rferl--2020-06-11--Report: Iran Will Send Flight Recorders From Ukrainian Jet To Paris

Iran has told the United Nations aviation agency that it will send the black boxes from a downed Ukrainian passenger jet to Paris for analysis after it secures agreements with countries involved in the investigation , Reuters reported .
Iran has refused to hand over the flight recorders from the Ukraine International Airlines flight , which was shot down on January 8 near Tehran by an Iranian surface-to-air missile , killing 176 people .
Nearly half of the people killed were Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada , which has pressed Iran to send the black boxes to France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation are Ukraine and the United States .
In March , Iran told the UN 's aviation agency that it would send the black boxes to Ukraine .
But on June 10 , a representative from Iran told a virtual meeting of the agency 's governing council that Tehran would now send the heavily damaged recorders to the BEA air accident investigation agency in France , according to two sources quoted by Reuters .
`` Iran said they will send them to Paris soon subject to agreement of the states involved in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources , speaking on condition of anonymity .
A spokeswoman for Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau declined to comment on the question of the boxes being sent to Paris , but referred to the commitment Iran made in March .
`` They showed an openness to transferring the black boxes but we want to see concrete action on their part to see it through , '' the spokeswoman said , according to Reuters .
Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment , the news agency reported .
Under UN rules , Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States and Ukraine are accredited as the countries where the jet was built and operated , respectively .

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--2020-06-11--U.S. Air Defense Says Russian Aircraft Intercepted Near Alaska

U.S. fighter jets intercepted Russian jets and bombers twice on June 10 off the coast of Alaska , the U.S. air defense command said .
Two Russian Tu-95 bombers , two Russian Su-35 fighter jets , and an A-50 airborne early-warning and control aircraft came within 32 kilometers of the coast of Alaska in the first incident , the North American Aerospace Defense Command ( NORAD ) , said on Twitter .
A second formation consisting of two Tu-95s and an A-50 also came within 32 kilometers of Alaska .
None of the aircraft entered U.S. airspace , NORAD said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commander General Terrence O'Shaughnessy said intercepting multiple Russian aircraft demonstrates NORAD forces ' readiness and “ sends a clear message we continue executing our homeland defense missions with the same capability and capacity we always bring to the fight . ''
The U.S. has intercepted multiple Russian aircraft off the Alaskan coast since 2019 .
Russia ’ s Defense Ministry said four Tu-95MSs strategic missile-carrying bombers conducted a patrol flight over the neutral waters of the Chukchi , Bering , and Okhotsk seas and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministry said , according to TASS .
“ At some sections of the route , the Russian aircraft were escorted by U.S. Air Force F-22 fighters , '' the ministry said .
The Russian bombers took off from airfields in the Chukotka Autonomous District and the Amur region , the ministry said .
It said Russian military planes perform all flights in strict compliance with international rules and without violating the airspace of other states .
In May , U.S. Air Force strategic bombers performed flights along the Russian borders five times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 , Estonia 's army reported that a Russian aircraft had violated its airspace .
The army said a Tu-204-300 jet airliner flew into the airspace of the NATO member without permission .
Tallinn 's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to Estonia and gave him a note , the army statement said .
This was the first incursion by Russian aircraft into Estonia 's airspace this year , according to the statement .
The violation occurred over the island of Vaindloo in the Baltic Sea and lasted less than a minute .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and TASS

U.S. fighter jets intercepted Russian jets and bombers twice on June 10 off the coast of Alaska, the U.S. air defense command said.
Two Russian Tu-95 bombers, two Russian Su-35 fighter jets, and an A-50 airborne early-warning and control aircraft came within 32 kilometers of the coast of Alaska in the first incident, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said on Twitter.
A second formation consisting of two Tu-95s and an A-50 also came within 32 kilometers of Alaska.
None of the aircraft entered U.S. airspace, NORAD said in a series of tweets.
NORAD commander General Terrence O'Shaughnessy said intercepting multiple Russian aircraft demonstrates NORAD forces' readiness and “sends a clear message we continue executing our homeland defense missions with the same capability and capacity we always bring to the fight."
The U.S. has intercepted multiple Russian aircraft off the Alaskan coast since 2019.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said four Tu-95MSs strategic missile-carrying bombers conducted a patrol flight over the neutral waters of the Chukchi, Bering, and Okhotsk seas and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean.
The flight lasted about 11 hours, the ministry said, according to TASS.
“At some sections of the route, the Russian aircraft were escorted by U.S. Air Force F-22 fighters," the ministry said.
The Russian bombers took off from airfields in the Chukotka Autonomous District and the Amur region, the ministry said.
It said Russian military planes perform all flights in strict compliance with international rules and without violating the airspace of other states.
In May, U.S. Air Force strategic bombers performed flights along the Russian borders five times, the ministry said.
Earlier on June 10, Estonia's army reported that a Russian aircraft had violated its airspace.
The army said a Tu-204-300 jet airliner flew into the airspace of the NATO member without permission.
Tallinn's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to Estonia and gave him a note, the army statement said.
This was the first incursion by Russian aircraft into Estonia's airspace this year, according to the statement.
The violation occurred over the island of Vaindloo in the Baltic Sea and lasted less than a minute.
With reporting by dpa, AFP, and TASS


rferl--2020-06-10--Babies Born To Ukrainian Surrogates Meet Parents After Pandemic Restrictions Ease

Foreign couples who waited two months because of coronavirus-related border closures have finally collected their babies from surrogate mothers in Ukraine .
Ukraine 's human rights ombudswoman , Lyudmila Denisova , said June 10 that 31 couples had arrived and been united with their infant children .
There were emotional scenes as new parents cried and held their babies after a long ordeal because of the pandemic .
“ It 's a very good ending of the story , unbelievable , ” said Andrea Diez of Argentina , who held her baby for the first time .
The babies have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed its borders because of the pandemic .
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry finally allowed the families to enter , conditional on a two-week quarantine and negative COVID-19 test .
A total of 125 babies born to surrogates across Ukraine were awaiting parents from abroad .
The issue received wide attention when Biotexcom , the country ’ s largest surrogacy operation , posted a video showing more than 60 babies in cribs at a hotel where the clients usually stay .
Denisova said 88 more families have received permits to enter the country and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine is one of the few countries that allows foreigners to use surrogate birth services at about 50 clinics .
With reporting by AP and RFE/RL 's Ukrainian Service

Foreign couples who waited two months because of coronavirus-related border closures have finally collected their babies from surrogate mothers in Ukraine.
Ukraine's human rights ombudswoman, Lyudmila Denisova, said June 10 that 31 couples had arrived and been united with their infant children.
There were emotional scenes as new parents cried and held their babies after a long ordeal because of the pandemic.
“It's a very good ending of the story, unbelievable,” said Andrea Diez of Argentina, who held her baby for the first time.
The babies have been stranded in Ukraine since the country closed its borders because of the pandemic.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry finally allowed the families to enter, conditional on a two-week quarantine and negative COVID-19 test.
A total of 125 babies born to surrogates across Ukraine were awaiting parents from abroad.
The issue received wide attention when Biotexcom, the country’s largest surrogacy operation, posted a video showing more than 60 babies in cribs at a hotel where the clients usually stay.
Denisova said 88 more families have received permits to enter the country and will arrive in the coming weeks.
Ukraine is one of the few countries that allows foreigners to use surrogate birth services at about 50 clinics.
With reporting by AP and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service


rferl--2020-06-10--Germany Confirms U.S. Eyeing Troop Cuts Despite Concerns Over Russia

The German government says it has received formal notification of a possible partial withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in the country , a move that some worry sends the wrong signal to Russia and damages NATO security .
The June 10 announcement follows media reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the withdrawal of up to 15,000 of the approximately 34,500 U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany .
Both the White House and NATO have declined to comment on the media reports .
`` The federal government has been informed that there are considerations in the U.S. administration to reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Germany , '' Chancellor Angela Merkel 's spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told journalists in Berlin .
`` As far as we know , there has been no final decision , '' she added .
Some U.S. lawmakers have warned that if implemented , the reported plan would damage U.S. national security and strengthen Russia ’ s position in Europe .
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Trump planned to move forward with the withdrawal of up to 9,500 U.S. personnel , while the German news magazine Der Spiegel said between 5,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Earlier this week , German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , who is also the leader of Merkel 's Christian Democrats ( CDU ) , suggested that if the United States goes ahead , it would do more harm to NATO as a whole than to Germany ’ s own defense .
`` I do n't want to speculate on something for which I have no confirmation , '' she told a news conference on June 8 .
`` The fact is the presence of U.S. troops in Germany serves the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American security too .
That is the basis on which we work together . ''
Germany hosts more U.S. troops than any other country in Europe .
But transatlantic ties have become strained under Trump , who has repeatedly criticized Germany and other European countries for not fulfilling their NATO commitment to spend 2 percent of economic output on their militaries .
Berlin has pledged to increase military spending , but meeting the NATO target would likely not happen before 2030 .
In an open letter dated June 9 , 22 Republican members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they were “ very concerned about reports that the Administration is considering a significant reduction of U.S. troops currently based in Europe as well as a cap on the total number of U.S. troops which can be present there at any one time.
” “ Such steps would significantly damage U.S. national security as well as strengthen the position of Russia to our detriment , ” the lawmakers wrote , adding : “ In Europe , the threats posed by Russia have not lessened , and we believe that signs of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further Russian aggression and opportunism.
” With reporting by dpa and AFP

The German government says it has received formal notification of a possible partial withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in the country, a move that some worry sends the wrong signal to Russia and damages NATO security.
The June 10 announcement follows media reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the withdrawal of up to 15,000 of the approximately 34,500 U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany.
Both the White House and NATO have declined to comment on the media reports.
"The federal government has been informed that there are considerations in the U.S. administration to reduce the presence of the U.S. armed forces in Germany," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told journalists in Berlin.
"As far as we know, there has been no final decision," she added.
Some U.S. lawmakers have warned that if implemented, the reported plan would damage U.S. national security and strengthen Russia’s position in Europe.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Trump planned to move forward with the withdrawal of up to 9,500 U.S. personnel, while the German news magazine Der Spiegel said between 5,000 and 15,000 could be withdrawn later this year.
Earlier this week, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who is also the leader of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), suggested that if the United States goes ahead, it would do more harm to NATO as a whole than to Germany’s own defense.
"I don't want to speculate on something for which I have no confirmation," she told a news conference on June 8. "The fact is the presence of U.S. troops in Germany serves the entire security of the NATO alliance -- so American security too. That is the basis on which we work together."
Germany hosts more U.S. troops than any other country in Europe.
But transatlantic ties have become strained under Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Germany and other European countries for not fulfilling their NATO commitment to spend 2 percent of economic output on their militaries.
Berlin has pledged to increase military spending, but meeting the NATO target would likely not happen before 2030.
In an open letter dated June 9, 22 Republican members of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee said they were “very concerned about reports that the Administration is considering a significant reduction of U.S. troops currently based in Europe as well as a cap on the total number of U.S. troops which can be present there at any one time.”
“Such steps would significantly damage U.S. national security as well as strengthen the position of Russia to our detriment,” the lawmakers wrote, adding: “In Europe, the threats posed by Russia have not lessened, and we believe that signs of a weakened U.S. commitment to NATO will encourage further Russian aggression and opportunism.”
With reporting by dpa and AFP


rferl--2020-06-11--Afghan President Says Taliban Prisoner Release To Be Completed Soon

The Afghan government plans to complete a Taliban prisoner release to pave the way for peace talks with the militant group , President Ashraf Ghani said on June 11 .
`` My colleagues and I have made the decision to release an additional 2,000 prisoners within a very short period .
We will announce the date soon , '' Ghani told the Atlantic Council 's South Asia Center and the U.S. Institute for Peace via video link .
In February , the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement aimed at ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan -- the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The deal lays out a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country in return for security commitments from the Taliban .
Under the deal , Kabul is to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners while the militants are to free 1,000 captives , before intra-Afghan negotiations can begin .
The government says it has so far released 3,000 prisoners , while the Taliban has freed 500 .
Ghani on June 11 accused the Taliban of not being transparent about how many Afghan soldiers they are still holding .
`` The number keeps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fate of those [ who ] are with them and assurance that the last person remaining with them is released , '' the president said .
Ghani said he would elaborate on the peace process next week .
In a tweet , Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the prisoner release by the Afghan government so far was `` a positive step '' and marked `` good progress . ''
Shaheen said the Taliban had freed 46 Afghan government soldiers and police officers in Ghazni and Wardak Provinces on June 11 .
With @ @ @ @ @

The education of girls and women is universally accepted in more than 200 countries and territories, including nearly 50 Muslim-majority nations.
But Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamist Taliban rulers have banned teenage girls from attending school after the sixth grade since they returned to power two years ago. The ban was extended in December to women in universities.
Countless protests by Afghans inside the country, pressure from the international community, and lobbying by Muslim scholars and clerics have failed to convince the fundamentalist Taliban leaders to reopen schools.
Experts are divided over whether the ban is rooted in how the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam is shaped by conservative Pashtun tribal customs and cultural practices or if it is prompted by how senior Taliban ideologues interpret Islamic teachings.
Most Taliban leaders are ethnic Pashtun, Sunni Muslim clerics. Many were educated in Deobandi madrasahs in neighboring Pakistan. Deobandism emerged as a puritanical Islamic revivalist movement in 19-century British Colonial India. Based on the Sunni Hanafi school of jurisprudence, it is a prominent strain among Islamists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Tribal Influences
Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator, argues that the Taliban restrictions against women are linked to social customs and cultural practices in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
Most Taliban leaders come from various Pashtun rural tribal communities in these regions bordering Pakistan.
"They believe that a woman's place is either inside a house or in a grave," Yousafzai said of the basic Taliban belief influenced by the status of women in the families of clerics and religious leaders in these Pashtun regions.
“Women living in the households of the current Taliban policymakers were never educated and never left their homes,” said Yousafzai, who has tracked the Islamist group since it emerged as a ragtag militia in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar in late 1994. “These women never performed any government or nongovernmental jobs.”
Yousafzai says the Taliban backs policies shaped by this worldview by leaning on Islamic teachings supporting such ideas. He says Taliban leaders rely on sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad that discourage women from leaving their homes.
“Their primary belief is that pubescent girls should not leave home under any circumstance,” he said. “This is why they view women leaving home for education or work as engaging in moral corruption.”
In Afghanistan, a Muslim nation of some 40 million people, activists and rights advocates accuse the Taliban of implementing "gender apartheid" by denying women education, work, freedom of movement, and deciding how they can appear in public.
Most Muslims agree that Islam allows women to get an education. Yet the Taliban publicly says that it will allow girls access to education only after ensuring complete gender segregation and other unspecified conditions.
Almost all Afghan secondary schools were gender segregated and universities imposed a strict separation between men and women after the Taliban takeover.
Yousafzai says in conservative and traditional Muslim societies around the world, some clerics also favor restrictions on women's education, work, and their role in public life. But the governments in those countries usually oppose or limit such ideas.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia -- one of the most conservative Sunni Muslim nations -- has allowed women to drive and granted them freedom of movement without a male guardian. These steps are part of a reform and modernity drive by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
The Taliban ban on education has invited universal condemnation from Muslims globally.
“The Taliban's ban on women's education is not rooted in [the Islamic] Shari’a law but rather reflects cultural biases that contradict the teachings of Islam,” said Salam al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in the United States.
He said that contrary to Taliban practices, “Islam emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge and encourages all individuals, regardless of gender, to acquire an education.”
Historical Conflict
But Islamic scholars and those who have attempted to convince the Taliban about reopening girls schools offer a different explanation.
John Mohammad Butt, an Islamic scholar and former BBC broadcaster who is the only Westerner to graduate from India’s Darul Uloom Deoband, argues that the Taliban's policy on girls' education is not tribal but shaped by the century-old conflict over modern education.
“The problem is that girls' education in Afghanistan -- indeed, contemporary education in general -- has generally been introduced in Afghanistan in line with a secular agenda,” he said.
In the 1920s, a coalition of conservative clerics and tribal and community leaders deposed reformist King Amanullah Khan. He wanted to modernize Afghanistan along Turkish leader Kamal Ataturk's secular lines and championed modern education and rights for women.
This opposition to modernity and secularism continued, and conservative clerics opposed women's education and work. It became a key part of the Islamist opposition to the pro-Soviet Afghan communist governments after the April 1978 military coup that ended the Afghan monarchy. The mujahedin accused the communists of spreading immorality by promoting women’s education and empowerment.
“This has led to particular wariness on the part of conservative circles in Afghanistan with regard to girls' education,” Butt said.
'Deep Ideological Conviction'
Obaidullah Baheer, a political science lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan, became part of an effort to rescind the ban by talking to the Taliban last year.
But he says the effort failed because “the ban is a matter of deep ideological conviction” for the current supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.
Baheer says that the most prominent Taliban leaders have studied in Pakistani madrasahs and were thus disconnected from village and tribal life.
“They have been indoctrinated by the Deobandi school of thought so that they now enforce the strictest version of Islam on the Afghan population,” he said.
He argues that the ban on girls’ schools is a deliberate policy championed by Akhundzada, who he says has endorsed Taliban Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani's Arabic language book The Islamic Emirate And Its System. In this book, Haqqani supports a fringe Islamic opinion of preferring the choice of one of the Prophet Muhammad's wives, Sawdah Bint Zam'ah, who chose to stay at home until her death.
Baheer says Haqqani ignores his other wives and other female companions that played an active role in many sectors of society and how they served as students and teachers for men.
“This fringe opinion is not held by all Taliban leaders but is one that the current absolute sovereign, the Taliban emir, seems to be convinced of,” he said.
Butt says that even Haqqani has acknowledged the principle that if there is something that women need to act upon, then that is also something that women need to learn about.
“I hope the Taliban authorities will come to realize in the not-too-distant future that education for women will make Afghan women into better Muslims,” he says. “It will enable them to make a stronger contribution to the well-being of their country.”
Two years after grappling with the issue, Western diplomats appear to be encouraging Afghan conservative and clerical circles to find ways to end the ban.
Tom West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, recently tweeted that Afghan women must be educated and contribute to the economy to help their country stand on its own two feet.
“If change to policies is made, it will be because Afghans have asked for it, not a result of foreign requests,” he wrote.


rferl--2020-06-11--U.S. Senate Panel Approves Subpoenas In Russia Probe

The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee has approved subpoena power for a politically charged congressional investigation of the Justice Department ’ s probe into Donald Trump 's 2016 presidential campaign and its contacts with Russia .
The committee on June 11 voted 12-10 along party lines to grant its chairman , Republican Senator Lindsey Graham ( South Carolina ) , authority to subpoena dozens of current and former Justice Department officials .
Graham , a close Trump ally , said the panel would look at how the department went `` so off the rails '' as it investigated Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , the panel 's top Democrat , accused Graham of negating committee rules that require separate approval for individual subpoenas .
The president and his Republican allies contend that the Justice Department ’ s investigation , which led to a 22-month probe by then-U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller , was an effort to undermine Trump 's candidacy and later his presidency .
Democrats view the Senate probe as a political ploy to help Trump ’ s reelection in the November 3 election .
Mueller ’ s report , issued in April 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign and Russia , but did not find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the election .
A December report by the Justice Department ’ s inspector general found multiple errors and omissions in the applications the FBI submitted to conduct surveillance on a former Trump campaign aide in the early months of the probe .
However , it found no evidence that the FBI had acted with political bias .
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP

The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee has approved subpoena power for a politically charged congressional investigation of the Justice Department’s probe into Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and its contacts with Russia.
The committee on June 11 voted 12-10 along party lines to grant its chairman, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), authority to subpoena dozens of current and former Justice Department officials.
Graham, a close Trump ally, said the panel would look at how the department went "so off the rails" as it investigated Trump and his campaign.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (California), the panel's top Democrat, accused Graham of negating committee rules that require separate approval for individual subpoenas.
The president and his Republican allies contend that the Justice Department’s investigation, which led to a 22-month probe by then-U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, was an effort to undermine Trump's candidacy and later his presidency.
Democrats view the Senate probe as a political ploy to help Trump’s reelection in the November 3 election.
Mueller’s report, issued in April 2019, detailed multiple interactions between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia, but did not find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the election.
A December report by the Justice Department’s inspector general found multiple errors and omissions in the applications the FBI submitted to conduct surveillance on a former Trump campaign aide in the early months of the probe.
However, it found no evidence that the FBI had acted with political bias.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-06-11--Powerful Oligarch Who Fled Moldova Last Year Sought Political Asylum In U.S.

Vlad Plahotniuc , a powerful Moldovan oligarch who fled his home country last year amid a government shake-up , sought political asylum in the United States , but his application was rejected , according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court .
In January , four months after making his application , Plahotniuc had his U.S. visa revoked after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that his `` corrupt actions undermined the rule of law and severely compromised the independence of democratic institutions in Moldova . ''
Plahotniuc sued in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban was announced , asserting that the ban deprived him `` of his due process in the pending asylum proceedings and thereby places his life and liberty in grave danger . ''
The revelations from the suit were the latest chapter in the winding narrative of Plahotniuc , who is one of the wealthiest men in Moldova .
A longtime behind-the-scenes power broker , Plahotniuc fled Moldova in June 2019 after being pushed out of parliament as part of a government shake-up brokered by Russia , the United States , and other European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view afterward , reportedly traveling under one or more assumed names and alternate passports .
According to the lawsuit , Plahotniuc arrived in the United States the day after he fled Moldova .
Plahotniuc been linked to the disappearance of more than $ 1 billion -- totaling nearly one-eighth of Moldova 's gross domestic product -- from the country 's biggest banks between 2012 and 2014 .
A former prime minister , Vlad Filat , was found guilty of corruption related to the theft , but was released early in December 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the perception that those behind it have not been held to account , has outraged , and disillusioned , many Moldovans .
The announcement that the United States was imposing a visa ban on Plahotniuc and his family was met with some satisfaction among anti-corruption activists in Moldova who have struggled to root out the country 's endemic graft .
But in March , RFE/RL reported that Plahotniuc had in fact been living in the United States at the time the visa ban was announced , and had been seen multiple times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how and when in fact he entered the country , as well as the circumstances under which the visa ban was imposed .
Moldovan officials , including President Igor Dodon , had previously hinted that Plahotniuc was in the United States .
The lawsuit has been under seal in federal court .
A copy was leaked , however , and published online on June 11 by a Moldovan lawmaker from Dodon 's Socialist Party .
RFE/RL could not independently confirm the authenticity of the lawsuit .
However , the filing system for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case having the same file number indicated on the leaked document .
The lawmaker , Bogdan Tirdea , refused to comment when contacted by RFE/RL .
The New York lawyer representing Plahotniuc did not immediately respond to phone and email messages from RFE/RL .
A representative for Plahotniuc in Chisinau declined to comment .
The lawsuit states that Plahotniuc arrived in the United States on June 15 , 2019 , the day after he fled Moldova .
It said he applied for political asylum three months later , in September .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notified him that his asylum claim had been rejected .
Five days later , the State Department announced its visa ban .
In March , the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau said that Plahotniuc was in the process of being deported from the United States .
`` We understand that Vladimir Plahotniuc is present in the United States , but is currently in administrative removal proceedings , '' the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau said in a statement on March 19 .
`` Such proceedings , including permissible avenues of judicial review , often can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As of June 11 , it was unclear where that process stood .
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department declined to comment , citing ongoing litigation , and referred questions about asylum applications to the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service .
In the lawsuit , Plahotniuc claimed he been the target of multiple assassination attempts .
He also said that he had a `` demonstrated history of anti-corruption efforts '' and that he had sought to reduce Russia 's influence over the country 's political system .
`` Russia will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they seek to achieve geopolitical dominance throughout the former Soviet bloc , '' the suit states .
Based on reporting by Mike Eckel in Prague and Liliana Barbarosie in Chisinau

Vlad Plahotniuc, a powerful Moldovan oligarch who fled his home country last year amid a government shake-up, sought political asylum in the United States, but his application was rejected, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court.
In January, four months after making his application, Plahotniuc had his U.S. visa revoked after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that his "corrupt actions undermined the rule of law and severely compromised the independence of democratic institutions in Moldova."
Plahotniuc sued in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, a month after the visa ban was announced, asserting that the ban deprived him "of his due process in the pending asylum proceedings and thereby places his life and liberty in grave danger."
The revelations from the suit were the latest chapter in the winding narrative of Plahotniuc, who is one of the wealthiest men in Moldova.
A longtime behind-the-scenes power broker, Plahotniuc fled Moldova in June 2019 after being pushed out of parliament as part of a government shake-up brokered by Russia, the United States, and other European partners.
He dropped out of public view afterward, reportedly traveling under one or more assumed names and alternate passports. According to the lawsuit, Plahotniuc arrived in the United States the day after he fled Moldova.
Missing Money
Plahotniuc been linked to the disappearance of more than $1 billion -- totaling nearly one-eighth of Moldova's gross domestic product -- from the country's biggest banks between 2012 and 2014. A former prime minister, Vlad Filat, was found guilty of corruption related to the theft, but was released early in December 2019.
The brazenness of the bank theft, and the perception that those behind it have not been held to account, has outraged, and disillusioned, many Moldovans.
The announcement that the United States was imposing a visa ban on Plahotniuc and his family was met with some satisfaction among anti-corruption activists in Moldova who have struggled to root out the country's endemic graft.
But in March, RFE/RL reported that Plahotniuc had in fact been living in the United States at the time the visa ban was announced, and had been seen multiple times in Miami. That raised questions of how and when in fact he entered the country, as well as the circumstances under which the visa ban was imposed.
Moldovan officials, including President Igor Dodon, had previously hinted that Plahotniuc was in the United States.
The lawsuit has been under seal in federal court. A copy was leaked, however, and published online on June 11 by a Moldovan lawmaker from Dodon's Socialist Party.
RFE/RL could not independently confirm the authenticity of the lawsuit. However, the filing system for the U.S. court shows records for a sealed case having the same file number indicated on the leaked document.
The lawmaker, Bogdan Tirdea, refused to comment when contacted by RFE/RL.
'Judicial Review'
The New York lawyer representing Plahotniuc did not immediately respond to phone and email messages from RFE/RL. A representative for Plahotniuc in Chisinau declined to comment.
The lawsuit states that Plahotniuc arrived in the United States on June 15, 2019, the day after he fled Moldova. It said he applied for political asylum three months later, in September.
However, on January 10, U.S. immigration officials notified him that his asylum claim had been rejected. Five days later, the State Department announced its visa ban.
In March, the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau said that Plahotniuc was in the process of being deported from the United States.
"We understand that Vladimir Plahotniuc is present in the United States, but is currently in administrative removal proceedings," the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau said in a statement on March 19.
"Such proceedings, including permissible avenues of judicial review, often can take significant time," it added.
As of June 11, it was unclear where that process stood. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation, and referred questions about asylum applications to the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service.
In the lawsuit, Plahotniuc claimed he been the target of multiple assassination attempts. He also said that he had a "demonstrated history of anti-corruption efforts" and that he had sought to reduce Russia's influence over the country's political system.
"Russia will not hesitate to assassinate him anywhere in Europe as they seek to achieve geopolitical dominance throughout the former Soviet bloc," the suit states.
Mike Eckel reported from Prague and Liliana Barbarosie from Chisinau


rferl--2020-06-11--Germany Urged To Prosecute Iranian Judge Linked To 'Torture' Of Journalists

Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) has filed a complaint with Germany ’ s Federal Public Prosecutor against an Iranian judge whom the Paris-based media freedom watchdog accuses of being responsible for the `` arrest and torture '' of at least 20 journalists in 2013 .
In a Twitter post on June 11 , RSF ’ s Secretary-General Christophe Deloire said that Gholamreza Mansouri was currently in Germany .
`` The prosecutor must not let him escape justice ! ''
he wrote .
The move comes two days after the London-based rights group Justice for Iran called for information that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Germany .
Citing the testimony of `` a significant number '' of journalists , Justice for Iran said in a statement that Mansouri was `` responsible for issuing arrest warrants against them . ''
`` These journalists were interrogated for months in [ Tehran ’ s ] Evin prison in solitary confinement and pressured to confess against themselves and others . ''
Mansouri is among several judges who were accused of corruption during the high-profile trial of a former senior judiciary official that opened in Tehran on June 7 .
Officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left the country , had received a bribe of 50,000 euros ( $ 57,000 ) .
In a video posted online on June 8 , Mansouri didn ’ t give details about his whereabouts , but he said he would return to Iran as soon as travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic are eased .
`` I have full trust in the Islamic republic , Supreme Leader [ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ] , and the judicial system , '' Mansouri said in the video , adding that he was proud of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three decades .
Some media reports said Mansouri went abroad to receive medical treatment .
Iran ranks 173th out of 180 countries in RSF ’ s 2020 World Press Freedom Index .
In recent years , Iranian authorities have detained and imprisoned dozens of journalists , bloggers , and media workers following trials described as unfair by human rights defenders .
Scores of media publications have been also closed .


rferl--2020-06-11--Tajik Actor Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Extortion

A prominent Tajik actor has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of extortion , two sources familiar with the case told RFE/RL on June 10 .
An official at the Dushanbe court where the actor was tried said that Behruz Saeed , 25 , had his prison sentence cut by three years under an amnesty .
The official did n't provide further details .
According to an official at the state anti-corruption agency , Saeed was arrested in April and his sentence was delivered on June 8 .
The official said the actor , pretending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son of the country ’ s president who is the mayor of Dushanbe , had contacted two businessmen and asked them to immediately pay back money they owed to one of his friends .
The unidentified businessmen allegedly owed more than $ 100,000 in total to Saeed ’ s friend .
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media .
A friend of Saeed ’ s family said he was aware of the case .
“ He may have done it – through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lack of life experience , but his actions still can ’ t justify such a harsh sentence , ” the friend said on condition of anonymity .
Saeed rose to fame in Tajikistan at the age of seven when he starred in a Tajik television series in which he played a boy whose father had gone to Russia for work .

A prominent Tajik actor has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of extortion, two sources familiar with the case told RFE/RL on June 10.
An official at the Dushanbe court where the actor was tried said that Behruz Saeed, 25, had his prison sentence cut by three years under an amnesty.
The official didn't provide further details.
According to an official at the state anti-corruption agency, Saeed was arrested in April and his sentence was delivered on June 8.
The official said the actor, pretending to be Rustam Emomali, the eldest son of the country’s president who is the mayor of Dushanbe, had contacted two businessmen and asked them to immediately pay back money they owed to one of his friends.
The unidentified businessmen allegedly owed more than $100,000 in total to Saeed’s friend.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
A friend of Saeed’s family said he was aware of the case.
“He may have done it – through the phone – because of his naivety and a lack of life experience, but his actions still can’t justify such a harsh sentence,” the friend said on condition of anonymity.
Saeed rose to fame in Tajikistan at the age of seven when he starred in a Tajik television series in which he played a boy whose father had gone to Russia for work.


rferl--2020-06-11--Trump Approves Sanctions Over ICC Afghanistan War Crimes Case

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order authorizing economic sanctions and travel restrictions against employees of the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) who are directly involved in investigating U.S. troops and intelligence officials for possible war crimes in Afghanistan .
After Trump signed the executive order on June 11 , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington would not allow Americans to be threatened by `` a kangaroo court . ''
Attorney General Bill Barr accused `` foreign powers like Russia '' of manipulating The Hague-based court `` in pursuit of their own agenda . ''
The United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not parties to the Rome treaty that established the ICC in 2002 to prosecute war crimes , crimes against humanity , and genocide in areas where perpetrators might not otherwise face justice .
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell voiced `` serious concern '' at Trump ’ s order , saying the bloc was a “ steadfast ” supporter of the ICC , which he called “ a key factor in bringing justice and peace.
” '' Very disturbed by the United States ’ measures , '' Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ICC and will continue to do so .
The ICC is crucial in the fight against impunity and in upholding international rule of law . ''
Human rights groups also decried the Trump administration 's move , with Andrea Prasow , the Washington director of Human Rights Watch , saying it `` demonstrates contempt for the global rule of law . ''
`` This assault on the ICC is an effort to block victims of serious crimes whether in Afghanistan , Israel or Palestine from seeing justice , '' she added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary Kayleigh McEnany called the actions of the court `` an attack on the rights of the American people and threaten to infringe upon our national sovereignty . ''
The court `` has been an unaccountable and ineffective international bureaucracy that targets and threatens United States personnel as well as personnel of our allies and partners , '' she added .
McEnany alleged that the court continues to pursue politically motivated investigations against the U.S. and its partners , including Israel , and that `` adversary nations are manipulating '' the ICC .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason to believe there is corruption and misconduct at the highest levels of the International Criminal Court office of the prosecutor , calling into question the integrity of its investigation into American service members , '' the White House spokeswoman said .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the U.S. move , saying the ICC was `` politicized and obsessed with carrying out a witch-hunt against Israel and the United States as well as other democratic countries . ''
Meanwhile , the court `` turns a blind eye to the world 's worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he told a press conference .
Trump ’ s order authorizes the secretary of state , in consultation with the treasury secretary , to block financial assets within U.S. jurisdiction of court personnel who directly engage in investigating , harassing , or detaining U.S. personnel .
Court officials -- and their family members -- involved in the probe can also be blocked from entering the United States .
The Trump administration already imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions against ICC employees last year .
In November 2017 , ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Afghanistan since May 2003 .
But in April 2019 , an ICC pretrial chamber rejected the inquiry as not being in the `` interests of justice '' because it would likely fail due to lack of cooperation .
In March this year , the ICC ’ s Appeals Chamber in March ruled that the investigation could go ahead – a decision Pompeo at the time described as `` reckless . ''
Afghanistan is a signatory of the Rome treaty but officials have expressed opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other foreign troops intervened in Afghanistan following the September 11 , 2001 , attacks in the United States and overthrew the Taliban government .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-06-11--New Kosovo PM Sees 'Complementary' Role For EU, U.S. In Deal With Serbia

PRISTINA -- Newly elected Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti says the European Union and the United States have complementary roles in helping the country meet its top priority : successful dialogue with Serbia .
Hoti told RFE/RL 's Balkan Service in an exclusive interview on June 11 that Kosovo is ready for talks with Serbia , has a clear platform and strategy , and expects them to be resumed `` very fast . ''
`` We need the full support of the EU as well as a strong U.S. engagement in this process -- both in reaching and implementing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hoti said , adding , `` one doesn ’ t go without the other . ''
Hoti , a leading official in Kosovo 's center-right Democratic League of Kosovo ( LDK ) , became prime minister on June 3 after winning a vote in parliament by a razor-thin margin .
His election ended a months-long crisis triggered by outgoing premier Albin Kurti 's Vetevendosje party , which had been pressing for snap polls after his government collapsed in March following a no-confidence vote initiated by LDK .
A key point of contention with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Serbia .
Kurti was reluctant to scrap trade sanctions against Serbia in spite of EU criticism and requests from Pristina 's most important ally , the United States .
Three days after taking office , Hoti 's government lifted the sanctions on Serbian goods entering the country in an effort to pave the way to resuming dialogue to improve ties with its neighbor .
`` We have just taken over our duties and now are waiting for the process to be clarified in the coming days , '' Hoti said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former province of Serbia , and Belgrade in 2011 amid strained relations that had lingered since a 1998-1999 war between the two that ended only after NATO intervened .
The conflict claimed more than 10,000 lives and left more than 1 million people homeless .
Kosovo 's independence , declared in 2008 , has not been recognized by Belgrade , Russia , and five EU nations .
The United States and more than 110 other countries have recognized Kosovo ’ s independence .
Vetevendosje has accused both the United States and Kosovar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove Kurti from power in order to push through a deal with Serbia .
Both Washington and Thaci deny the accusations .
`` Germany and France , two key EU members , are paying a great deal of attention to the dialogue process , and it is also of interest that Washington is very focused on putting an end once and for all to open issues between Kosovo and Serbia , '' Hoti said .
On June 10 , Hoti outlined his government 's platform for dialogue with Serbia , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity and the constitutional organization of the state .
Furthermore , the final agreement , which Kosovo insists should result in reciprocal recognition , will have to be in the spirit of Kosovo ’ s constitution .
`` I do not have a mandate to discuss the territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo -- this is clear , '' Hoti told RFE/RL .
Asked which compromises Kosovo was ready to make in the dialogue with Serbia , Hoti said that the `` the compromise Kosovo is [ making ] is accepting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of normalizing relations with its neighbor . ''
`` That is the compromise we are making .
All compromises ended on February 17 , 2008 [ when Kosovo declared its independence ] , with the [ UN Special Envoy to Kosovo Martti ] Ahtisaari Plan based on which Kosovo declared independence with constitutional arrangements in force today , '' Hoti said .

PRISTINA -- Newly elected Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti says the European Union and the United States have complementary roles in helping the country meet its top priority: successful dialogue with Serbia.
Hoti told RFE/RL's Balkan Service in an exclusive interview on June 11 that Kosovo is ready for talks with Serbia, has a clear platform and strategy, and expects them to be resumed "very fast."
"We need the full support of the EU as well as a strong U.S. engagement in this process -- both in reaching and implementing an agreement [with Serbia]," Hoti said, adding, "one doesn’t go without the other."
Hoti, a leading official in Kosovo's center-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), became prime minister on June 3 after winning a vote in parliament by a razor-thin margin.
His election ended a months-long crisis triggered by outgoing premier Albin Kurti's Vetevendosje party, which had been pressing for snap polls after his government collapsed in March following a no-confidence vote initiated by LDK.
A key point of contention with LDK was Kurti's policy in relation to Serbia.
Kurti was reluctant to scrap trade sanctions against Serbia in spite of EU criticism and requests from Pristina's most important ally, the United States.
Three days after taking office, Hoti's government lifted the sanctions on Serbian goods entering the country in an effort to pave the way to resuming dialogue to improve ties with its neighbor.
"We have just taken over our duties and now are waiting for the process to be clarified in the coming days," Hoti said.
Strained Relations
The European Union started mediation between Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, and Belgrade in 2011 amid strained relations that had lingered since a 1998-1999 war between the two that ended only after NATO intervened.
The conflict claimed more than 10,000 lives and left more than 1 million people homeless.
Kosovo's independence, declared in 2008, has not been recognized by Belgrade, Russia, and five EU nations. The United States and more than 110 other countries have recognized Kosovo’s independence.
Vetevendosje has accused both the United States and Kosovar President Hashim Thaci of working in tandem to remove Kurti from power in order to push through a deal with Serbia. Both Washington and Thaci deny the accusations.
"Germany and France, two key EU members, are paying a great deal of attention to the dialogue process, and it is also of interest that Washington is very focused on putting an end once and for all to open issues between Kosovo and Serbia," Hoti said.
On June 10, Hoti outlined his government's platform for dialogue with Serbia, according to which Kosovo will not negotiate its territorial integrity and the constitutional organization of the state.
Furthermore, the final agreement, which Kosovo insists should result in reciprocal recognition, will have to be in the spirit of Kosovo’s constitution.
"I do not have a mandate to discuss the territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo -- this is clear," Hoti told RFE/RL.
Asked which compromises Kosovo was ready to make in the dialogue with Serbia, Hoti said that the "the compromise Kosovo is [making] is accepting to sit at the table with a goal of normalizing relations with its neighbor."
"That is the compromise we are making. All compromises ended on February 17, 2008 [when Kosovo declared its independence], with the [UN Special Envoy to Kosovo Martti] Ahtisaari Plan based on which Kosovo declared independence with constitutional arrangements in force today," Hoti said.


rferl--2020-06-11--Russian Arctic City Mayor Charged With Negligence Over Fuel Spill

The mayor of the Arctic city of Norilsk has been charged with negligence over his response to a spill that dumped thousands of tons of diesel fuel into local waterways in late May , Russian investigators say .
In a statement on June 11 , Russia 's Investigative Committee accused Rinat Akhmetchin of failing to coordinate and organize emergency measures to contain and control fallout from the leakage .
The disaster occurred on May 29 , when a holding tank at a thermal power plant near the industrial city of Norilsk spilled at least 20,000 tons of diesel fuel into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a downstream lake .
The power plant is owned by a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel , the world 's leading nickel and palladium producer , which said the leak was caused when pillars supporting a storage tank sank due to thawing permafrost soil .
The Prosecutor-General 's Office has also issued preliminary findings revealing that sagging ground helped trigger the disaster .
The Investigative Committee did not say whether Akhmetchin had been arrested .
The mayor , who has headed Norilsk since 2017 , faces up to six months in prison if convicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigators arrested three managers at the power station on suspicion of violating environmental-protection rules .
The three are suspected of having continued to use an unsafe fuel-storage tank that had needed repairs since 2018 .
Another manager at the facility was arrested and charged earlier this month .
President Vladimir Putin ordered a state of emergency after the extent of the spill became known and Norilsk Nickel has since promised to pay for the costs of the cleanup , estimated at 10 billion rubles ( $ 145 million ) .
Norilsk Nickel is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Vladimir Potanin .
The company denies allegations that management hushed up and downplayed the scale of the disaster for at least two days after the accident .
The company has said that the fuel-storage tank was repaired in 2017 and 2018 , after which it went through a safety audit .
Regional officials say oil booms and other cleanup operations have failed to prevent all the spilled fuel and chemicals from flowing from the Daldykan and Ambarnaya rivers into Lake Pyasino .
Separately , the Emergency Situations Ministry said on June 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , have provided satellite data on the spill to aid in the response .
The ecological disaster came as temperatures in Siberia were up to 10 degrees Celsius above average in May and were also higher than normal earlier in the year , leading to thawing permafrost .
Sixty five percent of Russia is covered by permafrost .
Norilsk , an isolated Arctic city , is constructed on permafrost and its infrastructure is threatened by climate change .

The mayor of the Arctic city of Norilsk has been charged with negligence over his response to a spill that dumped thousands of tons of diesel fuel into local waterways in late May, Russian investigators say.
In a statement on June 11, Russia's Investigative Committee accused Rinat Akhmetchin of failing to coordinate and organize emergency measures to contain and control fallout from the leakage.
The disaster occurred on May 29, when a holding tank at a thermal power plant near the industrial city of Norilsk spilled at least 20,000 tons of diesel fuel into the soil, two rivers, and a downstream lake.
The power plant is owned by a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel, the world's leading nickel and palladium producer, which said the leak was caused when pillars supporting a storage tank sank due to thawing permafrost soil.
The Prosecutor-General's Office has also issued preliminary findings revealing that sagging ground helped trigger the disaster.
The Investigative Committee did not say whether Akhmetchin had been arrested.
The mayor, who has headed Norilsk since 2017, faces up to six months in prison if convicted.
The charges come a day after investigators arrested three managers at the power station on suspicion of violating environmental-protection rules.
The three are suspected of having continued to use an unsafe fuel-storage tank that had needed repairs since 2018.
Another manager at the facility was arrested and charged earlier this month.
State Of Emergency
President Vladimir Putin ordered a state of emergency after the extent of the spill became known and Norilsk Nickel has since promised to pay for the costs of the cleanup, estimated at 10 billion rubles ($145 million).
Norilsk Nickel is owned by Russia’s richest man, Vladimir Potanin. The company denies allegations that management hushed up and downplayed the scale of the disaster for at least two days after the accident.
The company has said that the fuel-storage tank was repaired in 2017 and 2018, after which it went through a safety audit.
Regional officials say oil booms and other cleanup operations have failed to prevent all the spilled fuel and chemicals from flowing from the Daldykan and Ambarnaya rivers into Lake Pyasino.
Separately, the Emergency Situations Ministry said on June 10 that 14 countries, including the United States, have provided satellite data on the spill to aid in the response.
The ecological disaster came as temperatures in Siberia were up to 10 degrees Celsius above average in May and were also higher than normal earlier in the year, leading to thawing permafrost.
Sixty five percent of Russia is covered by permafrost. Norilsk, an isolated Arctic city, is constructed on permafrost and its infrastructure is threatened by climate change.


rferl--2020-06-11--Ukrainian Ex-Paramilitary Leader Suspected Of Premeditated Murder

KYIV -- A controversial former leader of a far-right Ukrainian paramilitary group says he is officially suspected of premeditated murder and possession of an illegal bladed weapon in the killing of a man he claims was self-defense .
Serhiy Sternenko , who once led the Right Sector group in the city of Odesa , wrote in a post on Facebook on June 11 that the Ukrainian Security Service ( SBU ) had handed him a document informing him that he was a suspect in the case .
Sternenko was attacked by two men late in the evening on May 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girlfriend .
He fought off the attackers , suffering numerous head injuries and a cut to his arm in the process .
Sternenko injured one of the assailants who later died in hospital .
`` There was no murder , but necessary self-defense , which was confirmed by an investigator earlier when he called the attackers suspects .
As for the knife , several forensic evaluations established that it is not a bladed weapon , '' Sternenko wrote .
The SBU confirmed that Sternenko is a suspect in the case , saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knife , the attackers fled the scene .
But Sternenko , whose life and health were no longer in danger , chased one of them and stabbed him several times , inflicting wounds that led to the man 's death .
On May 18 , when hundreds of Sternenko 's supporters rallied in front of the SBU building , the SBU said Sternenko was not a suspect in the case .
Sternenko , who was questioned on that day , told his supporters that he was given the status of victim in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in another one .
The attack was the third against Sternenko in three months .

KYIV -- A controversial former leader of a far-right Ukrainian paramilitary group says he is officially suspected of premeditated murder and possession of an illegal bladed weapon in the killing of a man he claims was self-defense.
Serhiy Sternenko, who once led the Right Sector group in the city of Odesa, wrote in a post on Facebook on June 11 that the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) had handed him a document informing him that he was a suspect in the case.
Sternenko was attacked by two men late in the evening on May 26, 2018, while walking with his girlfriend. He fought off the attackers, suffering numerous head injuries and a cut to his arm in the process. Sternenko injured one of the assailants who later died in hospital.
"There was no murder, but necessary self-defense, which was confirmed by an investigator earlier when he called the attackers suspects. As for the knife, several forensic evaluations established that it is not a bladed weapon," Sternenko wrote.
The SBU confirmed that Sternenko is a suspect in the case, saying that, after Sternenko defended himself using his knife, the attackers fled the scene. But Sternenko, whose life and health were no longer in danger, chased one of them and stabbed him several times, inflicting wounds that led to the man's death.
On May 18, when hundreds of Sternenko's supporters rallied in front of the SBU building, the SBU said Sternenko was not a suspect in the case.
Sternenko, who was questioned on that day, told his supporters that he was given the status of victim in one of cases and the status of witness in another one.
The attack was the third against Sternenko in three months.


rferl--2020-06-11--Ukrainian Rock Star Quits Parliament But Says He'll Stay In Politics

KYIV -- Ukrainian rock star and lawmaker Svyatoslav Vakarchuk , who founded the Holos ( Voice ) party last year , has announced he will give up his mandate in parliament but remain in politics .
The 45-year-old Vakarchuk , who won a seat in the Verkhovna Rada in July last year , told journalists in Kyiv on June 11 that he had filed a request to leave the chamber of deputies as his mission has been `` partially accomplished '' by bringing `` a wonderful faction to parliament . ''
`` In the last three years there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on my name , which failed to affect me .
That started when a thought appeared in someone 's paranoid imagination that I would run for president , '' Vakarchuk said in explaining his decision .
Vakarchuk 's statement came exactly three months after he announced he was stepping down from the leadership of his party .
It is not the first time Vakarchuk has called it quits from parliament .
In 2007 , the leader of the popular Okean Elzy ( Elza 's Ocean ) rock group was elected to the Verkhovna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine-People 's Self-Defense political bloc .
In September 2008 , he gave up his mandate .
There are 20 Holos members in the current parliament .

KYIV -- Ukrainian rock star and lawmaker Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, who founded the Holos (Voice) party last year, has announced he will give up his mandate in parliament but remain in politics.
The 45-year-old Vakarchuk, who won a seat in the Verkhovna Rada in July last year, told journalists in Kyiv on June 11 that he had filed a request to leave the chamber of deputies as his mission has been "partially accomplished" by bringing "a wonderful faction to parliament."
"In the last three years there have been persistent attempts to pour dirt and negativity on my name, which failed to affect me. That started when a thought appeared in someone's paranoid imagination that I would run for president," Vakarchuk said in explaining his decision.
Vakarchuk's statement came exactly three months after he announced he was stepping down from the leadership of his party.
It is not the first time Vakarchuk has called it quits from parliament.
In 2007, the leader of the popular Okean Elzy (Elza's Ocean) rock group was elected to the Verkhovna Rada on the lists of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense political bloc.
In September 2008, he gave up his mandate.
There are 20 Holos members in the current parliament.


rferl--2020-06-11--Two Russian Bombers, Two Jets Intercepted Off Alaska, U.S. Says


rferl--2020-06-12--Kyrgyz Lawmakers OK Bill On Amendments To Russian Military Base Agreement

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz lawmakers have approved a bill ratifying a Kyrgyz-Russian protocol amending an agreement on the usage of Russia 's military base in the Central Asian nation .
According to the bill approved in its third and final reading on June 12 , Russia 's annual fee for renting land for its combined military base in Kyrgyzstan will be increased .
The bill was introduced after a topographic survey of the land rented by the Russian military base found it to be 58.32 hectares more than the area specified in the lease agreement .
After the amount of rented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rental fee of $ 4,502,495 will be increased by $ 291,600 , according to the bill .
The bill stirred controversy in Kyrgyzstan after some Internet users questioned the lease agreement , according to which the runway at Russia 's military air base in the northern Kyrgyz city of Kant would be owned by the Russian side during renovation works and after such works are finished .
Meanwhile , the bill says that `` the General Staff of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces has outlined amendments to ... the agreement that envisions a return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the document ’ s expiration date . ''
`` Additionally , the runway 's buildings have been included to the list of joint [ Kyrgyz-Russian ] use , '' the bill says .
Russia 's air base at Kant was opened in 2003 under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization ( CSTO ) , which includes Russia , Kyrgyzstan , Armenia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , and Tajikistan .
A U.S. air base outside the capital , Bishkek , began hosting U.S. troops in 2001 as part of the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut it in 2014 amid pressure from Moscow .
In 2017 , the Kant air base and three other Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan were consolidated into a single combined base .

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz lawmakers have approved a bill ratifying a Kyrgyz-Russian protocol amending an agreement on the usage of Russia's military base in the Central Asian nation.
According to the bill approved in its third and final reading on June 12, Russia's annual fee for renting land for its combined military base in Kyrgyzstan will be increased.
The bill was introduced after a topographic survey of the land rented by the Russian military base found it to be 58.32 hectares more than the area specified in the lease agreement.
After the amount of rented territory is amended, the current annual rental fee of $4,502,495 will be increased by $291,600, according to the bill.
The bill stirred controversy in Kyrgyzstan after some Internet users questioned the lease agreement, according to which the runway at Russia's military air base in the northern Kyrgyz city of Kant would be owned by the Russian side during renovation works and after such works are finished.
Meanwhile, the bill says that "the General Staff of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces has outlined amendments to...the agreement that envisions a return to the Kyrgyz side of the facilities after the document’s expiration date."
"Additionally, the runway's buildings have been included to the list of joint [Kyrgyz-Russian] use," the bill says.
Russia's air base at Kant was opened in 2003 under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which includes Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.
A U.S. air base outside the capital, Bishkek, began hosting U.S. troops in 2001 as part of the military campaign in nearby Afghanistan, but Kyrgyzstan shut it in 2014 amid pressure from Moscow.
In 2017, the Kant air base and three other Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan were consolidated into a single combined base.


rferl--2020-06-12--Director Of Major Kyrgyz Highway, Subordinates Detained On Corruption Charges

BISHKEK -- The director of a major Kyrgyz highway connecting the capital , Bishkek , with the Central Asian nation @ @ @ @ @ , has been arrested along with 11 of his subordinates on corruption charges .
Kyrgyzstan @ @ @ @ @ Economic Crimes ( EKKMK ) said on June 11 that managers of two tunnel toll @ @ @ @ @ individuals .
The EKKMK did not identify the detained officials .
`` Preliminary estimations say @ @ @ @ @ the suspects inflicted damage worth more than 20 million soms ( $ 270,000 ) , @ @ @ @ @ said , adding that investigations are under way “ to establish the possible involvement of @ @ @ @ @ of Transport and Roads and other state entities '' in the suspected corruption schemes .

BISHKEK -- The director of a major Kyrgyz highway connecting the capital, Bishkek, with the Central Asian nation's second-largest city, Osh, has been arrested along with 11 of his subordinates on corruption charges.
Kyrgyzstan's State Service for Combating Economic Crimes (EKKMK) said on June 11 that managers of two tunnel toll posts were among the detained individuals.
The EKKMK did not identify the detained officials.
"Preliminary estimations say that the illegal activities by the suspects inflicted damage worth more than 20 million soms ($270,000)," the EKKMK's statement said, adding that investigations are under way “to establish the possible involvement of senior officials at the Ministry of Transport and Roads and other state entities" in the suspected corruption schemes.


rferl--2020-06-12--Armenia Extends State Of Emergency Over Coronavirus To Another Month

YEREVAN -- Armenia 's government has extended the current state of emergency by another month given the `` tense '' @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .
At an extraordinary session on June 12 , the government decided to @ @ @ @ @ , introduced in mid-March , until July 13 .
`` The epidemiological situation remains tense @ @ @ @ @ no objections , the state of emergency in the country will be extended for a @ @ @ @ @ , '' Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian told parliament .
As of June 12 , Armenia @ @ @ @ @ the general number of coronavirus cases in the South Caucasus nation was 15,281 , including @ @ @

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that there can be no advancement in the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unless there is an improvement in the treatment of women in the country.
Speaking to reporters on August 15, the two-year anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of power in Kabul, Blinken said the United States continues to work to hold the Taliban accountable for the commitments that it's made, particularly when it comes to the rights of women and girls.
"We've been very clear with the Taliban -- and dozens of countries around the world have been very clear -- that the path to any more normal relationship between the Taliban and other countries will be blocked unless and until the rights of women and girls among other things are actually supported," Blinken said.
No country has recognized the Taliban-led government, and the United States has avoided direct economic engagement in part over the treatment of women and girls, who have seen their rights drastically curbed by the hard-line Islamists. This includes a ban on women working in local and international nongovernmental organizations and a ban on education beyond the sixth grade.
The Taliban stormed back to power in August 2021 after President Joe Biden withdrew U.S. troops under the terms of an agreement reached in February 2020 between the Taliban and the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
Blinken defended the pullout and said the United States was not focused on other priorities.
"The decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was an incredibly difficult one, but also the right one," Blinken said. "We ended America's longest war. For the first time in 20 years, we don't have another generation of young Americans going to fight and die."
A number of international human rights organizations earlier on August 15 called the Taliban's two years of rule shameful and worrying.
Amnesty International and several other international human rights organizations demanded in a statement an effective response to the situation, noting the Taliban's strict decrees against human rights in Afghanistan, especially against women and girls.
The organizations said in a statement that in the past two years, the Taliban has increasingly imposed harmful policies against women and girls and religious and ethnic minorities that clearly violate Afghanistan's obligations under international human rights law.
The Taliban has previously rejected reports on the treatment of women as propaganda of international organizations. The militant group's leaders have said they have strengthened all the rights of women in Afghanistan in light of Islamic principles.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban, said in an interview with the AP marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country that the Taliban views its rule of Afghanistan as open-ended and as drawing legitimacy from Islamic law. He also suggested a ban on female education will remain in place.
Female activist Soheila Yousefi calls the situation alarming and wants the world to pay attention.
"The international community should take serious action in this regard because the world chose to be silent in these two years and did not take any practical steps. Our request is that they should look at the current situation in Afghanistan, then take a serious and comprehensive review."
The Taliban did not respond to Radio Azadi's questions before the release of the report, but the rulers have spoken of strengthening human rights in Afghanistan, especially the rights of women and girls, according to Islamic principles.
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-06-12--At Least Four Killed, Many Injured In Kabul Mosque Blast

An explosion in a Kabul mosque during Friday Prayers killed at least four people and wounded many more , Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ June 12 .
`` Explosives placed inside the Shir Shah-E-Suri Mosque exploded during Friday Prayers @ @ @ @ @ in a statement , adding that the West Kabul mosque 's mullah was among those @ @ @ @ @ claimed responsibility for the attack .
U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was in the region @ @ @ @ @ resuscitate a peace deal that Washington and the Taliban signed in February to end the @ @ @ @ @ the longest military conflict in U.S. history .
The deal lays out a timetable for @ @ @ @ @ from the country in return for security commitments from the Taliban .
Washington is also @ @ @ @ @ the Afghan government and the Taliban .
The Islamic State extremist group also has a @ @ @ @ @ has carried out large-scale attacks in Kabul in recent months .
With reporting by AP @ @


rferl--2020-06-12--U.S. Resumes Military Aid To Ukraine With Release Of $250 Million In Assistance

The U.S. Defense Department has announced a resumption of millions of dollars in military assistance to Ukraine after it was frozen last year , putting it at the heart of the impeachment of President Donald Trump .
The Pentagon said $ 250 million will be released to assist with “ training , equipment , and advisory efforts to strengthen Ukraine ’ s capacity to more effectively defend itself against Russian aggression.
” A Pentagon statement says the aid reaffirms the long-standing defense relationship between the United States and Ukraine , adding that the country is “ a critical partner on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia.
” The support will complement NATO security assistance to Kyiv and comes after the United States certified the Ukraine government had implemented required reforms in the military , the Pentagon statement said .
Over the past year , Ukraine has taken `` considerable steps '' to strengthen civilian control of the military , reform management and command structures , and reduce corruption , it said .
The United States and other Western countries have expanded support of Ukraine 's military since Moscow seized control of the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries .
Moscow is also backing separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014 .
The Pentagon statement says the United States continues to urge all allies and partners to enhance their support for Ukraine ’ s security and defense .
Last year , Trump froze hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to the country while he sought help from the government to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden , his Democratic challenger in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s request amounted to a quid pro quo for military aid and launched an impeachment inquiry for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
Trump was acquitted by the Senate early this year .

The U.S. Defense Department has announced a resumption of millions of dollars in military assistance to Ukraine after it was frozen last year, putting it at the heart of the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
The Pentagon said $250 million will be released to assist with “training, equipment, and advisory efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to more effectively defend itself against Russian aggression.”
A Pentagon statement says the aid reaffirms the long-standing defense relationship between the United States and Ukraine, adding that the country is “a critical partner on the front line of strategic competition with Russia.”
The support will complement NATO security assistance to Kyiv and comes after the United States certified the Ukraine government had implemented required reforms in the military, the Pentagon statement said.
Over the past year, Ukraine has taken "considerable steps" to strengthen civilian control of the military, reform management and command structures, and reduce corruption, it said.
The United States and other Western countries have expanded support of Ukraine's military since Moscow seized control of the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 after sending in troops and staging a referendum dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries. Moscow is also backing separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014.
The Pentagon statement says the United States continues to urge all allies and partners to enhance their support for Ukraine’s security and defense.
Last year, Trump froze hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to the country while he sought help from the government to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, his Democratic challenger in the November presidential election.
Democrats said Trump’s request amounted to a quid pro quo for military aid and launched an impeachment inquiry for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Trump was acquitted by the Senate early this year.
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-06-11--ICC Expresses 'Profound Regret' Over Trump's Move To Sanction Afghan War Crimes Investigators

The International Criminal Court ( ICC ) has rejected a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to authorize sanctions against any official investigating American troops over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan .
The court expressed `` profound regret '' over Trump 's announcement in a statement on June 11 .
The ICC called Trump 's moves an `` unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law and the court 's judicial proceedings . ''
The Hague-based court said the moves come `` with the declared aim of influencing the actions of ICC officials in the context of the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judicial proceedings . ''
It also represents an attack against the interests of victims of atrocities for whom the court is the last hope for justice , the court said .
Trump issued an executive order earlier authorizing economic sanctions and travel restrictions against employees of the ICC who are directly involved in investigating U.S. troops and intelligence officials for possible war crimes in Afghanistan .
After Trump signed the order , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington would not allow Americans to be threatened by `` a kangaroo court . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers like Russia '' of manipulating the court `` in pursuit of their own agenda . ''
The United States is among dozens of countries that are not parties to the Rome treaty that established the ICC in 2002 to prosecute war crimes , crimes against humanity , and genocide in areas where perpetrators might not otherwise face justice .
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell voiced `` serious concern '' at Trump ’ s order , saying the bloc is a “ steadfast ” supporter of the ICC , which he called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and peace.
” `` Very disturbed by the United States ’ measures , '' Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok tweeted .
`` The Netherlands fully supports the ICC and will continue to do so .
The ICC is crucial in the fight against impunity and in upholding international rule of law . ''
Human rights groups also deplored the Trump administration ’ s move , with Andrea Prasow , the Washington director of Human Rights Watch , saying it `` demonstrates contempt for the global rule of law.
” “ This assault on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims of serious crimes whether in Afghanistan , Israel , or Palestine from seeing justice , '' she added .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called the actions of the court `` an attack on the rights of the American people and threaten to infringe upon our national sovereignty . ''
The court `` has been an unaccountable and ineffective international bureaucracy that targets and threatens United States personnel as well as personnel of our allies and partners , '' she said in a statement .
McEnany alleged that the court continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and its partners , including Israel , and that `` adversary nations are manipulating '' the ICC .
The United States also has `` strong reason to believe there is corruption and misconduct at the highest levels of the International Criminal Court office of the prosecutor , calling into question the integrity of its investigation into American service members , '' the White House spokeswoman said .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the U.S. move , saying the ICC is “ politicized and obsessed with carrying out a witch hunt against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as other democratic countries.
” Meanwhile , the court “ turns a blind eye to the world 's worst human rights offenders , '' including Iran , he told a press conference .
Trump ’ s order authorizes the secretary of state , in consultation with the treasury secretary , to block financial assets within U.S. jurisdiction of court personnel who directly engage in investigating , harassing , or detaining U.S. personnel .
Court officials -- and their family members -- involved in the probe can also be blocked from entering the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel restrictions and other sanctions against ICC employees last year .
In November 2017 , ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda asked judges to initiate an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Afghanistan since May 2003 .
But in April 2019 , an ICC pretrial chamber rejected the inquiry as not being in the `` interests of justice '' because it would likely fail due to lack of cooperation .
In March this year , the ICC ’ s Appeals Chamber ruled that the investigation could go ahead – a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` reckless . ''
Afghanistan is a signatory of the Rome treaty but officials have expressed opposition to the investigation .
U.S. forces and other foreign troops intervened in Afghanistan following the September 11 , 2001 , attacks in the United States and overthrew the Taliban government .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-06-11--New Kosovar PM Needs 'Full Support' Of EU, U.S. Before Reaching Deal With Serbia