News
- By Antoine Blua
Freedom House: Economic Troubles Threaten Stability In Ex-Soviet 'Dictatorships'
In a new report, Freedom House warns that economic woes are threatening the stability of "entrenched dictatorships" in the former Soviet Union, the migration crisis is fueling populism in Eastern Europe, and reforms in the Balkans are in retreat.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's "naked embrace of autocracy" deepened in 2015, the U.S.-based human rights group says.
Freedom House made the assessments in its annual Nations In Transit report, which monitors the democratic development of 29 countries in the former Soviet Union, the Balkans, and Central Europe. It was published on April 12.
The report assigns each country a score to measure democratic progress. Weighted for population, the average Democracy Score in the 29 countries covered has declined for 12 years in a row.
On The Brink
The situation is particularly grim in the former Soviet Union, where seven countries are led by "dictators" who have been in power for at least 10 years -- Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
Freedom House says the collapse in global commodity prices, especially oil, combined with U.S. and European sanctions on Russia and Russian countersanctions, has driven economies of the region "to the brink."
Economic troubles have pushed Russia into recession and triggered similar currency crises and budget shortfalls in other oil- and gas-producing countries including Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan.
The crisis has also rippled through non-energy-based economies that are dependent on Russia through subsidies and migrant labor, with Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan "also facing possible recession in 2016," the report says.
Nate Schenkkan, project director of Nations In Transit, told RFE/RL that these states now have to face the consequences after years of failing to diversify their economies or create transparent and accountable systems of government.
"It's certainly likely that there's going to be considerably more social protest in this year," he said. "There was probably more in 2015 already."
"Anecdotally, we know that there are large numbers of labor migrants returning, especially to Tajikistan," Schenkkan added. "This then creates a large class of unemployed young men…and that of course is a very potent potential protest group."
Harsher Crackdown
Schenkkan said that leaders in the region had responded with measures intended to "reaffirm their control."
In Russia, the report says, Putin's "naked embrace of autocracy since his return to the presidency in 2012 deepened in 2015 with an ever-harsher crackdown on civil society and political organizing."
It says Russian "innovations in authoritarianism," such as restrictions on nongovernmental organizations, spread further within the region.
"One of the foremost among those [new tactics] is the 'foreign agents' law, the branding of NGOs as foreign agents which in Russia has been frankly very effective in driving NGOs underground or forcing them to leave the country or to cease their activities," Schenkkan said. "And you've seen this imitated in a number of countries in Eurasia.
"You have in Tajikistan quite similar legislation that's been applied somewhat arbitrarily and unevenly -- but has been applied," he said. "In Kazakhstan, you have a different kind of NGO restriction…that's also having very, very pernicious effects now that it's being applied in 2016. And in Kyrgyzstan, a 'foreign agents' law has been debated in parliament now for over a year."
The report says Tajikistan's government pursued "one of the harshest crackdowns the region has seen in years," banning the main opposition party and imprisoning its leaders.
The country "began prosecuting lots and lots of civil society activists as well as people like the lawyers of those members who were arrested as well as the lawyers of the lawyers," Schenkkan said.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev held early elections to reaffirm his mandate while signing a new law to "increase control over civil society," he said.
Schenkkan also said that governments were increasingly prosecuting people for speech on online platforms, and that the "charge of inciting ethnic or social hatred is now being applied more widely."
In Kyrgyzstan, he said, the government had been "using the tools of the state, especially the security services, to blacken the names of the opposition and to put its opponents on the back foot and try to prevent them from organizing rallies or organizing expressions of discontent."
The Nations In Transit report says Azerbaijan "continued a crackdown that began in the summer of 2014," citing last year's sentencing of investigative journalist and RFE/RL contributor Khadija Ismayilova to 7 1/2 years in prison.
In Belarus, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka freed political prisoners and allowed "mild criticism" ahead of a presidential election in October, in an effort to "court the EU and replace the patronage that Russia can no longer provide," the report says.
Ukraine "remains the single most important opportunity for establishing democracy" in the region, it adds.
The government achieved "some progress" in reforms in 2015, but continuing Russian occupation of Crimea, the separatist conflict in the country's east, widespread corruption, and impunity for crimes during the political upheaval of 2014 are holding back further progress."
"Ukraine is really at a pivot point where they have to go forward," Schenkkan warned. "And if they don't, there's a real significant threat that Ukraine falls back and continues a tradition of very, very corrupt governance."
Balkan Retreat
In the Balkans, Serbia and Montenegro have begun the EU accession process, Albania and Macedonia are official candidates, while Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidates.
But Freedom House says reform "has slowed and now retreated," with the region's average Democracy Score back to where it was in 2004, as the EU struggled to find a balance between ensuring short-term stability in the Balkans and pressing for convergence with European norms.
There has been modest movement "backward," Schenkkan said. In part, he said, that is because some leaders who have dominated their countries' political systems have been "eroding checks and balances and eroding independent institutions that might push back against them."
"That's certainly the case that we see in Serbia, it's very much what we saw in Macedonia, and to another degree in Montenegro," Schenkkan added.
The report says that state-building in Kosovo and Bosnia has reached an "impasse," with governmental structures built to keep the peace preventing progress, and political and economic stagnation fueling popular frustration.
It also describes "gradual success in functionalizing local governance and protecting media" in Kosovo.
These developments risk being compounded by European border closings to prevent migrants from reaching the EU, the report notes.
With crippling youth-unemployment rates, turning the Balkans "into an island inside Europe would be catastrophic for the region's development," Schenkkan warned.
Rising Populism
Meanwhile, Freedom House warns that the EU's "disjointed response" to the migration crisis has left the door open to xenophobia and nationalism in Central Europe.
It says several leading politicians in the region joined Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in using xenophobic rhetoric to denounce migrants, positioning themselves as protectors of their countries' Christian identity against a Muslim "invasion."
Schenkkan said that renewed nationalism, as well as the erosion of freedom of movement and other fundamental principles, were threatening the consolidation of democracy in Eastern Europe and the entire European project.
"The European Union is a project that requires countries to give up some sovereignty in exchange for other benefits. So this very aggressive, nationalist approach to politics and to policy challenges the values of the EU but it also challenges the policies of the EU," he said.
"And as we are seeing, the EU is having a very hard time now transforming and finding new policies in part because of this kind of rejectionist approach by leaders who are not necessarily interested in finding a solution within the EU."
More News
Bashkir Activist Who Fled Russia Allowed To Stay In U.S.
Bashkir activist Zagir Mukhamedyarov, who fled Russia fearing arrest, has been allowed to stay in the United States. The 27-year-old activist told RFE/RL on September 20 that a court in the town of Jena, Louisiana, officially granted him the status of withholding of removal, which allows him to legally stay and work in the country. Mukhamedyarov told RFE/RL earlier that he had to leave Russia amid a wave of arrests of Bashkir campaigners who had taken part in mass rallies protesting the imprisonment of activist Fail Alsynov in mid-January. Mukhamedyarov was among the protesters. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, click here.
U.S. Condemns Belarusian TV For Airing 'Repentance' By Jailed American
The U.S. charge d'affaires at the embassy in Minsk on September 20 condemned a video broadcast on Belarusian state television that showed imprisoned U.S.-Belarusian citizen Yuras Zyankovich begging, likely under duress, for help from U.S. presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
"I resolutely condemn the Belarusian regime's reprehensible depiction of a detained U.S. citizen on state media for propaganda purposes and refute the baseless claims made in the program," Peter Kaufman said in a statement.
"The regime's history of using coercive tactics to produce content like this strongly calls into question the voluntary nature of the U.S. citizen's participation," he said, adding that U.S. citizens "should not travel to Belarus and those in Belarus should depart immediately."
Zyankovich was arrested in April 2021 and sentenced to 11 years in prison in September 2022 on charges of allegedly planning to assassinate authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his family and seize power in the country.
In January 2022, an additional six months were added to his sentence on a charge of insulting an official.
Late on September 19, Zyankovich, who looked to have lost a significant amount of weight, appeared in a propaganda film aired by state-run Belarus-1 TV where he "repents."
Under apparent duress, Zyankovich gave details of the alleged plan to overthrow Lukashenka's government.
At the end of the film, Zyankovich makes an appeal to U.S. presidential candidates Harris and Trump, asking them to help secure his release and reunite him with his family in Houston, Texas.
Analysts said that the appeal, orchestrated by Belarusian authorities amid the release of over 100 political prisoners in recent months, appears to be part of Minsk's attempt to engage in dialogue with the West.
Zyankovich is serving his term in a prison in the eastern region of Mahilyou, notorious for its harsh treatment of political detainees.
Rights defenders said earlier this year that Zyankovich was charged with violation of the penitentiary's internal regulations and may face an additional year in prison if tried and convicted on that charge.
Human rights organizations have declared Zyankovich a political prisoner.
At Least 6 Pakistani Soldiers Killed In Overnight Attack
At least six Pakistani soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded in the restive South Waziristan area when a group of heavily armed militants attacked an army checkpoint overnight, officials said on September 20. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the assault. The South Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province near the Afghan border is one of Pakistan's most volatile regions. The area was once controlled by Islamist militants linked to Al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban before they were pushed across the border in an offensive in 2014.
- By Reuters
Poland Reportedly Arrests Former Lawyer Of Late Russian Oligarch Berezovsky
Polish authorities have arrested the former lawyer of late Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky in an investigation related to attacks on Russian opposition figures, Polish radio reported on September 20. The arrest of the lawyer, identified by prosecutors only as Anatoly B, had earlier been reported by independent Russian media, Polish private radio channel RMF FM said. A spokesperson for the National Prosecutors' Office confirmed the arrest but declined to give a reason. NATO member Poland has arrested several people in recent months in connection with acts of sabotage on its territory that it says were committed on Russian orders.
Elderly Tajik Opposition Member Moved From Hospital Back To Prison Despite Ill-Health, Family Says
Zubaidulloh Roziq, an 80-year-old former member of Tajikistan's banned Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT), has been moved from a prison hospital back to jail despite his ill-health and advanced age, relatives say. Roziq's son, Hisomiddin, said on September 20 that his father, who suffers from a heart condition, was hospitalized in August. Roziq was arrested in a government clampdown on the IRPT in 2015, when the main opposition party was banned and branded a "terrorist organization." Roziq was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his alleged connection to a failed anti-government coup attempt, a charge he denies. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, click here.
- By Current Time
Russian Gets 6 Years In Prison Over Anti-War Posts Online
A court in Russia's western exclave of Kaliningrad on September 19 sentenced a resident of the town of Svetlogorsk to six years in prison for making anti-war statements online about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The court found Andrei Lugovoi guilty of spreading false information about the Russian armed forces. He was also banned from administering websites for four years. Lugovoi was arrested in December 2023. He has rejected the charge. Since Russia launched its full-scale aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, dozens of Russians have been handed prison terms on the chare of distributing false information about Russian military. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Four Russian Soldiers Charged With Involvement In American's Death
Russell Bentley, a Texas man who as the “Donbas Cowboy” gained notoriety for joining Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine, was tortured before being killed, and his alleged abductors tried to cover the death by blowing up a car containing his body, Russian authorities said. In a statement released September 20, the Investigative Committee said four men had been charged in connection with Bentley’s death in April. Bentley, 64, was a fixture in the low-level Russian incursion in Ukraine dating back to 2014. Calling himself the “Donbas Cowboy,” Bentley, 64, became a popular figure on Russian propaganda networks for his criticism of the U.S. government, and he later gained Russian citizenship.
EU Chief Visits Ukraine, Offering Aid Ahead Of Winter
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in Kyiv, where she is expected to make promises of sustained EU support for Ukraine ahead of the winter as Russian air strikes continue to target the country’s energy infrastructure.
"My 8th visit to Kyiv comes as the heating season starts soon, and Russia keeps targeting energy infrastructure," von der Leyen said in a post on X early on September 20.
The EU chief is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss help for Ukraine's energy supply.
"We will help Ukraine in its brave efforts. I come here to discuss Europe's support. From winter preparedness to defense, to accession and progress on the G7 loans," she added.
Von der Leyen's visit to the Ukrainian capital comes a day after she announced the EU will provide an additional $178 million to help Ukraine repair damaged energy infrastructure, expand renewable energy, and finance shelters.
Earlier this week, the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that the coming winter could be the hardest yet for Ukraine, as the country's energy infrastructure is under significant pressure amid Russian strikes on its power plants, heating plants, and transmission networks.
"Strains that are bearable in the summer months may become unbearable when temperatures start to fall and supplies of heat and water falter, triggering further displacement of affected populations across the country and abroad," the IEA said.
Ukraine's air force said on September 20 that air defenses destroyed 61 out of 70 Russian drones and one out of four missiles launched overnight.
"The air defense system operated in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Vinnytsya, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Sumy, Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Khmelnytskiy, Mykolayiv, Odesa, and Kherson regions," the air force said on Telegram.
There were no immediate reports of any casualties in the latest nighttime attacks.
Officials in the Lviv region reported that falling debris caused a fire in a village and also damaged three vehicles and shattered windows in residential buildings.
"The premises of the former collective farm caught fire, which firefighters promptly extinguished," the head of the regional military administration Maksym Kozytskiy wrote on Telegram.
With reporting by dpa, AFP, and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
RFE/RL's Kurmasheva Among Four Reporters Honored With International Press Freedom Award
Alsu Kurmasheva, an RFE/RL journalist who was released in August in a major prisoner swap between Russia and the West, is among four reporters to be honored with the prestigious 2024 International Press Freedom Award, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has announced.
"CPJ's International Press Freedom Awardees symbolize the vital work carried out by reporters everywhere to report facts in the face of fierce attempts to suppress truth," CPJ chief executive Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement on September 19.
"In what has been a devastating year for journalists and for press freedom, it is an honor to stand with them," Ginsberg said.
Kurmasheva, 47, will receive the award in November along with the other three honorees -- Palestinian journalist Shrouq al-Aila, Guatemalan reporter Quimy de Leon, and Samira Sabou from Niger, the CPJ statement said.
Kurmasheva, a dual Russian-U.S. citizen, was detained in June 2023 while waiting for her return flight to Prague from Kazan. Authorities confiscated both of her passports and her phone. She was released but barred from leaving the country.
After five months of waiting for a decision in her case, Kurmasheva was fined 10,000 rubles ($109) for failing to register her U.S. passport with Russian authorities.
Unable to leave Russia without her travel documents, Kurmasheva in October was arrested, jailed, and charged with being an undeclared "foreign agent."
Two months later, she was charged with spreading falsehoods about the Russian military.
In July, a court in Tatarstan's capital, Kazan, sentenced Kurmasheva to 6 1/2 years in prison.
On August 1, she was released along with two other U.S. citizens -- Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan.
Armenian Activists Want COP29 To Serve As Stage For Airing Alleged Rights Abuses In Karabakh
WASHINGTON -- Armenian activists urged members of the U.S. Congress to use the upcoming COP29 climate change conference in Baku to draw attention to alleged human rights abuses in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Six Armenian activists testified on September 19 before a congressional human rights commission, outlining numerous alleged human rights abuses by Azerbaijan, as well as steps the United States can take to further support Armenia and its people.
The hearing before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission aimed to explore “how the United States, Congress and the Executive Branch can do more to protect Armenia,” according to Representative Chris Smith (Republican-New Jersey), co-chairman of the commission, previously known as the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.
COP29, the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, is set to be held in the capital of Azerbaijan in November. The event, which draws national leaders from across the globe, has garnered criticism for being held in an oil-rich nation with an ever-growing list of alleged human rights violations.
During the hearing, Gegham Stepanian, a human rights defender from Nagorno-Karabakh, said Azerbaijan "is not being held accountable,” complaining that the United Nations is allowing Baku to host COP29 even with what he called “ethnic cleansing through forced displacement.”
Smith reiterated that message, expressing frustration and disappointment that the United States didn’t object to Azerbaijan hosting COP29. He said far more needs to be done regarding “clear and unmistakable human rights abuses.”
The hearing came as Armenia marked the one-year anniversary of Azerbaijan’s lightning military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, which led to the displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians. At the time, Azerbaijan pledged equal treatment for those who fled. It has also denied accusations of ethnic cleansing.
Since then, Azerbaijan and Armenia have held negotiations on a peace treaty that the two sides earlier this month said was 80 percent complete.
Adam Smith, co-director of the Caucasus Heritage Watch, told the commission that other alleged abuses have taken place in Nagorno-Karabakh, accusing Azerbaijan of undertaking “one of the most expansive and intense examples of cultural erasures.”
According to Adam Smith, in the past year alone 14 culturally significant sites including cemeteries and churches have been destroyed, with 12 others having suffered significant damage.
Alleged human rights abuses in Nagorno-Karabakh make up only some of the violations that have led to condemnation of COP29 being held in Baku. According to Kate Watters, co-founder and executive director of Crude Accountability, an environmental and social justice organization, there are 303 political prisoners currently being held in Azerbaijan, many of whom are journalists.
Watters called on Congress to “demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners” in Azerbaijan.
With COP29 looming, Van Krikorian, co-chair of the Armenian Assembly of America, called on the United States to use the platform and location to highlight points that the Armenian activists have raised. He asked that the name of every political prisoner in Azerbaijan be read aloud when the U.S. delegate takes the floor at the climate conference. He also implored delegates not to stay in any hotel or other accommodation on land that had previously belonged to ethnic Armenians.
In his closing remarks to the commission, Chris Smith promised he would do everything in his power to bolster support for Armenia. He added that the international community should “pursue a war crimes tribunal” to pursue the alleged actions taken by top Azerbaijan officials in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
European Parliament Urges Serbia Not To Extradite Belarusian Activist Hnyot
The European Parliament on September 19 passed a resolution on political prisoners in Belarus that called on Serbia not to extradite Belarusian activist and journalist Andrey Hnyot (aka Andrew Gnyot).
The resolution, which was adopted 565-8 with 43 abstentions, also called on political prisoners in Belarus to be released, for the regime in Minsk to be held accountable, and for an end to the persecution of Belarusian citizens in exile.
The resolution noted the "abuse of Interpol arrest warrants to achieve extradition of political opponents from non-EU countries."
Hnyot was arrested at Belgrade's airport in late October 2023 on an Interpol warrant issued by Belarus, which has since been revoked. The arrest warrant accused Hnyot of tax evasion, a charge he denies. He has been under house arrest while awaiting Serbia's final decision on his extradition.
The European Parliament’s resolution calls on Serbia to refrain from extraditing Hnyot and for the EU and member states to monitor his case.
Hnyot says all accusations against him are false and part of the Belarusian regime’s “horrific repression against political dissidents, journalists, and activists.” He says he would be tortured if he were returned to Belarus.
He is one of hundreds of thousands of Belarusian citizens who took part in mass demonstrations in 2020 challenging the victory claimed by authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka that gave him a sixth consecutive term.
Western countries do not recognize the results of those elections, and the European Union imposed sanctions on Minsk over the repression of participants in the demonstrations.
There are more than 1,500 political prisoners in Belarusian prisons. Among them are journalists, human rights activists, and politicians.
The European Parliament resolution urged the Belarusian authorities to supply information about their situation and allow them access to lawyers, family members, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"The Belarusian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release all of them," members of the parliament added.
The resolution also expressed concern over the estimated 300,000 Belarusians who have been forced to leave Belarus since 2020 and now face political persecution abroad.
The resolution called on the EU and its member states to strengthen sanctions against the individuals and entities responsible for repression in Belarus and work toward holding the Lukashenka regime accountable for its crimes.
- By RFE/RL
Biden, Harris To Meet Zelenskiy At White House Next Week
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic party's presidential nominee, will hold separate meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on September 26, the White House said in a statement on September 19. "The leaders will discuss the state of the war between Russia and Ukraine, including Ukraine's strategic planning and U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in the statement. "The president and vice president will emphasize their unshakeable commitment to stand with Ukraine until it prevails in this war," she added. The Ukrainian presidency announced separately that Zelenskiy also will meet former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican party's presidential nominee.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. Hits Network Allegedly Facilitating Russia-North Korea Sanctions Evasion
The United States on September 19 imposed sanctions on a network of five entities and one individual for allegedly enabling payments between Russia and North Korea, the Treasury Department said.
The entities and the individual are based in Russia and the Georgian region of South Ossetia, the department said in a news release. They are accused of actions that “supported ongoing efforts to establish illicit payment mechanisms” between Russia and the North Korea.
"Today's action holds accountable parties that have assisted [North Korea] and Russian sanctions evasion," the Treasury Department said.
Western powers have accused cash-strapped North Korea of selling ammunition to Russia in defiance of sanctions over the more than 30-month-old war in Ukraine, and North Korea has recently bolstered military ties with Russia.
President Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to Pyongyang in June and signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" that calls for mutual assistance in the event of an attack by a third country.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who met with Putin, said the agreement opened a new era of cooperation. Kim made further pledges to deepen ties with Russia after meeting last week with visiting Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu.
The new sanctions announced on September 19 expose how Putin's government uses illegal financial schemes to help North Korea access the international banking system in violation of UN Security Council sanctions, the Treasury Department said.
The announcement also “underscores our significant concern” over efforts by Russia and North Korea to deepen financial cooperation in violation of UN resolutions, said Acting Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith.
The United States has previously sanctioned many of the entities and individuals providing assistance to North Korea's ballistic missile program. International sanctions against North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear program were imposed after its first nuclear test in 2006.
- By RFE/RL
Outgoing NATO Chief Says Members Must Be 'Willing To Pay The Price' Of Peace
In his farewell after leading NATO for a decade, Jens Stoltenberg warned against “isolationism” among members of the military alliance, saying its 32 members must be "willing to pay the price for peace" in the face of an emboldened Russia.
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Speaking from NATO headquarters in Brussels on September 19, Stoltenberg highlighted the achievements since he assumed office in 2014, as well as ongoing challenges at a time when its relevance is "more important than ever."
“The good news is that we have delivered on the pledge we made 10 years ago [for individual members to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense], but the bad news is that this is no longer enough to keep us safe,” Stoltenberg said, suggesting that the spending target will not be enough to protect the alliance in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia.
"We have to be willing to pay the price for peace. The more money, the stronger our defenses, the more effective our deterrence, the greater our security," he said.
The 65-year-old Norwegian warned alliance members not to “trade short-term economic interests for long-term security needs,” saying that “protectionism against allies does not protect our security.”
Turning to Russia's war against Ukraine, which has become a contentious issue among some members who have questioned NATO’s strong support for Kyiv, Stoltenberg said that “Ukraine has to engage with Russia from a position of strength.”
Any future peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, he said, “must be backed by strong and sustained military support, not just pieces of paper.”
He also warned that “military power has its limits,” saying that “the purpose of any future military operation outside NATO territory must be clearly defined.”
“We need to be honest about what we can and cannot achieve,” he said of the grouping of two North American and 30 European states.
Addressing “voices” on both sides of the Atlantic calling for a parting of ways, he said that “investing in the transatlantic relationship is the only winning way forward” and that “isolationism will not keep anyone safe.”
Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway who will return to his homeland to become central bank chief, will hand the reins over to former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on October 1.
In his last months in office, Stoltenberg has tried to unify NATO members, with member Hungary presenting obstacles to the alliance’s support for Ukraine and Prime Minister Viktor Orban saying it would not provide funds or military equipment to aid Kyiv.
Stoltenberg has also tried to calm nerves over suggestions that former U.S. President Donald Trump would attempt -- if reelected in November -- to withdraw Washington from NATO.
At the NATO summit in Washington in July, he stressed that it was in the interests of all members to remain united and downplayed Trump’s desire to leave, saying that his main concern during his first term was to get members to reach their defense-spending targets.
Stoltenberg has also said that NATO could have done more to prevent the war in Ukraine had its members provided military equipment to Kyiv before Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022.
He lamented that NATO had not provided the weaponry that Kyiv requested because of fears that doing so would escalate tensions with Moscow.
During the July summit, he strongly backed Ukraine’s irreversible path to NATO membership, saying that its “future is in NATO.”
With Ukraine strongly lobbying its partners to permit its military to use donated weapons to strike deeper into Russia, Stoltenberg weighed in on the controversial subject by saying in an interview with The Times this weak that granting permission would not be a red line for Moscow.
The Kremlin on September 18 called the comments by the outgoing NATO secretary-general “dangerous."
- By Current Time
Russia Launches Probe Against Chief Editor Of Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russian media reports on September 19 said the Investigative Committee has launched a probe against Kirill Martynov, the chief editor of the Latvia-based Novaya Gazeta Europe on a charge of "conducting activities of an undesirable organization." In June 2023, the Prosecutor-General's Office labeled the media outlet "undesirable," saying that the newspaper publishes "false information" about Russian armed forces involved in Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Novaya Gazeta Europe was established by Russian journalists after the Kremlin launched its full-scale aggression against Ukraine in February 2023. Martynov vowed then that his periodical will continue its operations. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
- By Current Time
Husband Of Russia's Richest Woman Detained Over Deadly Shoot-Out In Moscow
Vladislav Bakalchuk, the husband of Russia's richest woman, Tatyana Bakalchuk, has been detained for 48 hours after a deadly shoot-out at the offices of Wildberries, the country's largest online retailer, founded and led by his estranged wife.
Bakalchuk's lawyers said on September 19 that their client was charged with murder, attempted murder, attacking a law enforcement officer, and the "forcible assertion of private right" as a result of the violence a day earlier.
The lawyers added that Bakalchuk had rejected all of the charges and considers them "absurd."
According to the lawyers, Bakalchuk insists that he and his people, including a lawyer, came to the Wildberries offices on September 18 for talks with his wife and her team to resolve business-related differences.
The Bakalchuks, who have seven children, are currently in the process of a divorce.
The Investigative Committee said hours after the incident that left two security guards dead and seven people, including two police officers, wounded, that it had launched an investigation into the "elements of crimes" -- including murder, the attempted murder of two or more people, illegal weapons possession, the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, and the "forcible assertion of private right."
The press service of Wildberries said Vladislav Bakalchuk and several other men tried to "illegally break into" the offices of the company at two locations at the same time.
Tatyana Bakalchuk said on Telegram on September 19 that her company was mourning the deaths "of our guys," adding that the families of the deceased men will receive "necessary support."
Media reports identified the two men killed in the incident as Islambek Elmurziyev, 28, and Adam Almazov, 41. Both were from the North Caucasus region of Ingushetia.
The Ostorozhno, Moskva Telegram channel reported on September 18 that 10 people allegedly involved in the standoff -- some of whom are thought to be ethnic Chechens -- were detained at the site.
The RIA Novosti news agency quoted law enforcement officials as saying that a total of around 30 people were detained and taken in for questioning after the incident.
Tatyana Bakalchuk, 48, is the richest woman in Russia. She was born to an ethnic Korean family in October 1975 in Grozny, then the capital of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Forbes estimates her worth at more than $4 billion.
Wildberries has benefited from sanctions imposed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine as Western e-commerce firms pulled out of the country.
Company revenue jumped 70 percent last year to 539 billion rubles ($5.8 billion) while its net profit rose to 19 billion rubles ($205 million).
Tatyana Bakalchuk filed for divorce after her husband asked the Kremlin-backed authoritarian leader of the North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, for help in a conflict with his wife in July, claiming plans to merge Wildberries with Russ Group were harmful for the company and amounted to a hostile takeover.
Tatyana Bakalchuk was the sole owner of her empire until December 2019, when she transferred 1 percent of her business to her husband.
She is believed to have ties to powerful political figures in the Russian government, including Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his first deputy, Denis Manturov.
Russia experienced a wave of armed business raids in the turbulent decade immediately following the collapse of communism as groups fought over valuable former state assets. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there has been a reversal, with the state seizing ownership of not only former state assets but private businesses launched after 1991.
With reporting by Izvestia, TASS, Ostorozhno, Moskva and RIA Novosti
- By dpa
Iran Flies Ambassador, 95 Patients Out Of Lebanon After Explosions
Iran has evacuated its ambassador from Lebanon and 95 other patients following injuries sustained in pager explosions, officials said. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi visited the injured diplomat, Mojtaba Amani, at a hospital in Tehran on September 19. State media initially reported that Amani suffered a "slight injury" after hundreds of pagers exploded on September 17. The Lebanese Hizballah militia, a U.S.-designated terrorist group that was the target of the explosions, is Iran's most important nonstate ally. A second wave of communication devices -- this time walkie-talkies -- blew up on September 18. Israel has not publicly admitted responsibility, but the country is widely assumed to be behind the coordinated blasts.
Bosnia Misses Deadline For European Growth Funds
Bosnia-Herzegovina has missed the deadline to file a reform agenda necessary to receive EU Growth Plan funds. The funds slated for Western Balkan countries are earmarked by Brussels to boost the rule of law, democracy, institutional reforms, and anti-corruption efforts. Bosnia sent a document to the European Commission on September 17, but it did not adequately address the commission's reform recommendations, according to sources in Brussels familiar with the issue. The Instrument for Preaccession Assistance, which supports reforms for EU-candidate countries, has postponed its meeting to discuss the reform agendas until October due to Sarajevo's failure to meet the deadline. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.
U.S. Says Iranian Hackers Failed To Interest Biden Campaign With Info Stolen From Trump
The FBI and other federal U.S. agencies say Iranian hackers sent unsolicited e-mails to individuals then associated with President Joe Biden's reelection campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, nonpublic material from former President Donald Trump's campaign as text in the e-mails.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in a joint statement on September 18 that Iran has made efforts to sow discord and shape the outcome of U.S. elections scheduled for November 5.
"Iranian malicious cyber-actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, nonpublic material associated with former President Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations," the joint statement said, noting there is currently no information indicating any of the recipients replied.
"This malicious cyber-activity is the latest example of Iran's multipronged approach, as noted in the joint August statement, to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our electoral process," it added.
The U.S. intelligence community has been warning it expects Russia, China, and Iran to attempt to influence U.S. politics and policies to "benefit their interests and undermine U.S. democracy and Washington's standing in the world."
Trump is the Republican Party candidate, while current Vice President Kamala Harris is the candidate for the Democratic Party.
Biden was the party's candidate until July 21, when he announced his withdrawal from the campaign and endorsed Harris as his replacement.
Hackers have also tried to target Harris's e-mail accounts as well through phishing attacks carried out by a group with suspected ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the elite branch of the armed forces.
Experts say an Iranian network dubbed "Storm-2035" operates multiple inauthentic news sites on the web and social media that use AI-generated content to agitate conservative and liberal dissidence.
"Foreign actors are increasing their election influence activities as we approach November," the ODNI joint statement said.
"In particular, Russia, Iran, and China are trying by some measure to exacerbate divisions in U.S. society for their own benefit, and see election periods as moments of vulnerability. Efforts by these, or other foreign actors, to undermine our democratic institutions are a direct threat to the U.S. and will not be tolerated."
In addition to the presidency, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 seats in the Senate are being contested in the election.
- By RFE/RL
Russia Diverted 40,000 Troops After Ukraine's Kursk Insursion, Zelenskiy Claims
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on September 19 that Ukraine's incursion into Russia's southwestern Kursk region had resulted in the Russian military diverting 40,000 troops to the area.
His comments in his nightly video address came after Moscow and Kyiv gave conflicting accounts of the situation in the Kursk region following Ukraine's surprise incursion launched in August.
Earlier on September 19, Russia's military claimed it had gained ground in attempts to beat back the incursion, while Ukraine's military said the Russian counteroffensive had been halted.
Russian Major General Apti Alaudinov, commander of a Chechen special forces unit and an official within the Defense Ministry, said on September 19 that Russian forces had recaptured two villages in the Kursk region.
Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskiy, meanwhile, told AFP that a Russian flanking maneuver in the Kursk region was "stopped."
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"The situation was stabilized and today everything is under control, they are not successful," Dmytrashkivskiy said on September 19.
In recent weeks Russia has claimed to have retaken several villages overrun by Ukrainian forces during the incursion. At its height, Ukraine was believed to have controlled some 1,300 square kilometers in the Kursk region, which borders northeastern Ukraine.
Zelenskiy has said that Kyiv does not intend to hold Russian territory but that the incursion gives Ukraine more leverage in possible peace negotiations and that captured Russian soldiers are of value for prisoner exchanges.
Three such exchanges involving Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been conducted since the August 6 incursion.
Zelenskiy also said in his nightly video that Ukrainian forces have reduced the ability of Russian troops to launch attacks in the Donetsk region on the eastern front.
Russian forces took aim on September 19 at the Sumy region, hitting a nursing home, Zelenskiy said. The strike killed one person and wounded 12 others, the State Emergency Service said on Telegram. The post included pictures showing elderly people in wheelchairs waiting outdoors and others lying on the ground under blankets.
The strike partially destroyed the fifth floor of the building and blew out windows on the ground floor. More than 140 people had to be evacuated, the Emergency Service said.
Russia's counteroffensive on its own territory, which Alaudinov said resulted in the recapture of the towns of Nikolayevo-Darino and Darino on September 19, has reportedly left its troops within 15 kilometers of the Ukrainian border.
It has also put Russian forces within striking distance of the Russian city of Sverdlikovo, located near the border, which Ukrainian forces have been using as a logistics hub.
Even as Ukrainian forces advanced into Russia, the Russian military says it has made significant gains in its attempts to capture the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
"Our entire front has moved forward," Alaudinov said on September 19, referring to both the counteroffensive in Russia and the advancements in eastern Ukraine.
The governor of Russia's Belgorod region, meanwhile, said on September 19 that Ukraine was continuing to target the region with shelling and drone strikes.
Vyacheslav Gladkov said that only minor damage had been reported after 22 drones and more than 160 artillery strikes.
In Ukraine, the national energy grid operator Ukrenerho said that Russian strikes in the northeastern region of Sumy had led to temporary power cuts.
Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been heavily targeted by Russia, which the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its latest report could lead to an energy shortfall this winter.
"Further attacks on infrastructure, unforeseen equipment failures and missed maintenance cycles add further risks," the IEA said on September 19.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine in a report the same day said that increased Russian efforts to attack energy infrastructure beginning in the fall of 2022 had left Ukrainian cities without power for hours at a time over the course of weeks.
"There are reasonable grounds to believe that multiple aspects of the military campaign to damage or destroy Ukraine's civilian electricity and heat-producing and transmission infrastructure have violated foundational principles of international humanitarian law," the report said.
On September 19, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that 160 million euros ($178 million) taken from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets would be sent to Ukraine to help it deal with urgent humanitarian needs this winter.
With reporting by AFP, TASS, and Reuters
Ukrainian Lawmaker Put On Wanted List Amid Bribery Allegations
Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court has added Andriy Odarchenko, a lawmaker for the pro-presidential Servant of the People party, to its international wanted list for allegedly attempting to bribe a senior official. Odarchenko allegedly attempted to bribe the chief of the State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure, Mustafa Nayyem, in exchange for an allocation of funds to the Kharkiv State Biotechnology University. The court announced the move on September 19 after Odarchenko failed to show up at a hearing of his case a day earlier. Prosecutors said he might have left Ukraine. The 45-year-old Odarchenko was detained in November and later released on bail. He has rejected the charge. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
Well-Known Georgian Transgender Model Stabbed To Death
Well-known Georgian transgender model Kesaria Abramidze was stabbed to death at home in Tbilisi on September 18, police said. The Interior Ministry added on September 19 that it had detained a 26-year-old man suspected of carrying out the deadly attack. A case was launched initially into a "premeditated homicide," but later the crime was redefined as a "premeditated homicide under aggravating circumstances." If convicted, the suspect faces life in prison. The attack took place one day after Georgian lawmakers approved laws curbing LGBT rights that allow for bans on cultural events such as Pride marches. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Georgian Service, click here.
Satellite Images Show Aftermath Of Devastating Drone Strike In Russia
Satellite images have revealed the devastation wrought by a massive Ukrainian drone strike on an important Russian arms depot 400 kilometers west of Moscow.
The images by Planet Labs published by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, show smoke covering a large swath of territory over the Tver region town of Toropets, which houses two military bases, hours after the early morning attack on September 18 that a Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) source said "wiped the depot off the face of the Earth."
Others taken by the space technology company Maxar showed that the strike involving more than 100 drones left plumes of smoke and scattered fires over the location of the depot used to store missiles, glide bombs, and other munitions.
Sensors detected seismic activity equal to that of a minor earthquake, and NASA satellites picked up heat sources that suggested that 14 square kilometers of territory were affected by fires.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
The early morning attack on September 18 sent huge fireballs into the night sky as munitions detonated, forcing a partial evacuation of local residents.
Russia's Health Ministry said that 13 people in Toropets, a town of about 11,000 people, were hospitalized following the attack. The injuries were said to be "moderate," and no deaths were reported. Russian media reported that the number of injuries was as high as 20.
Videos on social media showed massive fires and damage to buildings in Toropets itself, while locals said on chat groups that Tsikarevo, a village just 200 meters from the base, had been heavily damaged.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking after the attack on September 18, lauded the "very important" result of the Ukrainian military activity on Russian soil, without mentioning the Tver region specifically. "Very effective, spectacular, but not enough," he said.
While Kyiv seldom officially takes credit for drone attacks on Russia, an SBU source told RFE/RL that the attack was carried out by the SBU in cooperation with the Intelligence and Special Operations Force.
According to the independent online news channel Verstka, the depot held munitions worth an estimated $38 million. The depot was inaugurated in 2018 by former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov, currently jailed on corruption charges, who said at the time that the heavily fortified depot was "protected from air and missile strikes and even the damaging effects of a nuclear explosion."
- By Reuters
Ammunition From India Enters Ukraine, Raising Russian Ire
Artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade despite protests from Moscow, according to 11 Indian and European government and defense industry officials, as well as a Reuters analysis of commercially available customs data. The transfer of munitions to support Ukraine's defense against Russia has occurred for more than a year, according to the sources and the customs data. Indian arms-export regulations limit the use of weaponry to the declared purchaser, who risks future sales being terminated if unauthorized transfers occur. The Kremlin has raised the issue on at least two occasions, including during a July meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, three Indian officials said.
- By RFE/RL
Second Wave Of Remote Detonations Kills At Least 20 People In Lebanon
A second wave of device explosions killed at least 20 people and wounded hundreds more in Lebanon, officials said on September 18, stoking fears of an all-out war in the region.
A security source and a witness said Hizballah, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, said walkie-talkies used by its members blew up in its Beirut stronghold. State media reported similar blasts in southern and eastern Lebanon.
At least one of the blasts took place near a funeral for people killed the previous day when thousands of pagers used by the group exploded. The number of dead in those attacks was 12, with more than 2,700 people wounded, including many Hizballah fighters.
The Lebanese Health Ministry described the devices targeted in the September 18 attack as walkie-talkies. Late on September 18, it revised the number of dead from 14 to 20 in a statement that also said more than 450 were wounded.
Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU, accused Israel of being behind the latest blasts, saying the action threatened stability in the region.
Hizballah and the Lebanese government also blamed Israel for what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack. Israel, which has not commented, announced prior to the September 17 attack that it was broadening the aims of its war in Gaza against Hamas to include Hizballah, Hamas’s ally in Lebanon.
Speaking to Israeli troops on September 18, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: “We are at the start of a new phase in the war -- it requires courage, determination and perseverance.” He made no mention of the exploding devices but praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, saying “the results are very impressive.”
Hizballah said on September 18 that it attacked Israeli artillery positions with rockets in the first strike since the pager blasts.
The White House warned all sides against escalation.
"We don't believe that the way to solve where we're at in this crisis is by additional military operations at all," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
"We still believe that the best way to prevent escalation, to prevent another front from opening up in Lebanon, is through diplomacy," Kirby said.
Human Rights Watch's former executive director, Kenneth Roth, commented on the attacks on X, saying that international humanitarian law prohibits the use of booby traps -- objects that civilians are likely to use -- "precisely to avoid putting civilians at grave risk."
The Iranian envoy to the United Nations said in a letter that Tehran will follow up on the pager detonation attack in which its ambassador to Lebanon was injured. It added that it "reserves its rights under international law to take required measures deemed necessary to respond."
The pagers were reportedly ordered from Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo, which said they had been produced by BAC Consulting in Hungary and had no parts that could be related to Gold Apollo.
“According to the cooperation agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC,” the statement said.
The Taiwanese company also described BAC Consulting's payment method from a Middle Eastern bank account as strange.
A Hungarian government spokesman said the company was "a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary."
BAC Consulting was registered as a limited liability company in May 2022, the Associated Press reported. It is a one-person business registered to its owner, Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, who describes herself on the social media platform LinkedIn as a strategic adviser and business developer.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that the United States knew nothing about the attacks.
"We’re still gathering the information and gathering the facts," Blinken said at a news conference in Cairo. "Broadly speaking, we’ve been very clear and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we’re trying to resolve in Gaza to see it spread to other fronts."
The UN Security Council will meet on September 20 to discuss the pager blasts, said Slovenia's UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar, president of the 15-member council for September.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned earlier on September 18 that the pager blasts indicate "a serious risk of a dramatic escalation in Lebanon and everything must be done to avoid that escalation."
"Obviously the logic of making all these devices explode is to do it as a preemptive strike before a major military operation," he told reporters in New York.
He also said that it was very important not to weaponize civilian objects.
Guterres "urges all concerned actors to exercise maximum restraint to avert any further escalation," said Guterres spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement.
With reporting by AP and AFP
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