeks due to the pandemic.
Among those allowed to resume operations were retailers of construction materials, car parts, seeds and seedlings, as well as services such as dry cleaners, insurers, notaries, and those servicing construction and agricultural machinery.
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
In Kyrgyzstan, Deputy Health Minister Nurbolot Usonov said on April 27 that 695 coronavirus cases had been recorded in the country, including eight deaths.
In Tajikistan, where not a single coronavirus case had been officially reported as of April 27, all public events were suspended and kindergartens, schools, and colleges were closed until May 10 to prevent the "spread of infectious diseases."
While the Tajik government refuses to admit to any cases, the country reportedly has seen a suspicious increase recently in the number of deaths being attributed by government health officials to pneumonia.
Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are two Central Asian countries where no coronavirus cases have been reported, but experts are skeptical given the lack of transparency within their governments and a lack of independent media.
Turkmenistan marked national Horse Day on April 26, an annual holiday particularly loved by authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.
The country continues to host crowded festivities, sports competitions, and horse races despite the coronavirus pandemic.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek services


rferl--2020-04-27--U.S. Extends Waiver For Iranian Energy To Baghdad, But Pressure Mounts

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reportedly granted a fresh extension on a waiver to let Iraq import electricity from neighboring Iran as efforts continue to form a lasting government in Baghdad , but possibly for a shorter period to press the Iraqi administration into greater action .
Reuters and AP quoted unnamed sources on the U.S. and Iraqi sides confirming the prolongation of the State Department waiver .
But the U.S. source , from the State Department , suggested it would be reevaluated sooner than the 90 , 120 , or even 30 days that were being granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary [ Pompeo ] granted this brief extension of the waiver to allow time for the formation of a credible government , '' Reuters quoted a State Department official as saying , adding that the new waiver would expire on May 26 .
Washington has been prodding Iraq , which is OPEC 's second-biggest oil producer , toward self-sufficiency in the energy sector as it has allowed the import of energy from longtime U.S. foe Iran .
AFP quoted the Iraqi source as saying the U.S. waiver `` is extended for another 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Iraqi President Barham Salih recently tapped the third person in less than three months , intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi , to lead a government amid an ongoing crisis that emerged with the onset of deadly anti-government protests last year .
Al-Kadhimi has been in tough talks with political parties to form a cabinet and has until May 9 to submit a lineup to parliament for a vote of confidence .
`` Once that government is in place , the secretary will reassess whether to renew the waiver and for how long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation with the government of Iraq to reduce Iraq 's dependence on unreliable Iranian energy imports , '' Reuters quoted the State Department official as saying .
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP

A polytechnic school in Russia’s Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.
The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.
The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
Since then, RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.
“My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away,” Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. “He said to me on the phone, ‘Come and get me or I’ll die,’ so I picked him up immediately.”
Zhanna, who asked that her underage son’s name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.
The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.
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.
But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-04-27--Armenia Won't Be Able To Treat All People Infected With Coronavirus, Minister Warns

As the coronavirus continues to spread in Armenia , the country ’ s health minister warns that the authorities may soon be unable to treat infected people showing mild symptoms of the disease .
“ I certainly don ’ t want that day to come , but one day we will not be able to go after every case , ” Arsen Torosian told RFE/RL ’ s Armenian Service on April 26 .
From that moment , the country will only treat patients who are in a serious condition , the minister said , adding : “ We don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The Armenian government imposed drastic restrictions on people ’ s movements and ordered the closure of most businesses in late March , after which the daily rise in the number of cases fell significantly .
That led the authorities earlier this month to start reopening some sectors of the economy and ease transport restrictions .
However , the Health Ministry reported a sharp rise of new coronavirus cases last week .
On April 27 , it reported 62 new cases , bringing the total to 1,808 , with 29 deaths .
Torosian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who had come in contact with those infected because of what he called the “ multitude ” of the sources of infection .
The minister said one such source was hospitals and other medical centers that are treating COVID-19 patients .
“ We are now focusing on stopping the spread of the disease inside medical centers and on protecting doctors , as well as those patients that are not infected with coronavirus , ” he said .
All people testing positive for the virus in Armenia have been taken to hospitals or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also quarantined thousands of people who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients or returned to Armenia from other countries .
These people have undergone coronavirus tests at the end of a two-week confinement .

As the coronavirus continues to spread in Armenia, the country’s health minister warns that the authorities may soon be unable to treat infected people showing mild symptoms of the disease.
“I certainly don’t want that day to come, but one day we will not be able to go after every case,” Arsen Torosian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on April 26.
From that moment, the country will only treat patients who are in a serious condition, the minister said, adding: “We don’t know when that day will come.”
The Armenian government imposed drastic restrictions on people’s movements and ordered the closure of most businesses in late March, after which the daily rise in the number of cases fell significantly.
That led the authorities earlier this month to start reopening some sectors of the economy and ease transport restrictions.
However, the Health Ministry reported a sharp rise of new coronavirus cases last week. On April 27, it reported 62 new cases, bringing the total to 1,808, with 29 deaths.
Torosian said it was increasingly difficult to trace people who had come in contact with those infected because of what he called the “multitude” of the sources of infection.
The minister said one such source was hospitals and other medical centers that are treating COVID-19 patients.
“We are now focusing on stopping the spread of the disease inside medical centers and on protecting doctors, as well as those patients that are not infected with coronavirus,” he said.
All people testing positive for the virus in Armenia have been taken to hospitals or temporary medical centers.
The authorities have also quarantined thousands of people who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients or returned to Armenia from other countries. These people have undergone coronavirus tests at the end of a two-week confinement.


rferl--2020-04-27--EU Plans New Package To Help Balkans Through Coronavirus Crisis

BRUSSELS -- The European Union is discussing a new aid package for the Western Balkans to help the region cope with the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout , according to a document seen by RFE/RL .
The document , a first draft of a declaration expected to be adopted after a videoconference of EU and Balkan leaders scheduled for May 6 , states that the bloc has “ mobilised very swiftly a package of over EUR x.x billion to the benefit ” of the region .
EU officials familiar with the matter told RFE/RL that the amount of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributions haven ’ t been made yet .
The draft states that the package “ includes immediate support for the health sector , in particular through delivering essential supplies to save lives and significant support for the social and economic recovery needs ” of Albania , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Kosovo , Montenegro , North Macedonia , and Serbia .
The aid would come on top of the 38 million euros ( $ 41 million ) pledged by Brussels in March in immediate support for the six EU hopefuls to tackle the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money would also add to a 750-million-euro ( $ 812 million ) package announced last week of macro-financial assistance to the Balkans .
The document also calls on the European Commission to “ come forward ( in the autumn ) with a robust economic and investment plan for the region aiming to restart the economies while improving the competitiveness of their economies , to better connect them within the region and with the EU.
” At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe , there was criticism that the EU had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic slamming the bloc for `` abandoning his country ” and praising China for its assistance during the crisis .
Restrictions of exports of medical equipment from the EU to the region , which have since been lifted , were also criticized .
The four-page EU draft declaration reads that the bloc ’ s “ support and cooperation goes far beyond what any other partner has provided to the region.
” But it cautioned that “ increased assistance will be linked to tangible progress in the rule of law and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Western Balkans partners ’ adherence to EU values , rules , and standards.
” The draft declaration also reaffirms the EU ’ s “ unequivocal support for the European perspective ” of the Balkans countries , which in turn “ reiterate their commitment to the European perspective as their firm strategic choice.
” The videoconference next week will replace an EU-Western Balkans summit that had been scheduled to be held in Zagreb on May 6-7 .

BRUSSELS -- The European Union is discussing a new aid package for the Western Balkans to help the region cope with the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout, according to a document seen by RFE/RL.
The document, a first draft of a declaration expected to be adopted after a videoconference of EU and Balkan leaders scheduled for May 6, states that the bloc has “mobilised very swiftly a package of over EUR x.x billion to the benefit” of the region.
EU officials familiar with the matter told RFE/RL that the amount of the package isn’t known as all contributions haven’t been made yet.
The draft states that the package “includes immediate support for the health sector, in particular through delivering essential supplies to save lives and significant support for the social and economic recovery needs” of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
The aid would come on top of the 38 million euros ($41 million) pledged by Brussels in March in immediate support for the six EU hopefuls to tackle the health emergency caused by the coronavirus. The money would also add to a 750-million-euro ($812 million) package announced last week of macro-financial assistance to the Balkans.
The document also calls on the European Commission to “come forward (in the autumn) with a robust economic and investment plan for the region aiming to restart the economies while improving the competitiveness of their economies, to better connect them within the region and with the EU.”
At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, there was criticism that the EU had been slow to help the Balkans, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic slamming the bloc for "abandoning his country” and praising China for its assistance during the crisis.
Restrictions of exports of medical equipment from the EU to the region, which have since been lifted, were also criticized.
The four-page EU draft declaration reads that the bloc’s “support and cooperation goes far beyond what any other partner has provided to the region.”
But it cautioned that “increased assistance will be linked to tangible progress in the rule of law and in socioeconomic reforms, as well as on the Western Balkans partners’ adherence to EU values, rules, and standards.”
The draft declaration also reaffirms the EU’s “unequivocal support for the European perspective” of the Balkans countries, which in turn “reiterate their commitment to the European perspective as their firm strategic choice.”
The videoconference next week will replace an EU-Western Balkans summit that had been scheduled to be held in Zagreb on May 6-7.


rferl--2020-04-27--NATO's Stoltenberg Blasts Chinese, Russian Disinformation About Coronavirus

BRUSSELS -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has accused China and Russia of spreading disinformation regarding the organization ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We have several examples of statements coming from Moscow and Beijing , which are not correct , which try to undermine the cohesion of NATO allies , and also portrays NATO in the absolutely wrong way , ” Stoltenberg told a video roundtable with RFE/RL and other media on April 27 .
Stoltenberg also said that both countries “ try to portray NATO allies as if we are unable to , for instance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not able to work together .
We are working together .
That 's exactly what we do.
” NATO ’ s secretary-general noted that the military alliance ’ s defense ministers recently decided to “ speed up and step up the work we do because they see the value of NATO working together.
” He also cited cooperation among NATO allies such as providing airlifts , medical support , and transporting patients .
Last week , EU monitors identified a “ trilateral convergence of disinformation narratives ” being promoted by China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Some of the common themes were that the coronavirus is a biological weapon created in the United States to bring down opponents and that China , Iran , and Russia “ are doing much better than the West ” in fighting the epidemic .

BRUSSELS -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has accused China and Russia of spreading disinformation regarding the organization’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have several examples of statements coming from Moscow and Beijing, which are not correct, which try to undermine the cohesion of NATO allies, and also portrays NATO in the absolutely wrong way,” Stoltenberg told a video roundtable with RFE/RL and other media on April 27.
Stoltenberg also said that both countries “try to portray NATO allies as if we are unable to, for instance, protect our elderly people or that we are not able to work together. We are working together. That's exactly what we do.”
NATO’s secretary-general noted that the military alliance’s defense ministers recently decided to “speed up and step up the work we do because they see the value of NATO working together.”
He also cited cooperation among NATO allies such as providing airlifts, medical support, and transporting patients.
Last week, EU monitors identified a “trilateral convergence of disinformation narratives” being promoted by China, Iran, and Russia on the coronavirus pandemic.
Some of the common themes were that the coronavirus is a biological weapon created in the United States to bring down opponents and that China, Iran, and Russia “are doing much better than the West” in fighting the epidemic.


rferl--2020-04-27--Russian Prosecution Concludes Arguments In Espionage Trial Of U.S. Citizen Whelan

The prosecution has concluded the presentation of its case in the Moscow trial of U.S. citizen Paul Whelan on espionage charges that he denies .
Whelan ’ s lawyer , Vladimir Zherebenkov , told Russian state media on April 27 that “ the evidence for the prosecution is unconvincing.
” He added that Russian security services had been paying attention to Whelan for “ several years prior to his detention ” and that the case bore “ signs of a provocation.
” Whelan , who also holds British , Canadian , and Irish citizenship , was arrested in Moscow in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flash disc in his possession contained classified information .
He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted .
Whelan , 50 , denies the allegations against him , calling them political in nature , and has alleged being mistreated by guards .
The former U.S. marine has said he traveled to Moscow to attend a wedding .
The trial in the Moscow City Court is being held behind closed doors because the evidence includes classified materials and because of measures taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
The trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with defense questioning of witnesses .
Based on reporting by Interfax , TASS , and The Washington Post

The prosecution has concluded the presentation of its case in the Moscow trial of U.S. citizen Paul Whelan on espionage charges that he denies.
Whelan’s lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, told Russian state media on April 27 that “the evidence for the prosecution is unconvincing.”
He added that Russian security services had been paying attention to Whelan for “several years prior to his detention” and that the case bore “signs of a provocation.”
Whelan, who also holds British, Canadian, and Irish citizenship, was arrested in Moscow in December 2018. Prosecutors claim that a flash disc in his possession contained classified information. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Whelan, 50, denies the allegations against him, calling them political in nature, and has alleged being mistreated by guards. The former U.S. marine has said he traveled to Moscow to attend a wedding.
The trial in the Moscow City Court is being held behind closed doors because the evidence includes classified materials and because of measures taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The trial is scheduled to resume on May 13 with defense questioning of witnesses.
Based on reporting by Interfax, TASS, and The Washington Post


rferl--2020-04-27--Prague Mayor Under Police Protection Amid Report Of Possible Russian Poisoning Plot

PRAGUE -- The mayor of Prague has confirmed police are guarding him around the clock after a Czech news magazine reported that he and another Prague official were likely targets of a Russian poisoning plot .
Mayor Zdenek Hrib told Russia 's Ekho Moskvy on April 27 that police put him under protection weeks ago after identifying a threat directed at him .
He did not offer further details .
His comments come after the Czech weekly Respekt reported Hrib and Prague 6 district Mayor Ondrej Kolar had been singled out by Russian intelligence for poisoning with a deadly toxin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned Russia 's ambassador of consequences if anything happens to the Czech politicians , including another Prague district mayor who also reportedly faced threats for actions that have irritated Moscow .
Respekt quotes unnamed security sources as saying a suspected Russian intelligence officer arrived in the Czech capital three weeks ago on a diplomatic passport and with a suitcase containing ricin .
Hrib stirred ire in Moscow for backing a decision to rename the square in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague after the slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov .
Kolar was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removal in that district of a statue of a Soviet-era marshal .
The incidents have raised tensions between Prague and Moscow and fueled speculation that Russia may have been behind a recent wave of cyberattacks in the Czech Republic on the Health Ministry , the Interior Ministry , hospitals , and Prague 's international airport .
There has been no official comment from Czech officials about the alleged poisoning plot .
A Czech police spokesman , Jiri Danek , told RFE/RL that the Prague police department was not handling the case .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Organized Crime , NCOZ , refused to comment .
`` Our division will not confirm information that has been publicized in the media , '' NCOZ spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej told RFE/RL in an e-mail response .
“ We don ’ t know anything at all about this investigation , ” he said on April 27 .
“ We don ’ t know who did the investigation .
It looks like yet another canard.
” However , Foreign Minister Petricek is reported to have called in Russian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Aleksandr Zmeyevsky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news site Denik N reported , warning him of repercussions if anything happens to the Czech officials , including Pavel Novotny , mayor of an outlying district of Prague .
In the interview with Ekho Moskvy , Hrib said `` it is very important for me to stand by my belief although it means a risk for my life . ''
“ The police protection was simply given to me by the Czech police , '' he added .
`` By their decision , I am not able to comment on the reasons.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hofman , told RFE/RL it was unclear how long the police protection would last . '
I 'm Not Afraid For My Life' Hofman also said Hrib had recently filed a police complaint after concerns he was being `` stalked , '' with unidentified individuals approaching his home .
Hofman said it was unclear whether the stalking incidents were related to the alleged poisoning plot .
Kolar later confirmed to Czech media that he was also under police protection , although he declined to disclose details .
`` I 'm not afraid for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this republic which , thanks to a completely incompetent government , is being dragged through the dust and is allowing a foreign state to do whatever it pleases , '' Kolar told idnes.cz .
In November 2019 , Novotny proposed erecting a monument to a controversial World War II military division made up of Soviet defectors , which was called the Russian Liberation Army and commanded by Soviet General Andrei Vlasov .
The division fought alongside the Nazis but turned against them in the final days of the war and played a role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considers Vlasov and all who served in the Russian Liberation Army deserters and traitors .
According to Denik N , all three -- Hrib , Kolar , and Novotny -- are now under police protection .
According to the Respekt report issued on April 26 , the suspected Russian intelligence agent was picked up by a diplomatic vehicle and taken to the Russian Embassy compound in Prague when he arrived in the Czech capital .
It also said the individual entered the Czech Republic at a time when other suspected Russian intelligence officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destinations .
It did not disclose further details of that claim .
Kolar was attacked by the Kremlin after his district on April 3 removed the statue of Marshal Ivan Konev , who led the Red Army forces during World War II that drove Nazi troops from most of Czechoslovakia .
Moscow called the controversial statue 's demolition an insult and an attempt to rewrite history .
Relations between Prague and Moscow also soured over a Czech decision to rename the square where the Russian Embassy is located , a decision backed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials dedicated the leafy square in front of the embassy complex to former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Nemtsov , who was fatally shot in February 2015 , meters away from the Kremlin walls .
He was an outspoken critic of Putin .
The Russian Embassy in Prague last week said it would not use its address on the square , but would instead use an address on an adjacent street for correspondence .
As possible payback , Czech officials suspect Russian hackers may have been behind a recent wave of cyberattacks .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( IT ) systems at Prague 's international airport , several hospitals , and the Health Ministry were targeted in the attacks , which sparked outrage in Prague -- and Washington , as well .
On April 22 , the Czech Interior Ministry said its IT systems were also targeted in the attacks , all of which were thwarted and were preceded by warnings from the country 's cybersecurity watchdog of expected cyberattacks on critical infrastructure .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on April 17 expressed concern over the incidents , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect consequences . ''
He said the attacks , particularly those targeting medical facilities , were especially worrying , given the current global coronavirus crisis .
The Russian Embassy in Prague on April 17 denied any Russian link to the attacks , although Czech officials have made no such accusations .
The Czech cybersecurity watchdog NUKIB has said the attacks were thought to be the work of a `` serious and advanced adversary , '' although it did not name any countries .
Czech Internet security experts said some of the malware used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some IT addresses led to China as well .
Czech security officials have deemed both Russia and China as posing the biggest cyberthreat to the Czech Republic .

PRAGUE -- The mayor of Prague has confirmed police are guarding him around the clock after a Czech news magazine reported that he and another Prague official were likely targets of a Russian poisoning plot.
Mayor Zdenek Hrib told Russia's Ekho Moskvy on April 27 that police put him under protection weeks ago after identifying a threat directed at him. He did not offer further details.
His comments come after the Czech weekly Respekt reported Hrib and Prague 6 district Mayor Ondrej Kolar had been singled out by Russian intelligence for poisoning with a deadly toxin.
Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek reportedly warned Russia's ambassador of consequences if anything happens to the Czech politicians, including another Prague district mayor who also reportedly faced threats for actions that have irritated Moscow.
Respekt quotes unnamed security sources as saying a suspected Russian intelligence officer arrived in the Czech capital three weeks ago on a diplomatic passport and with a suitcase containing ricin.
Hrib stirred ire in Moscow for backing a decision to rename the square in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague after the slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov.
Kolar was criticized by the Kremlin for the recent removal in that district of a statue of a Soviet-era marshal.
The incidents have raised tensions between Prague and Moscow and fueled speculation that Russia may have been behind a recent wave of cyberattacks in the Czech Republic on the Health Ministry, the Interior Ministry, hospitals, and Prague's international airport.
There has been no official comment from Czech officials about the alleged poisoning plot.
A Czech police spokesman, Jiri Danek, told RFE/RL that the Prague police department was not handling the case.
A spokesman for the National Center for Combating Organized Crime, NCOZ, refused to comment.
"Our division will not confirm information that has been publicized in the media," NCOZ spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej told RFE/RL in an e-mail response.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, called the accusations “a fake.”
“We don’t know anything at all about this investigation,” he said on April 27. “We don’t know who did the investigation. It looks like yet another canard.”
However, Foreign Minister Petricek is reported to have called in Russian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Aleksandr Zmeyevsky to discuss the matter, the Czech news site Denik N reported, warning him of repercussions if anything happens to the Czech officials, including Pavel Novotny, mayor of an outlying district of Prague.
In the interview with Ekho Moskvy, Hrib said "it is very important for me to stand by my belief although it means a risk for my life."
“The police protection was simply given to me by the Czech police," he added. "By their decision, I am not able to comment on the reasons.”
A spokesman for Hrib, Vit Hofman, told RFE/RL it was unclear how long the police protection would last.
'I'm Not Afraid For My Life'
Hofman also said Hrib had recently filed a police complaint after concerns he was being "stalked," with unidentified individuals approaching his home.
Hofman said it was unclear whether the stalking incidents were related to the alleged poisoning plot.
Kolar later confirmed to Czech media that he was also under police protection, although he declined to disclose details.
"I'm not afraid for my life. I'm afraid for this republic which, thanks to a completely incompetent government, is being dragged through the dust and is allowing a foreign state to do whatever it pleases," Kolar told idnes.cz.
In November 2019, Novotny proposed erecting a monument to a controversial World War II military division made up of Soviet defectors, which was called the Russian Liberation Army and commanded by Soviet General Andrei Vlasov. The division fought alongside the Nazis but turned against them in the final days of the war and played a role in defeating them in Prague.
Moscow considers Vlasov and all who served in the Russian Liberation Army deserters and traitors.
According to Denik N, all three -- Hrib, Kolar, and Novotny -- are now under police protection.
According to the Respekt report issued on April 26, the suspected Russian intelligence agent was picked up by a diplomatic vehicle and taken to the Russian Embassy compound in Prague when he arrived in the Czech capital.
It also said the individual entered the Czech Republic at a time when other suspected Russian intelligence officers were being dispatched to other unnamed European destinations. It did not disclose further details of that claim.
Kolar was attacked by the Kremlin after his district on April 3 removed the statue of Marshal Ivan Konev, who led the Red Army forces during World War II that drove Nazi troops from most of Czechoslovakia. Moscow called the controversial statue's demolition an insult and an attempt to rewrite history.
Relations between Prague and Moscow also soured over a Czech decision to rename the square where the Russian Embassy is located, a decision backed by Hrib.
WATCH: Soviet Marshal's Statue Reveals Monumental Rift In Czech Society
Two months ago, Prague officials dedicated the leafy square in front of the embassy complex to former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Nemtsov, who was fatally shot in February 2015, meters away from the Kremlin walls. He was an outspoken critic of Putin.
The Russian Embassy in Prague last week said it would not use its address on the square, but would instead use an address on an adjacent street for correspondence.
As possible payback, Czech officials suspect Russian hackers may have been behind a recent wave of cyberattacks.
Earlier this month, Czech officials said information-technology (IT) systems at Prague's international airport, several hospitals, and the Health Ministry were targeted in the attacks, which sparked outrage in Prague -- and Washington, as well.
On April 22, the Czech Interior Ministry said its IT systems were also targeted in the attacks, all of which were thwarted and were preceded by warnings from the country's cybersecurity watchdog of expected cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on April 17 expressed concern over the incidents, saying anybody engaged in such activity should "expect consequences." He said the attacks, particularly those targeting medical facilities, were especially worrying, given the current global coronavirus crisis.
The Russian Embassy in Prague on April 17 denied any Russian link to the attacks, although Czech officials have made no such accusations.
The Czech cybersecurity watchdog NUKIB has said the attacks were thought to be the work of a "serious and advanced adversary," although it did not name any countries.
Czech Internet security experts said some of the malware used in the attacks was in Russian. Some IT addresses led to China as well.
Czech security officials have deemed both Russia and China as posing the biggest cyberthreat to the Czech Republic.


rferl--2020-04-27--Tashkent Education Officials Apparently Behind Online Praising Of Uzbek President

Officials of the Tashkent City Education Department may be behind hundreds of electronic messages sent by local teachers praising efforts by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev and several state bodies to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the Central Asian nation .
RFE/RL 's Uzbek Service has been inundated with the messages , the majority of which had the exact same text , sent to its Telegram account on April 24-25 .
It was not immediately clear whether other news outlets were also inundated with the messages .
RFE/RL contacted some of the `` authors '' of the messages , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared the text of the message and distributed it among teachers of kindergartens and schools of Tashkent 's Olmazor District , ordering them to send the message to RFE/RL .
The message says `` we consider as just and correct all the measures implemented by our motherland 's President Mirziyoev during the ordeal faced by our country . ''
`` The work of the medical personnel , who are fighting to save patients ' lives , putting their own lives in danger , is hard to assess ... the devoted day-and-night work of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being done for our motherland 's safety and prosperity ... .
We bow and express our gratitude to them , '' the message says .
Some teachers say they were instructed to add their own words to the message , which they did , calling Mirziyoev `` the caring Yurtbashi [ Leader of the Nation ] '' and `` the real leader of the caravan [ a literary or poetic praise of a country ’ s leader in Central Asia ] . ''
Similar messages were sent to RFE/RL 's Telegram account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The parents told RFE/RL that teachers had asked them to send the message , while teachers had received their instructions from school principals who were following orders from the Education Department that came from `` the corresponding organization , '' a phrase used in Soviet times to define secret services .
RFE/RL found a text of the instruction sent to principles of schools in the Olmazor District by Education Department official Yashigul Shadieva .
She wrote : `` Dear principles , I ask you to be active in spreading the positive information on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous situation that alarms the world . ''
The letter also orders principals to report on how the instruction was carried out by sending her screenshots of all the messages sent to RFE/RL by teachers and parents .
Shadieva also noted in her instruction letter that a similar message-sending method was used during last year 's parliamentary elections .
On April 10 , Uzbekistan 's Interior Ministry announced a project to create `` a virtual group of patriot-bloggers '' with the participation of the Union of Youth and the IT University in Tashkent @

Officials of the Tashkent City Education Department may be behind hundreds of electronic messages sent by local teachers praising efforts by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev and several state bodies to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the Central Asian nation.
RFE/RL's Uzbek Service has been inundated with the messages, the majority of which had the exact same text, sent to its Telegram account on April 24-25. It was not immediately clear whether other news outlets were also inundated with the messages.
RFE/RL contacted some of the "authors" of the messages, who said the Tashkent City Education Department prepared the text of the message and distributed it among teachers of kindergartens and schools of Tashkent's Olmazor District, ordering them to send the message to RFE/RL.
The message says "we consider as just and correct all the measures implemented by our motherland's President Mirziyoev during the ordeal faced by our country."
"The work of the medical personnel, who are fighting to save patients' lives, putting their own lives in danger, is hard to assess...the devoted day-and-night work of law enforcement officers and the National Guard is being done for our motherland's safety and prosperity.... We bow and express our gratitude to them," the message says.
Some teachers say they were instructed to add their own words to the message, which they did, calling Mirziyoev "the caring Yurtbashi [Leader of the Nation]" and "the real leader of the caravan [a literary or poetic praise of a country’s leader in Central Asia]."
Similar messages were sent to RFE/RL's Telegram account by the parents of some students.
The parents told RFE/RL that teachers had asked them to send the message, while teachers had received their instructions from school principals who were following orders from the Education Department that came from "the corresponding organization," a phrase used in Soviet times to define secret services.
RFE/RL found a text of the instruction sent to principles of schools in the Olmazor District by Education Department official Yashigul Shadieva.
She wrote: "Dear principles, I ask you to be active in spreading the positive information on measures undertaken in our country in this dangerous situation that alarms the world."
The letter also orders principals to report on how the instruction was carried out by sending her screenshots of all the messages sent to RFE/RL by teachers and parents.
Shadieva also noted in her instruction letter that a similar message-sending method was used during last year's parliamentary elections.
On April 10, Uzbekistan's Interior Ministry announced a project to create "a virtual group of patriot-bloggers" with the participation of the Union of Youth and the IT University in Tashkent.


rferl--2020-04-27--Ukraine Continues Fighting Fires Near Defunct Chernobyl Nuclear Plant

KYIV -- Firefighters in Ukraine continue to battle a series of fires near the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant nearly @ @ @ @ @ out .
The State Service for Emergency Situations said on April 27 that brigades were @ @ @ @ @ in the Lubyanskiy , Paryshivskiy , Dytyatkivskiy , and Denysovytskiy forest districts in the Chernobyl @ @ @ @ @ main efforts are focused on the localization of two fire sites , smoldering stumps , @ @ @ @ @ soil , '' the service said , adding that radiation in the area does not @ @ @ @ @ fires began on April 3 in the western part of the uninhabited exclusion zone before @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainian officials have said they have extinguished the fires several times , but new fires @ @ @ @ @ .
The National Police has said it has detained two people suspected of setting the @ @ @ @ @ meltdown and explosion at the Chernobyl plant in 1986 sent clouds of nuclear material across @ @ @ @ @ is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history .

KYIV -- Firefighters in Ukraine continue to battle a series of fires near the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant nearly a month after they broke out.
The State Service for Emergency Situations said on April 27 that brigades were still working to extinguish fires in the Lubyanskiy, Paryshivskiy, Dytyatkivskiy, and Denysovytskiy forest districts in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
"The main efforts are focused on the localization of two fire sites, smoldering stumps, wood segments, and peat-boggy soil," the service said, adding that radiation in the area does not exceed permissible levels.
The fires began on April 3 in the western part of the uninhabited exclusion zone before spreading to nearby forests.
Ukrainian officials have said they have extinguished the fires several times, but new fires continue appearing in the area.
The National Police has said it has detained two people suspected of setting the initial fire.
The reactor meltdown and explosion at the Chernobyl plant in 1986 sent clouds of nuclear material across much of Europe. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history.


rferl--2020-04-27--Ukraine's Supreme Court Postpones PrivatBank Hearing Citing Media Pressure

KYIV -- Ukraine 's Supreme Court has postponed a review of a lower court decision on whether state-owned PrivatBank has to pay back more than a billion hryvnyas ( $ 37 million ) to two brothers who lost their savings in the 2016 nationalization of the financial institution .
The Supreme Court 's press service said on April 27 , the day the hearing had been scheduled , that the decision to postpone the hearing was made due to pressure imposed on judges by media reports and comments on social networks in recent days .
Ukraine 's central bank had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hryhoriy Surkis , as related parties and included money from their deposits at PrivatBank in a bail-in when one of Ukraine 's largest privately owned banks was nationalized .
The Surkis brothers , known as associates of the former owner of PrivatBank Ihor Kolomoyskiy , challenged that decision in court , forcing the central bank to defend its actions .
Kolomoyskiy lost control over PrivatBank when the central bank took it over after it failed stress tests and was deemed to be undercapitalized .
Two years later , an independent audit concluded that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud ” for at least 10 years before its takeover by the state .
U.S.-based corporate investigative firm Kroll and attorneys at AlixPartners also found a hole of at least $ 5.5 billion in the bank ’ s balance sheet .
Kolomoyskiy has denied wrongdoing and maintains that he is the rightful owner of the bank , which he has vowed to regain control over .
Kolomoyskiy faced investigations and government pressure in Ukraine during the presidency of Petro Poroshenko .
He lived in self-imposed exile for nearly two years and returned after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year .
In late March , Ukrainian lawmakers approved the first reading of a bill preventing the former owners of banks that were nationalized or liquidated in recent years from regaining ownership rights or receiving monetary compensation .

KYIV -- Ukraine's Supreme Court has postponed a review of a lower court decision on whether state-owned PrivatBank has to pay back more than a billion hryvnyas ($37 million) to two brothers who lost their savings in the 2016 nationalization of the financial institution.
The Supreme Court's press service said on April 27, the day the hearing had been scheduled, that the decision to postpone the hearing was made due to pressure imposed on judges by media reports and comments on social networks in recent days.
Ukraine's central bank had recognized the tycoon brothers, Ihor and Hryhoriy Surkis, as related parties and included money from their deposits at PrivatBank in a bail-in when one of Ukraine's largest privately owned banks was nationalized.
The Surkis brothers, known as associates of the former owner of PrivatBank Ihor Kolomoyskiy, challenged that decision in court, forcing the central bank to defend its actions.
Kolomoyskiy lost control over PrivatBank when the central bank took it over after it failed stress tests and was deemed to be undercapitalized. Two years later, an independent audit concluded that PrivatBank had conducted “large-scale and coordinated fraud” for at least 10 years before its takeover by the state.
U.S.-based corporate investigative firm Kroll and attorneys at AlixPartners also found a hole of at least $5.5 billion in the bank’s balance sheet.
Kolomoyskiy has denied wrongdoing and maintains that he is the rightful owner of the bank, which he has vowed to regain control over.
Kolomoyskiy faced investigations and government pressure in Ukraine during the presidency of Petro Poroshenko.
He lived in self-imposed exile for nearly two years and returned after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's election in April last year.
In late March, Ukrainian lawmakers approved the first reading of a bill preventing the former owners of banks that were nationalized or liquidated in recent years from regaining ownership rights or receiving monetary compensation.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-04-27--Cold War Foes U.S., Russia, Spark Biggest Military Spending Jump In A Decade

Global military spending surged the most in a decade last year , boosted by Cold War foes the United States and Russia , as well as China , Saudi Arabia , and India .
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ( SIPRI ) said on April 27 that those five countries accounted for 62 percent of the $ 1.92 trillion doled out in global military expenditures in 2019 .
Compared to 2018 , total global military spending rose by 3.6 percent and represented the largest annual growth in spending since 2010 .
U.S. military spending increased by 5.3 percent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of global expenditures .
That sum is almost as much as the next 10 highest spenders combined .
Russia , meanwhile , continued two decades of rising military expenditures at $ 65.1 billion in 2019 , a 4.5 percent increase from 2018 .
“ The recent growth in U.S. military spending is largely based on a perceived return to competition between the great powers , ” said Pieter Wezeman , senior researcher at SIPRI .
China ’ s military expenditure reached $ 261 billion in 2019 , or a 5.1 percent increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s military expenditure last year , the fourth highest in the world , was 175 percent higher than in 2000 and now accounts for 88 percent of military spending in Eastern Europe .
“ At 3.9 percent of its GDP , Russia ’ s military spending burden was among the highest in Europe in 2019 , ” said Alexandra Kuimova , a researcher at SIPRI .
Meanwhile , all 29 NATO member states combined spent $ 1.04 trillion , with large increases from Germany and Central and Eastern European alliance members .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 127 percent due to the purchase of new combat aircraft and Romania spent 17 percent more .
Poland , which accounted for 38 percent of the total for Central Europe in 2019 , has increased its military spending by 51 percent in the past decade .
Germany , which has come under pressure from the United States and other NATO members for not hitting alliance defense-spending targets , upped military spending by 10 percent to $ 49.3 billion .
“ The growth in German military spending can partly be explained by the perception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states , ” said Diego Lopes da Silva , a researcher at SIPRI .
In the Middle East , Iran ’ s military expenditure in 2019 dropped by 15 percent to $ 12.6 billion compared to a year earlier despite escalating tensions with the United States and regional rivals .
This followed a 23-percent decrease in 2018 .
SIPRI said the steep fall in Iranian military expenditures coincided with U.S. sanctions following Washington ’ s exit from the 2015 international nuclear accord .
The drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main regional rival Saudi Arabia spending $ 62 billion on its military in 2019 , a high 8 percent of economic output .

Global military spending surged the most in a decade last year, boosted by Cold War foes the United States and Russia, as well as China, Saudi Arabia, and India.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on April 27 that those five countries accounted for 62 percent of the $1.92 trillion doled out in global military expenditures in 2019.
Compared to 2018, total global military spending rose by 3.6 percent and represented the largest annual growth in spending since 2010.
U.S. military spending increased by 5.3 percent to $732 billion, accounting for 38 percent of global expenditures. That sum is almost as much as the next 10 highest spenders combined.
Russia, meanwhile, continued two decades of rising military expenditures at $65.1 billion in 2019, a 4.5 percent increase from 2018.
“The recent growth in U.S. military spending is largely based on a perceived return to competition between the great powers,” said Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher at SIPRI.
China’s military expenditure reached $261 billion in 2019, or a 5.1 percent increase compared to the year before.
Russia’s military expenditure last year, the fourth highest in the world, was 175 percent higher than in 2000 and now accounts for 88 percent of military spending in Eastern Europe.
“At 3.9 percent of its GDP, Russia’s military spending burden was among the highest in Europe in 2019,” said Alexandra Kuimova, a researcher at SIPRI.
NATO Spending
Meanwhile, all 29 NATO member states combined spent $1.04 trillion, with large increases from Germany and Central and Eastern European alliance members.
In 2019, Bulgaria increased spending by 127 percent due to the purchase of new combat aircraft and Romania spent 17 percent more. Poland, which accounted for 38 percent of the total for Central Europe in 2019, has increased its military spending by 51 percent in the past decade.
Germany, which has come under pressure from the United States and other NATO members for not hitting alliance defense-spending targets, upped military spending by 10 percent to $49.3 billion.
“The growth in German military spending can partly be explained by the perception of an increased threat from Russia, shared by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states,” said Diego Lopes da Silva, a researcher at SIPRI.
In the Middle East, Iran’s military expenditure in 2019 dropped by 15 percent to $12.6 billion compared to a year earlier despite escalating tensions with the United States and regional rivals. This followed a 23-percent decrease in 2018.
SIPRI said the steep fall in Iranian military expenditures coincided with U.S. sanctions following Washington’s exit from the 2015 international nuclear accord.
The drop in Iranian military spending came despite its main regional rival Saudi Arabia spending $62 billion on its military in 2019, a high 8 percent of economic output.


rferl--2020-04-27--COVID-19: Russia Overtakes China With More Than 87,100 Cases

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 207,000 with nearly 3 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Russia has overtaken mainland China in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases .
The Russian authorities reported 6,198 new cases of the coronavirus , bringing the total to 87,147 .
That ’ s about 3,200 more than those reported by the Chinese authorities -- 83,912 .
The virus , which first emerged in China , has caused a total of 794 deaths in neighboring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian government to consider easing lockdown restrictions for businesses to help shore up the rattled economy .
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishushin on April 27 asked his government to submit proposals this week to ease some of the restrictions on businesses .
`` As soon as the situation will be changing for good , we would need to consider a step-by-step cancellation of restrictions on certain companies ... operations , '' he told an online government meeting .
The head of the state consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor , Anna Popova , told state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions should be in place until May 12 .
The Moscow region ’ s governor , Andrei Vorobyov , wrote on his Instagram account that self-isolation , the system of digital passes , and other restrictive measures “ are still necessary , including on the May Day holidays . ''
The Moscow Patriarchate again extended a ban on worshippers visiting churches in the Moscow region from April 29 “ until further notice , '' according to Interfax .
Russia has been on lockdown since President Vladimir Putin announced the closure of most public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are due to expire on April 30 and Putin has not announced plans to extend them .
Kazakhstan will start easing some restrictions imposed on March 16 to slow down the spread of the coronavirus even as it extends a countrywide state of emergency .
President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said on April 27 that flights between Nur-Sultan , the capital , and the Central Asian nation 's largest city , Almaty , will resume operations on May 1 , while the state of emergency that was due to be lifted on April 30 will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health authorities said that the number of registered coronavirus cases in the country was 2,780 , including 25 deaths , the highest official COVID-19 death toll in the region .
Georgia has started easing restrictions imposed to slow down coronavirus spread , though a ban on travel between major cities remains .
Georgian government spokesman Irakli Chikovani told reporters in Tbilisi that as of April 27 , food markets and taxi services could resume operations in Georgian towns and cities .
Chikovani added that restrictions to online trade and delivery had been also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limitations had been introduced due to extreme situations over the pandemic .
According to Chikovani , restrictions were lifted only for companies , facilities , and organizations that fully complied with the instructions and recommendations of the Health Ministry regarding the coronavirus .
The movement ban between Georgia ’ s major cities , the capital Tbilisi , Rustavi , Batumi , and Kutaisi , remains and as does a curfew regime across the country between 9.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m. Chikovani added that restrictions may be reimposed in the future if the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 27 , the number of coronavirus cases in the South Caucasus nation was officially reported as 496 , including six deaths .
In Uzbekistan , Inspector General Nurmat Otabekov said on April 27 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had reached 1,887 , including eight deaths .
Over the weekend the Uzbek government allowed some retailers and other businesses to reopen after being closed for weeks due to the pandemic .
Among those allowed to resume operations were retailers of construction materials , car parts , seeds and seedlings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dry cleaners , insurers , notaries , and those servicing construction and agricultural machinery .
In Kyrgyzstan , Deputy Health Minister Nurbolot Usonov said on April 27 that 695 coronavirus cases had been recorded in the country , including eight deaths .
In Tajikistan , where not a single coronavirus case had been officially reported as of April 27 , all public events were suspended and kindergartens , schools , and colleges were closed until May 10 to prevent the `` spread of infectious diseases . ''
While the Tajik government refuses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly has seen a suspicious increase recently in the number of deaths being attributed by government health officials to pneumonia .
Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are two Central Asian countries where no coronavirus cases have been reported , but experts are skeptical given the lack of transparency within their governments and a lack of independent media .
Turkmenistan marked national Horse Day on April 26 , an annual holiday particularly loved by authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov .
The country continues to host crowded festivities , sports competitions , and horse races despite the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kazakh , Kyrgyz , Tajik , and Uzbek services


rferl--2020-04-28--Iran Arrests Editor, Journalist Over Cartoon Mocking Khamenei

The editor in chief and a social-media administrator of Iran ’ s semiofficial ILNA news agency were detained last week over a cartoon deemed insulting to the country 's leadership .
The cartoon , which appeared to mock Iran ’ s highest authority , was reportedly removed from ILNA ’ s Telegram channel shortly after being posted .
ILNA ’ s editor in chief , Masud Heydari , has been released on bail but the news agency ’ s Telegram administrator Hamid Haghjoo remains in detention .
It is not clear if the two have been charged .
Tehran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 27 that an investigation has been launched into the affair .
“ Immediately after the publishing of the insulting image , it was ordered to be removed from the channel , ” Alghasi Mehr was quoted as saying by Iranian media .
“ The [ person in charge ] of ILNA and the administrator of the Telegram channel were both arrested on the evening of [ April 23 ] , ” he added .
ILNA has denied any affiliation with the “ disrespectful ” cartoon while accusing its opponents of having faked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsely accused it of publishing the cartoon .
The cartoon mocks those promoting fake treatments to ward off the coronavirus , including drinking camel urine and inserting violet oil in the anus , under the guise of Islamic medicine .
It appeared to suggest that Iran ’ s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is supportive of such measures , depicting him as a nurse who is calling for silence .
Iran has been one of the hardest hit countries in the Middle East by the coronavirus pandemic .
It has officially recorded more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,800 deaths , though critics believe those numbers may be far higher given the lack of transparency and media freedom in the country .
A man who had posted online a video of himself drinking a glass of camel urine was detained last week after the video went viral and many Iranians mocked him on social media .
The New York-based Committee To Protect Journalists ( CPJ ) said Iranian authorities should immediately drop their investigations into Heydari and Haghjoo and let them work freely .
`` At a time when prisons are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian authorities should cease locking up journalists for trivial offenses like allegedly sharing a cartoon , '' CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said in an April 27 statement .
`` Hamid Haghjoo should be released immediately , and authorities should drop any investigation into him , Masud Heydari , and all other journalists at the Iranian Labor News Agency [ ILNA ] , ” he added .
Criticism of Khamenei is a red line in the Islamic republic where the Iranian leader has the last say in all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on citizens to follow health protocols and social-distancing measures aimed at containing the deadly outbreak that has killed over 5,800 and infected more than 91,000 Iranians , according to official figures .
Real numbers are believed to be significantly higher .
A number of journalists and cartoonists have been arrested in past years and charged with security crimes that are often brought against intellectuals and dissidents .


rferl--2020-04-28--One Person Killed, At Least 30 Injured As Heavy Winds Hit Uzbekistan's South

TASHKENT -- One person was killed and at least 30 others were injured as heavy winds swept across Uzbekistan 's @ @ @ @ @ felling large numbers of trees .
Regional health authorities said on April 28 that the @ @ @ @ @ regions late the previous night lasted for more than four hours and cut off electricity @ @ @ @ @ least 140,000 households .
Wind speeds reached up to 90 kilometers per hour , the @ @ @ @ @ The Emergency Situations Ministry said that winds also caused damages in the southern regions of @ @ @ @ @ Qashqadaryo .
According to the ministry , a government commission has been established to assess @ @ @ @ @ are working in the affected regions .
The winds also caused damages in the eastern @ @ @ @ @ Turkmenistan .
RFE/RL 's correspondents report from that city that the winds and heavy rain @ @ @ @ @ and apartment blocks , and uprooted trees .
There was no official statement on the @ @ @ @ @

TASHKENT -- One person was killed and at least 30 others were injured as heavy winds swept across Uzbekistan's southwestern region of Bukhara, felling large numbers of trees.
Regional health authorities said on April 28 that the winds that hit several southern regions late the previous night lasted for more than four hours and cut off electricity and natural-gas supplies to at least 140,000 households.
Wind speeds reached up to 90 kilometers per hour, the State Meteorology Center said.
The Emergency Situations Ministry said that winds also caused damages in the southern regions of Navoiy, Samarkand, and Qashqadaryo.
According to the ministry, a government commission has been established to assess the damages and rescue teams are working in the affected regions.
The winds also caused damages in the eastern city of Turkmenabat in neighboring Turkmenistan.
RFE/RL's correspondents report from that city that the winds and heavy rain peeled off roofs from houses and apartment blocks, and uprooted trees.
There was no official statement on the extent of the damages.


rferl--2020-04-28--COVID-19: Governor Of Pakistan's Sindh Province Tests Positive For  Coronavirus

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 210,000 with more than 3 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
The governor of Pakistan ’ s second-most populous province has tested positive for the coronavirus .
Imran Ismail , the governor of Sindh Province , announced on April 27 results from a test he took the previous day came back positive .
“ I have just been tested Covid 19 positive… Inshallah will fight it out , ” the 54-year-old governor wrote on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the industrial and financial center of Karachi , has imposed a strict lockdown while the rest of Pakistan is under a partial lockdown .
Pakistan has been divided over whether to ease coronavirus restrictions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan , which began in the country on the evening of April 24 .
Health officials have warned that tens of thousands of people in Pakistan are ignoring advice to stay home during Ramadan , raising fears that the coronavirus pandemic will spread further .
Pakistan has registered 13,915 positive coronavirus cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A representative of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) in Tajikistan , where officials have not registered a single coronavirus case yet , says the Central Asian nation must be ready for the `` worst-case scenario . ''
Galina Perfilyeva told RFE/RL on April 27 that although there was no coronavirus cases recorded officially in the former Soviet republic , Tajikistan may have people infected with the virus .
`` I have always said that we are observing the situation in the world and we see that in many countries there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] cases that proceed without any symptoms and therefore nobody can say that everything is absolutely smooth in Tajikistan in that matter , '' Perfilyeva said , adding that although initial test results on COVID-19 in the country were negative , the results of the latest tests that were supposed to be processed in a lab in London have been pending as Tajikistan and many other countries have closed air links due to the pandemic .
Perfilyeva came under fire last month after initially confirming the Tajik government ’ s position that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But soon afterwards , she changed her tone saying it was `` impossible to conclusively '' say that there are no coronavirus infections in Tajikistan .
Perfilyeva noted in the RFE/RL interview on April 27 that `` the WHO 's goal is not to find the virus , but to help our colleagues to fight that virus . ''
`` It is clear that the [ Central Asian ] nations have not been ready for COVID-19 as they did not have equipment or hospital facilities , '' Perfilyeva said .
She also said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Tajikistan in May to assist in the prevention of the spread of the virus .
`` Usually , when [ the WHO ] mission arrives to a country it provides technical assistance , attends facilities , assesses the situation ... .
As soon as the mission 's staff is confirmed , we will start outlining the plan of the mission 's activities in Tajikistan , '' Perfilyeva said .

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 210,000 with more than 3 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Turkmenistan
Authorities in Turkmenistan are clearing out hundreds of people held in quarantine zones in what could be an attempt to hide suspected cases of coronavirus ahead of a visit by World Health Organization (WHO) experts.
More than 400 people placed in a quarantine area on the outskirts of Turkmenabat, the secretive Central Asian country's second-largest city, located in the eastern Lebab region, are being transferred to small provincial hospitals and a psychiatric clinic.
The move follows media reports alleging that top authorities decided to temporarily transfer the sick from quarantine sites to hide coronavirus cases from a WHO team arriving in the country next week.
Turkmenistan has not reported any registered COVID-19 cases yet, but experts are skeptical, given the lack of transparency and independent media in the country.
Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus, face masks are banned, and citizens are punished for talking about the global pandemic.
Meanwhile, the authorities have set up three quarantine zones around the country in a bid to prevent the spread of what officials called "infectious diseases."
People with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus, and COVID-19 test results are unknown, even if they are performed.
Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended the nonworking period in the country until May 11 as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise across the country.
Putin made the announcement during a video conference with regional governors on April 28, saying that the peak of Russia's coronavirus infections "has not passed yet."
Russia has also imposed a partial lockdown on many regions, including Moscow, in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has officially infected 93,558 people across the country. Among them, 867 have died.
Putin initially announced a nonworking week from March 28 to April 5 and later extended it until April 30, saying that salaries will be paid for that period.
On April 28, Putin ordered the government to "start preparing a wide-ranging national plan of action to normalize business activities, restore employment and people's incomes, and economic growth."
The Russian leader also instructed the government to come up with recommendations on gradually easing the coronavirus lockdown restrictions by May 5.
Later in the day, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said he had signed a decree extending the lockdown regime in the city, which has been hardest-hit by COVID-19, until May 11.
Pakistan
The governor of Pakistan's second-most-populous province has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Imran Ismail, the governor of Sindh Province, announced on April 27 results from a test he took the previous day came back positive. "I have just been tested Covid 19 positive.... Inshallah will fight it out," the 54-year-old governor wrote on Twitter.
Sindh Province, which includes the industrial and financial center of Karachi, has imposed a strict lockdown, while the rest of Pakistan is under a partial lockdown.
Pakistan has been divided over whether to ease coronavirus restrictions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began in the country on the evening of April 24.
Health officials have warned that tens of thousands of people in Pakistan are ignoring advice to stay home during Ramadan, raising fears that the coronavirus pandemic will spread further.
Pakistan has registered 13,915 positive coronavirus cases and 292 deaths, according to official numbers.
Tajikistan
A representative of the WHO in Tajikistan, where officials have not registered a single coronavirus case yet, says the Central Asian country must be ready for the "worst-case scenario."
Galina Perfilyeva told RFE/RL on April 27 that although there was no coronavirus cases recorded officially in the former Soviet republic, Tajikistan may have people infected with the virus.
"I have always said that we are observing the situation in the world and we see that in many countries there is a big number of [coronavirus] cases that proceed without any symptoms and therefore nobody can say that everything is absolutely smooth in Tajikistan in that matter," Perfilyeva said, adding that although initial test results on COVID-19 in the country were negative, the results of the latest tests that were supposed to be processed in a lab in London have been pending as Tajikistan and many other countries have closed air links due to the pandemic.
Perfilyeva came under fire last month after initially confirming the Tajik government's position that the country remains free of the coronavirus.
But soon afterward she changed her tone, saying it was "impossible to conclusively" say that there were no coronavirus infections in Tajikistan.
Perfilyeva noted in the RFE/RL interview on April 27 that "the WHO's goal is not to find the virus, but to help our colleagues to fight that virus."
"It is clear that the [Central Asian] nations have not been ready for COVID-19 as they did not have equipment or hospital facilities," Perfilyeva said.
She also said that WHO experts are expected to arrive in Tajikistan in May to assist in the prevention of the spread of the virus.
"Usually, when [the WHO] mission arrives to a country it provides technical assistance, attends facilities, assesses the situation.... As soon as the mission's staff is confirmed, we will start outlining the plan of the mission's activities in Tajikistan," Perfilyeva said.
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has signed a decree extending until May 10 the state of emergency in Bishkek, the capital, as well as the southern cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad and adjacent districts, and in the Ata-Bash district of the Naryn region.
The initial state of emergency over the pandemic was announced in the Kyrgyz cities and districts on March 25 until April 15. It was later prolonged until April 30.
The latest figures in Kyrgyzstan are 708 coronavirus cases, including eight deaths.
The biggest number of coronavirus cases in the region has been registered in Kazakhstan, where health authorities said on April 28 that the number of such cases reached 2,982, including 25 deaths.
In Uzbekistan, as of April 28, the number of coronavirus cases was reported as 1,924, including eight deaths.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, and Uzbek services and Radio Mashaal, Reuters, Interfax, and TASS


rferl--2020-04-28--Russia Charges U.S. With Seeking 'Dominance' In Arctic

Russia ’ s ambassador to Denmark on April 27 accused the United States of pursuing a “ policy of confrontation ” in the Arctic region in a bid to “ achieve dominance.
” Ambassador Vladimir Barbin ’ s comments to the Danish daily Politiken came days after Washington announced a $ 12.1 million economic-aid package for Greenland , which is an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark .
Washington also announced plans to reopen its Consulate in Nuuk , Greenland ’ s capital .
That office was closed in 1953 .
Barbin also objected to a recent statement by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who described Russia ’ s activity in the Arctic region as “ aggressive ” and an obstacle to the West ’ s efforts to promote peaceful development .
The United States has “ a sick attitude to the large-scale investment projects of other states , as well as the advancement of various conspiracy theories and conjectures regarding the economic activities in the Arctic of other states , ” Barbin said .
In recent years , the vast but sparsely populated Greenland has been a focus of attention amid Russian and Chinese commercial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Arctic has seen an opening of new sea lanes due to climate change , which has spurred commercial and military rivalry .
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested last year that the United States would consider buying Greenland from Denmark .
That suggestion was immediately rejected by Denmark .
Greenland is strategically important to the U.S. military and its ballistic-missile early warning system .
Based on reporting by Reuters , The Washington Post , and The Wall Street Journal

Russia’s ambassador to Denmark on April 27 accused the United States of pursuing a “policy of confrontation” in the Arctic region in a bid to “achieve dominance.”
Ambassador Vladimir Barbin’s comments to the Danish daily Politiken came days after Washington announced a $12.1 million economic-aid package for Greenland, which is an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Washington also announced plans to reopen its Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. That office was closed in 1953.
Barbin also objected to a recent statement by U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands, who described Russia’s activity in the Arctic region as “aggressive” and an obstacle to the West’s efforts to promote peaceful development.
The United States has “a sick attitude to the large-scale investment projects of other states, as well as the advancement of various conspiracy theories and conjectures regarding the economic activities in the Arctic of other states,” Barbin said.
In recent years, the vast but sparsely populated Greenland has been a focus of attention amid Russian and Chinese commercial and military buildups in the region. The Arctic has seen an opening of new sea lanes due to climate change, which has spurred commercial and military rivalry.
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested last year that the United States would consider buying Greenland from Denmark. That suggestion was immediately rejected by Denmark.
Greenland is strategically important to the U.S. military and its ballistic-missile early warning system.
Based on reporting by Reuters, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal