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- By RFE/RL
Global Powers Likely To Bolster, Modernize Nuclear Arsenals In 'Worrying Trend,' Report Says
The nine nuclear-armed states, including the United States and Russia, are likely to grow and modernize their arsenal of warheads and to be more vocal about it in the coming decade in what is seen as a "worrying trend," an influential think tank says in its latest annual study.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on June 13 in its annual report for 2022 that despite a marginal decline in the number of nuclear warheads last year, arsenals are expected to grow over the next 10 years.
"The nine nuclear-armed states -- the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and (North Korea) -- continue to modernize their nuclear arsenals and although the total number of nuclear weapons declined slightly between January 2021 and January 2022, the number will probably increase in the next decade," SIPRI said.
"There are clear indications that the reductions that have characterized global nuclear arsenals since the end of the Cold War have ended," said Hans Kristensen, associate senior fellow with SIPRI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Program and director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).
Wilfred Wan, director of SIPRI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Program, said that "all of the nuclear-armed states are increasing or upgrading their arsenals and most are sharpening nuclear rhetoric and the role nuclear weapons play in their military strategies."
"This is a very worrying trend," he added.
SIPRI estimated that nuclear states had a total inventory of 12,705 warheads at the start of 2022, of which about 9,440 were in military stockpiles ready for potential use.
It said an estimated 3,732 warheads were deployed on missiles and aircraft, with about 2,000 being kept in a state of high operational alert -- almost all of them belonging to Russia or the United States.
Total U.S. and Russian warhead inventories continued to decline in 2021, but SIPRI added that this was mainly due to the dismantling of warheads that had been retired from military service in past years.
The two powers hold an estimated 90 percent of all nuclear weapons, SIPRI said.
It said that as of January 2022, the United States had 1,744 deployed warheads out of a total inventory of 5,428.
Russia had 1,588 deployed warheads out of a total inventory of 5,977.
The other seven nuclear-armed states are either developing or deploying new weapon systems or have announced intentions to do so, with China specifically in the middle of a substantial expansion of its nuclear arsenal.
Neighbors and bitter rivals Pakistan (165 total inventory) and India (160) have similarly sized arsenals, according to SIPRI.
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3 Uzbeks Arrested In U.A.E. For Alleged Role In Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi's Killing
The United Arab Emirates on November 25 disclosed the names of three suspects detained in the killing of a 28-year-old Israeli-Moldovan ultra-Orthodox rabbi saying they were Uzbek nationals.
The suspects were arrested a day earlier after the body of Zvi Kogan, who ran a Kosher grocery store in Dubai and was also a representative of the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, was discovered by security services.
U.A.E. authorities identified the suspects as Mahmudjon Abdurahim, 28, Olimboi Tohirovich, 28, and Azizbek Kamilovich, 33, apparently giving patronymic names of the last two men instead their last names. They did not say if official charges have been filed against the suspects.
"Hate has no place in our world. Our thoughts are with his family, the Jewish community, and all who grieve. We are in contact with Israel and the U.A.E.," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said in a statement.
Kogan had been reported missing on November 22. His body was found later in the city of Al Ain.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the killing of Kogan, calling it a "heinous anti-Semitic terrorist act."
While Israeli officials have not publicly accused archrival Iran for the deadly attack, analysts noted that Tehran has been threatening retaliation against Israel for recent air strikes it carried out on Iranian soil after Iran launched a missile attack against Israel.
Tehran has denied any involvement in the murder of Kogan.
The Muslim-majority Gulf state with an overwhelmingly expatriate population prides itself on its safety, stability, and religious tolerance. The Chabad Hasidic movement is known for its outreach efforts worldwide.
The U.A.E. normalized relations with Israel in 2020 alongside Bahrain and Morocco in a series of U.S.-brokered agreements known as the Abraham Accords.
There is no figure for the number of Jews in the U.A.E., but an Israeli official has told AFP there were about 2,000 Israelis in the Gulf country, with the Jewish community estimated to be up to twice that figure.
The White House also condemned the killing on November 24.
"This was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coexistence. It was an assault as well on U.A.E. and its rejection of violent extremism across the board," the White House said in a statement on November 24.
Protesters Pelt Georgian Parliament With Eggs During First Session Since Disputed Election
Georgia's new parliament met for its first session since the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party won elections last month that ignited calls for fresh polls amid accusations the balloting was rigged, as protesters gathered outside and pelted the building with eggs.
Opposition lawmakers boycotted the session on November 25 after calling on foreign diplomats not to legitimize the new parliament by attending the first session.
EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the October 26 elections in which Georgian Dream officially won 53.9 percent of the vote.
The first item on the agenda for the opening session, which will be attended by the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC), is recognizing the authority of all 150 parliament members. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, however, has refused to recognize the result validated by the CEC.
Zurabishvili has filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court "requesting annulment of the election results as unconstitutional."
Protesters allege there was widespread fraud during the campaign and vote and that Russia heavily influenced the outcome favoring Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012. They gathered outside the parliament but were not able to block the entrance amid a heavy police presence.
"Black Monday in Georgia: Police...guarding the doors behind which 'Georgian Dream slaves' are killing our Constitution and making a mockery of our Parliament," Zurabishvili said in a post on X.
Police have moved quickly -- sometimes using violence -- to shut down previous demonstrations, but no altercations were reported on November 25.
Georgian Dream's billionaire founder and "honorary chairman," Bidzina Ivanishvili, attended the session and holds the right to nominate a prime minister.
Ivanishvili, who is widely regarded as dominating the government even though he does not hold an official position, is expected to push for MPs to approve current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to continue as head of the government.
Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but a "foreign influence" law and anti-LGBT measures enacted under Georgian Dream's leadership have stalled that effort.
The United States in July announced it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning that it was backsliding on democracy.
Iran's Khamenei Says ICC Arrest Warrants For Israeli Leaders 'Not Enough'
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity during the conflict in Gaza are "not enough." Khamenei told a gathering of the Basij volunteer corps on November 25 that the two Israeli leaders should face the death penalty. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan issued the warrant and judges said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Netanyahu and Gallant "intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival" as part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza." Israel has called the warrants "absurd." The current war in the Gaza Strip was sparked by an attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU. Some 1,200 people died in the attack, with around 240 more taken hostage back to Gaza. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.
Ukraine Says It Hit Russian Oil Depot, Other 'Important Targets'
Ukraine's military said it struck an oil depot overnight in Russia's western Kaluga region and "a number of important targets" in two other Russian regions after Russia shelled the center of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement on social media that the early morning attacks focused on Bryansk, Kaluga, and Kursk.
"There is confirmation of a successful impact of the oil base in the Kaluga region," it said.
Vladislav Shapsha, the governor of Kaluga, said on Telegram that eight Ukrainian drones were shot down in the region, with debris from one of the downed drones sparking a fire at an industrial site. The fire has been extinguished, and no casualties were reported, Shapsha said.
Unconfirmed reports from the Telegram channels Ostorozhno, novosti, and Baza claim the fire affected a tank at a local oil depot and the Kaluga instrument-making plant Typhoon. Videos allegedly showing the fire at the refinery have surfaced online, though official verification is pending.
The attack came as the mayor of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, said at least 15 people were wounded in an attack that targeted residential areas, adding to the series of strikes the city has faced in recent weeks that have caused significant casualties and damage to civil and energy infrastructure.
In Ukraine’s southern Mykolayiv region, Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure overnight, regional Governor Vitaliy Kim reported. Engineers managed to restore power to most affected areas, and no casualties were reported.
Meanwhile, in the southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, Russian forces launched attacks on industrial facilities using "dozens of drones," according to regional Governor Ivan Fedorov. One child was reportedly wounded in these strikes.
Sources at the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense (HUR) told Ukrayinska pravda that the attack on the Kaluga oil depot was planned by Ukrainian special services. The targeted depot is reportedly linked to Russia’s military operations against Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that on the night of November 25, air-defense systems intercepted and destroyed 23 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions. These included eight drones over Kaluga, seven over Kursk, five over Bryansk, and three over Belgorod, the ministry said.
The overnight strikes highlight the growing intensity of Ukraine's efforts to stop Russia's ongoing invasion that Moscow launched in February 2022. The situation continues to evolve as both sides accuse the other of escalating the violence.
With reporting by Ukrayinska pravda
Pro-Russia Candidate Heads For Runoff After Shock Win In Romania's Presidential Poll
BUCHAREST -- Pro-Russia far-right candidate Calin Georgescu has won a shock victory in the first round of EU and NATO member Romania's presidential vote while the fight for a place in the decisive runoff vote between leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and pro-West center-right candidate Elena Lasconi remained too close to call.
With 99.98 percent of polling stations reporting on the November 24 vote, independent Georgescu -- who has been criticized for his anti-NATO and anti-semitic statements -- led with 22.95 percent of ballots.
Lasconi of the center-right Save Romania Union (USR) edged ahead of main favorite Ciolacu by a couple thousand votes in a heart-stopping comeback that saw the ex-TV journalist and small-town mayor overcome a handicap of half a million votes helped by results from the North American diaspora and the Republic of Moldova.
She has now garnered 19.17 percent of the vote versus Ciolacu's 19.15 percent -- a difference that could still be overturned.
Lasconi's USR, meanwhile, said in a press statement early on November 25 that a parallel counting of the vote showed she was in the second position and would face off with Georgescu in the second round. But Lasconi herself stopped short of claiming victory against Ciolacu, telling journalists that "it's been devilishly difficult."
The runoff will be held on December 8, a week after a parliamentary election on December 1 in a face-off the media is portraying as a battle between East and West.
George Simion of the ultranationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) had 13.87 percent, a surprisingly low score after many predicted he would advance to the runoff together with Ciolacu.
Critics have charged Simion with also being Russia-friendly and, while he wants Romania to remain in NATO, he has also said Bucharest should be neutral.
The winner of the second round will succeed the outgoing center-right incumbent, Klaus Iohannis, who is completing his second and final term after a decade in office.
In the likely case of Lasconi's taking second place, it will be for the first time since 1989 that the PSD, the heir to Romania's Communist party, won't have a candidate in the presidential final.
Fourteen candidates officially registered in the race, but liberal ex-Prime Minster Ludovic Orban last week announced he was withdrawing and threw his weight behind Lasconi.
Election officials put the turnout at just over 52 percent, or about 9.44 million voters casting their ballots.
In 2019, total first-round turnout was 51.18 percent. In the second round, it rose to 55.1 percent.
Georgescu, an obscure figure who held positions in Romania's Foreign Ministry and at the UN environmental agency UNEP, started as a member of AUR and was twice put forward as a possible prime minister by Simion's party.
But Georgescu's anti-Semitic statements made him too radical even for AUR, which eventually broke with him when authorities opened a criminal investigation on his radical views.
However, even without the overt backing of a party, Georgescu performed unexpectedly well both inside the country and in Romania's Western diaspora, where he took more than 43 percent of the vote, ostensibly by using the TikTok social media platform to call for an end of Romania's aid to Ukraine.
Under incumbent Iohannis, Romania has turned into a key ally of Ukraine, not only providing training and military equipment but playing a key role in transporting Ukrainian grain and other agricultural goods to global markets.
The 62-year-old, who has been criticized in the Romanian media for his pro-Russia and anti-NATO statements, claimed his shocking victory is a vote for "peace," echoing statements by other pro-Moscow European leaders such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
"Tonight, the Romanian people cried out for peace. And they shouted very loudly, extremely loudly", he said late on November 24.
In previous interviews, Georgescu urged closer ties with Moscow, claiming that "Russian wisdom" was Romania's best chance, although he has not publicly backed Russia's war in Ukraine.
Asked about Georgescu's upset victory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on November 25 said Russia did not know much about him or his opinions.
"I would not make any predictions yet. We probably cannot say that we are that familiar with the world view of this candidate as far as relations with our country are concerned."
Lasconi, a former small-town mayor and TV journalist, was the only presidential candidate who opposed the idea of Ukraine giving up land to Russia in a peace deal, saying doing so would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"If Ukraine cedes territory, Putin won't stop," she had said. "We need to help Ukraine win this war," she said during the only presidential debate, held last week.
She was also the most bullish among the top candidates on NATO, calling for the military alliance to have a greater presence in Romania.
Lasconi garnered 56 percent of the Romanian vote in Moldova, where more than 80,000 Romanian passport holders showed up to vote. Moldova was part of Romania before World War II and the countries share a common language and history. Many Moldovans have acquired Romanian citizenship, which gives them the right to travel and work in the West.
Some analysts said Georgescu's shock victory is also a result of mounting disillusion with Romania's entrenched political elites among young Romanians, many of whom leave the country because of what they say is a lack of opportunities.
Rima, a voter at a Bucharest polling station, told RFE/RL, "There should be more opportunities for young people, so we don't have to leave the country after we graduate from high school or college."
"The president should be more open-minded on some topics, especially international ones. That's what I want: to live in a free country where we as young people have a voice," she said, without specifying her candidate.
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.
- By RFE/RL
White House Condemns Killing Of Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi In U.A.E.
The White House has condemned the killing in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in an assault that Israel called an anti-Semitic "terrorist attack."
"This was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coexistence. It was an assault as well on UAE and its rejection of violent extremism across the board," the White House said in a statement on November 24.
Hours earlier, U.A.E. authorities said three suspects have been arrested in the killing of a man identified as Zvi Kogan, who worked in the U.A.E. for the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, which supports Jewish visitors and residents in the country.
The victim had been reported missing on November 22. His body was found in the city of Al Ain near the Omani border, but it was not clear where he had been killed.
The U.A.E. Interior Ministry did not provide further details on the suspects held in the matter.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also denounced the killing of the 28-year-old rabbi, calling it a "heinous anti-Semitic terrorist act."
Moldova's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is "in contact with the authorities of the United Arab Emirates to clarify the circumstances of this case." It gave no further details.
According to Reuters, Iran quickly rejected any implication that it was involved in the killing.
The Iranian embassy in the UAE "categorically rejects the allegations of Iran’s involvement in the murder of this individual," the news agency quoted the embassy as saying.
With additional reporting by Reuters
U.A.E. Arrests 3 In Killing Of Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) on November 24 said three suspects have been arrested in the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in an assault that Israel called an anti-Semitic "terrorist attack." The victim, who was reported missing on November 22, was identified as Zvi Kogan, who worked in the U.A.E. for the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, which supports Jewish visitors and residents in the country. His body was found in the city of Al Ain near the Omani border, but it was not clear where he had been killed. The U.A.E. Interior Ministry did not provide further details on the suspects held in the matter.
Freight Train Arrives In Afghanistan From China As Beijing Looks To Increase Ties
The first train carrying goods from China to Afghanistan arrived in Mazar-e Sharif on November 23 after crossing through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the de facto Taliban rulers said. The Taliban said 55 containers arrived in Afghanistan after a 22-day journey, marking the inauguration of the first direct train link between China and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The train is expected to take Afghan goods back to China for sale there. Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, no country, including China, has formally recognized the extremist group -- which has been accused of massive rights violations -- but Beijing has attempted to increase ties as part of its economic push in the region, including its Belt and Road initiative. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Russia Set To Name New Ambassador To United States
Aleksandr Darchiyev is slated soon to be appointed as Russia's ambassador to Washington, the Kommersant newspaper reported on November 24, citing three unidentified sources. Darchiyev, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's North American section, was ambassador to Canada from October 2014 to January 2021. He would succeed Anatoly Antonov, who concluded his term in October. The move would come at a time of high tensions between Washington and Moscow and just ahead of the return of Donald Trump to the presidency on January 20. The United States, under President Joe Biden, has been the top foreign supporter of Ukraine in its battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, while Trump has suggested aid could be curtailed.
- By RFE/RL
Russia Reportedly Recruiting Fighters From Yemen Through Huthi Intermediaries
The Financial Times reports that Russia has recruited hundreds of Yemeni men to fight in Ukraine, lured by the promise of high salaries and potential Russian citizenship. The November 23 report said they were helped by a Huthi-linked company to travel to Russia, then forcibly inducted into the Russian Army and sent to the front lines in Ukraine. The report said the action illustrates how the Kremlin is desperately trying to avoid a full mobilization of its society by using foreign fighters following reports that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to train and fight alongside Russian forces.
Iran Says It Will Hold Nuclear Talks With Britain, France, Germany
Iran on November 24 confirmed it will hold talks regarding its disputed nuclear program with officials from Britain, France, and Germany on November 30, saying they will also focus on “bilateral, regional, and international issues.” In a news conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei spokesman did not specific the location of the talks. Earlier, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported that Iran was arranging nuclear talks with Britain and the European Union starting on November 30 in Geneva. Kyodo quoted several diplomatic sources as saying the Iranian administration is seeking a solution to Iran's nuclear impasse ahead of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.
Pakistan Says Cease-Fire Deal Reached Among Warring Parties In Northwest
The Pakistani government on November 24 said its mediation team had reached agreement on a seven-day cease-fire among warring sectarian groups in the northwest of the country, looking to end clashes that have killed more than 80 people.
Mohammad Ali Saif, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information minister and government spokesman, told news agencies that Shi'ite and Sunni leaders had agreed to halt attacks for at least a seven-day period as a longer-lasting solution was sought.
The violence between Sunni and Shi'ite groups in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province began on November 21 after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying Shi'ite Muslims, killing at least 38 people.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in Kurram.
Police said armed men torched shops, houses, and government property before a government delegation arrived in the area seeking to defuse the crisis.
"The clashes and convoy attacks on November 21, 22, and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries," a local administration official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He added that among the dead were 16 were Sunni and 66 Shi’ite members of the community.
Prior to announcement of the truce agreement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said that "our priority today is to broker a cease-fire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues."
The delegation arrived on November 23 and met with Shi’ite leaders, then held talks with Sunni leaders on November 24, an official said.
Sunnis and Shi'a living in Kurram have clashed over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace.
Minority Shi'ite Muslims have long complained of discrimination and violence in Sunni-majority Pakistan.
With reporting by Reuters, Dawn, and AFP
Zelenskiy Calls For More Air-Defense Systems For Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 24 his country "needs more air-defense systems" to protect its people as Russia continues to target Ukraine with aerial bombs, combat drones, and missiles.
"Strengthening the protection of our skies is absolutely critical," Zelenskiy wrote on social media, adding that Kyiv was "actively working" with its partners on improving the country’s air defenses.
Russia has launched more than 800 guided aerial bombs, around 460 strike drones, and over 20 missiles of various types against Ukraine over the past week, according to Zelenskiy.
Both Ukraine and Russia on November 24 reported repelling dozens of drones from the other side overnight.
Ukrainian military said early in the morning that its air defenses shot down 50 of 73 Russian drones, with more than 10 of the intercepted drones targeting the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force added that it lost track of 19 drones and four more were still in the air.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said the air-raid alert lasted for more than three hours as the drones "were flying from different directions" toward the city.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported its air-defense systems destroyed 34 drones overnight, including 27 over the Kursk region bordering Ukraine. The ministry did not provide information about any damage or casualties caused by the strikes.
Ukrainian forces swept into the Kursk region in a surprise offensive in August, seizing nearly 1,400 square kilometers of Russian territory. But Kyiv has since lost about 40 percent of the territory it captured in Kursk, according to a source in Ukraine’s General Staff.
"At most, we controlled about 1,376 square kilometers, now of course this territory is smaller. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks," the source was quoted by news agencies as saying.
The source said Kyiv now controls approximately 800 square kilometer in Kursk and "will hold this territory for as long as is militarily appropriate."
The United States and the United Kingdom reportedly gave permission to Ukraine recently to strike inside Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles, respectively. The missiles are precision tactical weapons designed to hit command-and-control centers, logistics, and arms depots near the front.
Ukraine has already used the missiles to strike in Kursk and the neighboring region of Belgorod.
France also joined the United States and Britain in signaling to Ukraine that it is allowed use long-range weapons against targets on Russian territory.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in an interview with the BBC that Ukraine could fire French long-range missiles into Russia "in the logics of self-defense.” But he would not confirm if French weapons had already been used.
With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and the BBC
Pakistani Capital Locked Down, Internet Partially Suspended Ahead Of Protest
Pakistani authorities have locked down Islamabad and partially suspended mobile phone and Internet services as supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan geared up for a protest in the capital, calling for his release.
The government announced late on November 23 that Internet and cellphone services would be temporarily unavailable "in areas with security concerns" while "continuing to operate as usual in the rest of the country."
It did not specify the areas, nor did it explain when the suspension would be lifted. The announcement was posted on X, which is banned in Pakistan.
The action came ahead of the planned visit of Belarusian authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who is due to arrive on November 25. A 60-member Belarusian delegation arrived in Islamabad on November 24 to pave the way for his stay.
Highways leading to Islamabad through which the protesters are expected to enter the city and gather near the parliament have been blocked by the government.
Most major roads in the city have also been sealed off with shipping containers, while large contingents of police and paramilitary personnel could be seen deployed in riot gear.
Islamabad police issued a statement, saying gatherings of any sort have been banned under legal provisions.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and has over 150 criminal cases against him, ranging from corruption to inciting violence.
Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf or PTI, deny all the charges as politically motivated.
Khan’s supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of protest rallies.
Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and a key Khan ally, called on protesters to gather near the entrance of Islamabad's red zone, known as D Chowk.
The red zone houses the country's parliament building and important government offices, as well as embassies and foreign institutions' offices.
"Khan has called on us to remain there till all our demands are met," Gandapur said in a video message on November 23. He is expected to lead the largest convoy into Islamabad.
Last month, a PTI protest in Islamabad turned violent with one policeman killed, dozens of security personnel injured, and protesters arrested. Both protesters and authorities accused one another of instigating the clashes.
The shutdown of Internet and cellphone services during that protest disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing, and food delivery.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
Pro-West PM Leads Romanian Presidential Vote, Russia-Friendly Candidate Makes Surprise Challenge
BUCHAREST -- Partial preliminary results in Romania's presidential vote give Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu a narrow lead, but a surprisingly strong showing by pro-Russia candidate Cailin Georgescu has thrown the race into unexpected territory.
With 80 percent of polling stations reporting on November 24, the pro-Western Social Democrat Ciolacu had 22.17 percent of the vote, according to election officials.
But his opponent in an expected runoff round remains unclear after Georgescu – who has been criticized for his anti-NATO sentiments – was in second place with 22.11 percent.
Pro-West Elena Lasconi of the center-right Save Romania Union was third with 14.97 percent, while George Simion of ultranationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) had 14.94 percent.
Experts said that results from the large cities – where Ciolacu and Lasconi are likely to poll stronger than Georgescu – could still decide the tight race.
Two exit polls gave Ciolacu 25 percent of the vote, while Lasconi was second at around 18 percent. Georgescu and Simion trailed in the exit polls with 14-16 percent in the cluttered field of 13 candidates.
The exit polls did not include diaspora polling, where Lasconi and Simion were expected to lead the balloting.
Some observers said that even with Ciolacu's slim lead, the far right appeared to be the big winner in the vote.
If no candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held on December 8 featuring the two top finishers, a week after a parliamentary election on December 1.
Ciolacu was the favorite heading into the election and pre-vote surveys indicated five candidates had a shot at advancing to the runoff to succeed the outgoing center-right incumbent, Klaus Iohannis, who is completing his second and final term after a decade in office.
Fourteen candidates officially registered in the race, but Ludovic Orban announced he was withdrawing from the contest.
Election officials put the turnout at just over 52 percent, or about 9.44 million voters casting their ballots. Long lines were reported at polling stations in the capital, Bucharest, ahead of the 9 p.m. poll closings.
In 2019, total first-round turnout was 51.18 percent. In the second round, it rose to 55.1 percent.
At three polling stations, turnout was reported at 150-300 percent. Officials said the high figure was due to supplemental lists holding more names than the permanent lists and by people voting in precincts they were not originally assigned.
Georgescu, 62, who has been criticized in the Romanian media for expressing pro-Russia sentiments, claimed his shocking vote total represents a real victory for Romania.
"The rich of the system have become poorer, and the poor Romanians have become richer. It's an astonishing awakening in consciousness," said the candidate, who utilized the TikTok social media platform to press his campaign.
Following release of the exit polls, Lasconi told reporters that the results remain tight and that she will wait until official results are clear before "rejoicing" over her potential placement in the runoff.
Lasconi, a former small-town mayor and journalist, was the only presidential candidate who opposed the idea of Ukraine giving up land to Russia in a peace deal, saying doing so would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"If Ukraine cedes territory, Putin won't stop," she had said. "We need to help Ukraine win this war."
She was also the most bullish among the top candidates on NATO, calling for the military alliance to have a greater presence in Romania.
Ciolacu expressed pro-Europe sentiment leading up to the election.
"We will support the deepening of the European integration project for the benefit of citizens, and we will have a more active voice in the decision-making process at the European level," he has said.
Critics have charged Simion with being too Russia-friendly and, while he wants Romania to remain in NATO, said Bucharest should be "neutral."
Despite the exit polls, Simion expressed confidence in reaching the second round.
"We were alone against the parties of the system, and we will enter the second round," said Simion, who urged his supports to "turn off the TVs" and ignore reports stating that a "stranger," Georgescu -- who had received little attention ahead of the vote -- was ahead of him in the exit polls.
Romania has become a key ally of Ukraine, not only providing training and military equipment but playing a key role in transporting Ukrainian grain and other agricultural goods to global markets. Much of the credit for Bucharest's pro-Ukraine stance goes to the incumbent, Iohannis.
Rima, a voter at a Bucharest polling station, told RFE/RL, "There should be more opportunities for young people, so we don't have to leave the country after we graduate from high school or college."
"The president should be more open-minded on some topics, especially international ones. That's what I want: to live in a free country where we as young people have a voice," she said, without specifying her candidate.
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.
Diaspora voting began on November 23, with initial figures indicating a higher turnout than in 2019 among those abroad, with about 675,000 of such votes cast by 6 p.m. on November 24, up about 90,000 from the 2019 election.
In Moldova, more than 80,942 voted at 59 polling stations, with officials calling it a record high. In the first round of the 2019 Romanian presidential election, 43,307 people voted in Moldova.
Most of Moldova was part of Romania until the end of World War II and many Moldovans also hold Romanian citizenship.
Voting was also reported to be high in London, where almost 8,900 Romanians went to the polls.
Oana Popescu-Zamfir, director of the Bucharest-based think tank GlobalFocus Center, told RFE/RL in an email that this is a high-stakes election for the NATO and EU nation.
"Romania is faced with two important realities next year: the threat of further instability and conflict in the region and globally, especially in the context of a [President-elect Donald] Trump White House," she said, along with the risks of a "deepening economic and financial crisis."
Foreign policy is also of concern to voters, namely Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and how that conflict could change with a switch in Washington from U.S. President Joe Biden, who has steadily backed Kyiv, to Trump, who has suggested support could be curtailed.
"The threat of regional instability and war is also a source of concern. Voters care about candidates' positions on Ukraine, Russia, Trump, the extent of their Euro-Atlantic orientation," Popescu-Zamfir said, adding that voters were also focused on the presidential candidates' "ability to lead the country in case of escalating tensions with Russia."
In an interesting sidelight, election officials say that at least 50 Romanians over the age of 100 are expected to vote in the presidential election. The oldest is a man aged 113, while the oldest woman is aged 108, officials said.
- By RFE/RL
United Nations Climate Talks On Verge Of Failure Amid Walkout
Developing nations staged a walkout at the United Nations climate talks in Baku, demanding wealthy emitter nations step up financial aid to combat the effects of global warming.
Host nation Azerbaijan urged delegates to seek consensus as COP29, already extended into an extra day, verged on the brink of failure.
“I know that none of us wants to leave Baku without a good outcome,” COP President Mukhtar Babayev told climate officials from around the world on November 23, urging them to “bridge the remaining divide.”
Small island states and the least developed nations walked out of negotiations on a funding package for poor countries to curb and adapt to climate change, saying their climate finance interests were being ignored.
“[The] current deal is unacceptable for us. We need to speak to other developing countries and decide what to do,” said Evans Njewa, chair of the Least Developed Countries group.
Developing countries have been pushing rich countries for years to finance their attempts to battle the impact of climate change, saying that the extreme weather and rising seas hurting them is the result of greenhouse gas emitted by the wealthy nations decades ago.
In 2009, rich countries pledged $100 billion a year in annual climate aid by the early 2020s but some have been struggling to meet their commitments.
The last official draft on November 22 pledged $250 billion annually by 2035, more than double the previous goal, but far short of the annual $1 trillion-plus that experts say is needed.
Experts said that rich countries like the United States and Europe are facing budget constraints due to the coronavirus pandemic and now wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The United States has allocated $174 billion to Ukraine and billions more to Israel to help bolster their defenses. European nations have also allocated well north of $100 billion for Ukraine.
In a bid to save COP29, representatives from the European Union, the United States, and other wealthy countries met directly with those of developing nations to work out an agreement.
“If we don’t get a deal I think it will be a fatal wound to this process, to the planet, to people,” Panama’s special representative for climate change, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez said.
With reporting by Al Jazeera and AP
Uzbek President Fires Top Officials Amid Assassination Attempt Scandal
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has fired several top officials in the State Security Service (SSS) and Interior Ministry in a sweeping reshuffle following an assassination attempt last month on a close ally of his eldest daughter.
Abdusalom Azizov, the head of the State Security Service (SSS) and Alijon Ashurov, the head of the Presidential Personal Security Department, were among those dismissed by Mirziyoev on November 22, several law enforcement sources told RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service.
Meanwhile, Otabek Umarov, the deputy head of the SSS and the husband of Mirziyoev’s youngest daughter, left the country on November 23, the sources said. It is unclear whether he fled or intends to come back, they added said.
The upheaval is the biggest in the security services since the authoritarian Mirziyoev took office eight years ago. It comes amid a back-door power struggle among Uzbekistan's political elite that was thrust into the spotlight following an assassination attempt on Komiljon Allamjonov, a former high-ranking official in the presidential administration.
Alisher Ilkhamov, an analyst at U.K.-based political risk firm Central Asia Due Diligence, said Mirziyoev needed to take action to show that no one was above the law and demonstrate his control over the country.
"Impunity for such actions is a sign that the group that committed this is given carte blanche. And this will create a certain mood in society - an atmosphere of fear," he said.
Allamjonov was traveling in a car on October 26, one day before parliamentary elections, when it was sprayed with bullets. Allamjonov survived, but the incident -- the first assassination attempt on a current or former member of Mirziyoev’s administration -- sent shockwaves through the country.
Earlier this month, South Korean authorities detained Uzbek citizen Javlon Yunusov on suspicion of involvement in the attempted murder of Allamjonov.
An RFE/RL investigation also linked another man, Shokhrukh Ahmedov, along with Yunusov and other suspects to organized crime, prior assassination attempts in Turkey, and high-level officials within Uzbekistan’s administration, including Umarov.
The 40-year-old Allamjonov left his government post in September allegedly to focus on a private business venture. Meanwhile, Umarov had been accused of allegedly establishing a "deep state," controlling the country's security services and major businesses through his proxies.
Sources close to the investigation have suggested that the organizers of the attack may have sought to curb Allamjonov’s growing influence and connections within the administration.
Prior to the assassination attempt, Allamjonov received the personal backing of 39-year-old Saida Mirziyoeva, the president’s eldest daughter who is widely seen as his potential successor.
NOTE: This article has been corrected to say that Javlon Yunusov was detained by South Korean authorities, not Shokhrukh Ahmedov, who is also a suspect in the case and is in custody in Uzbekistan.
Zelenskiy Says Putin Aiming To Regain Kursk Territory Before Trump Takes Office
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russia is seeking to drive his forces out of the Kursk region before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office next year but added that the military situation in the Donetsk region is the most critical for his country.
“I am certain that [Russian President Vladimir Putin] wants to push us out before January 20,” Zelenskiy told reporters, referring to the day of Trump’s inauguration. “It is very important for him to show that he controls the situation” in Kursk.
Ukraine stunned the Kremlin by sweeping into the Kursk region in August, seizing nearly 1,400 square kilometers of Russian territory. With Trump promising to end the war upon entering office, Moscow could be forced to exchange land it seized in Ukraine for Kursk territory should it fail to push Ukrainian forces out in time.
Putin has sent tens of thousands of Russian troops to Kursk who are mounting wave after wave of counterattacks, a source on Ukraine's General Staff said. Russia has regained about 800 square kilometers in Kursk or about 40 percent of the territory Ukraine seized, the source said.
Zelenskiy said that Ukrainian troops are inflicting large-scale losses on Russian forces in Kursk. Russia has recently been losing as many as 1,500 troops a day to injury and death across the entire theater of the war, the most since the invasion began in February 2022, Ukrainian and Western officials said.
“Russia hasn’t suffered such losses as it is now suffering in Kursk,” Zelenskiy said.
Russia has recruited more than 11,000 North Korean troops to help it take back Kursk territory. The North Korean troops reportedly arrived last month though it is unclear if they have taken part in fighting yet.
The United States and the United Kingdom reportedly gave permission this week to Ukraine to strike inside Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles respectively. The missiles are precision, tactical weapons designed to hit command-and-control centers, logistics and arms depots near the front.
Ukraine has already used the missiles to strike in Kursk and the neighboring region of Belgorod.
Russian Advances
Meanwhile, Russian ground forces continue to make incremental advances in eastern Ukraine, including near the town of Velyka Novosilka, according to Deep State, an open-source organization with ties to the Ukrainian Army, and confirmed by other analysts.
Ukraine has been struggling to hold back the Russian advances due to a lack of manpower, raising concern about a possible breakthrough. While Russia is losing forces at a greater rate, the Kremlin is able to quickly replace them thanks to lucrative wages and incentives.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
Putin on November 23 widened those incentives, signing a law permitting the cancellation of debt for new army recruits volunteering to fight in Ukraine.
The new law allows the state to forgive up to 10 million rubles ($95,835) of debt for those signing contracts with the Defense Ministry to fight in Ukraine for at least a year, beginning on December 1.
The law applies to all potential recruits who have had debt collection proceedings opened against them before December 1. The maximum debt forgiveness is several times the average annual salary in Russia’s provinces.
Valeriy Zaluzhniy, the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, said in an interview published on November 23 that new technological advances will prevent a “serious breakthrough” at the front.
Ukraine and Russia have been rapidly developing reconnaissance and strike drones as well as electronic warfare weapons. The technology advancements have helped Ukraine partially compensate for its lack of manpower.
In the interview, Zaluzhniy said that Russia will struggle to expand the front line and break through because it would require huge resources "which the Russians no longer have."
Trump Presidency
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his counterparts from the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations outside Rome on November 25-26 to discuss the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
It will be the last G7 meeting for the Biden administration, which is seeking to ensure that support for Ukraine is sustained when Trump enters office in January.
Trump has criticized aid to Ukraine, raising questions whether he will continue support should a peace deal not be reached.
The president-elect met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Florida on November 22 to discuss Ukraine and other issues facing the alliance.
Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly considering Richard Grenell, his former intelligence chief, for the new post of special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Zelenskiy told reporters that the war could end next year if Ukraine continues to get strong Western support. Zelenskiy spoke with media following the Grain From Ukraine Summit in Kyiv. Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of grains to world markets.
Prior to the conference, Zelenskiy visited a memorial to the victims of the Holodomor, the man-made famine orchestrated by the Soviet government in the 1930s that led to the deaths of millions of Ukrainians.
In a clear reference to Putin’s war against Ukraine, Zelenskiy said: "There is something we know for certain. They wanted to destroy us. To kill us. To subjugate us. They failed."
With reporting by Reuters
Police Violence Against Foreign Students In Kazan Leads To Iranian Diplomatic Protest
The violent detentions of brawling foreign university students, including from Iran, in Tatarstan has led to a protest by Iran’s consul general to the Russian region.
“Iranian citizens studying abroad have the right to respect and fair treatment,” Consul General Davud Mirzakhani said on November 23. “We will ensure that the rights of our students are fully protected."
"The Russian police confuse the Iranian people with those of other nations," Mirzakhani added. "We will never allow anyone to treat our people abroad inhumanely and illegally."
The comments came after a brawl broke out among foreign students at Kazan Federal University on the morning of November 22 as they stood in line for documentation needed to renew their student visas.
Video of the incident can be seen here:
According to the Russian news agency TASS, two students who instigated the brawl were detained. Iranian students involved in the incident were later released.
However, Tatarstan’s Investigative Committee announced that it has opened a criminal case against one student who “used violence against a police officer.”
It is not clear if the student being investigated was among those released.
Local media reported that the brawl may have started when someone cut into a large line of students who had been waiting to register their documents for hours.
Foreign students were reportedly transferred from their dormitories at the university to make room for attendees of the BRICS summit held in Kazan on October 22-24.
Students affected by the move launched a petition to protest the decision at the time, and were reportedly among those attempting to get their documentation in order on November 22.
Local media reported that the foreign students lining up for documents were there trying to extend their student visas needed to study in Kazan.
Following the brawl, the university reportedly opened additional service stations for the foreign students to submit their documents.
Death Count Rises As Sectarian Violence Continues In Northwest Pakistan
Local authorities have reported that at least 25 people, most of them Shi’a, were killed on November 22 in fresh sectarian violence in a tribal region of northwest Pakistan long known as a hotspot of Shi’ite-Sunni conflict.
The deaths in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province came just two days after dozens of people were killed when gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles in the Sunni-majority district.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal on November 23, Kurram district administrative head Javedullah Mehsud said the renewed clashes erupted unexpectedly and the authorities could not respond in sufficient numbers to control them.
Other news agencies, citing local officials, reported that at least 32 people had died and 47 were wounded in the violence on November 22.
Locals in the Bagan area of the district told Radio Mashaal that an angry mob of hundreds of Shi’a set several shops and homes on fire. Locals in the predominantly Sunni area claimed that some inhabitants were unaccounted for.
Local Shi'ite leader Malik Dildar Hussain told Radio Mashaal that Shi’a have frequently come under attack in the area.
On November 21, at least 50 people, including several women and children, were killed and more than 40 wounded when gunmen opened fire on November 21 on a police-escorted convoy of 200 vehicles carrying Shi'ite Muslims. The convoy was traveling from the provincial capital, Peshawar, to Parachinar, the capital city of the Kurram district.
The threat of additional violence led local authorities to impose a curfew on November 22 and to suspend mobile telecommunications services in the remote mountainous district.
Local leaders told RFE/RL that most of those killed in the renewed violence on November 22 were Shi'a, but at least four Sunnis were also among the dead.
No group has taken responsibility for the attack.
RFE/RL correspondents on the ground reported on November 22 that heavily armed people set fire to a military checkpoint in the area overnight.
In Parachinar, witnesses reported seeing dozens of angry people armed with automatic weapons gathering amid reports that several other facilities of the Pakistani Army and the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary had been attacked and destroyed. RFE/RL correspondents reported hearing heavy gunfire.
Jamshed Shirazi, a social activist in Parachinar, told RFE/RL that several government installations were damaged by the mob. "People are expressing their anger by attacking government offices," Shirazi said.
Jalal Hussain Bangash, a local Shi'ite leader, voiced dismay at the violence during a Friday Prayers sermon on November 22 and said that Shi'a had nothing to do with the ensuing violence, RFE/RL correspondents on the ground reported.
Hamid Hussain, a lawmaker from Kurram in the national parliament, was adamant that the violence was the work of provocateurs.
"We are helpless. Neither Shi'a nor Sunnis are involved in this. This is [the result of] some other invisible forces who do not want to see peace in the area," Hussain told RFE/RL.
Sectarian tensions have risen over the past several months in the Kurram district, which was formerly semiautonomous.
Seventeen people were killed in an attack on a convoy on October 12, and there have been a handful of deadly attacks since then.
Sunnis and Shi'a living in Kurram have clashed over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace.
Minority Shi'ite Muslims have long suffered discrimination and violence in Sunni-majority Pakistan.
- By Reuters
Russia's Claim Of Emissions In Occupied Ukraine Regions Draws Protests At COP29
Russia has included the territories it occupies in Ukraine in its recent greenhouse gas inventory report to the United Nations, drawing protests from Ukrainian officials and activists at the COP29 climate summit in Baku. The move by Moscow comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin eyes potential peace deal negotiations with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump that could decide the fate of vast swaths of territory. "We see that Russia is using international platforms to legalize their actions, to legalize their occupation of our territory," Ukraine's Deputy Environmental Minister Olha Yukhymchuk told Reuters. She said Ukraine is in touch with officials from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN's main climate body, to ask it to resolve the dispute. Russia had already included emissions from Ukraine's Crimea region, annexed in 2014, in its last few reporting submissions to the UNFCCC.
Georgian Dream To Open Parliament Despite Protests, Without Foreign Diplomats
The Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party, fresh off a contested victory in parliamentary elections last month that ignited calls for fresh polls and pro-EU demonstrations in Tbilisi, is preparing to hold its first parliamentary session on November 25.
In comments to RFE/RL, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said that foreign diplomats would not be invited to attend the opening session, saying it “should only be celebrated by the Georgian people."
EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the October 26 elections in which Georgian Dream officially won 53.9 percent of the vote.
Opposition leaders this week called on foreign diplomats not to legitimize the new parliament by attending the first session of parliament.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has refused to recognize the result validated by the country’s Central Election Committee (CEC), and protests demanding new elections continue to be held in the country’s capital.
Protesters have alleged that there was widespread fraud during the campaign and vote, and that Russia heavily influenced the outcome favoring Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012.
In recent days, Georgian police have shut down the demonstrations, including through the use of violence on November 19.
Video footage by RFE/RL correspondents in Tbilisi showed police dragging people to the ground, including women, and beating them before taking them away.
The same day, Zurabishvili filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court "requesting annulment of the election results as unconstitutional.”
The first item on the agenda for the opening session, which will be attended by the head of the CEC, will be recognizing the authority of all 150 parliament members.
Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but a "foreign influence" law and anti-LGBT measures enacted under Georgian Dream’s leadership have stalled that effort.
The United States in July announced that it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning it that it was backsliding on democracy.
- By Reuters
Trump Reportedly Considers Ex-Intelligence Chief Richard Grenell For Ukraine Post
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is considering tapping Richard Grenell, his former intelligence chief, to be a special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to four sources familiar with the transition plans. Grenell, who served as Trump's ambassador to Germany, as special envoy to Serbia-Kosovo talks, and was acting director of national intelligence during Trump's 2017-2021 term, would play a key role in Trump's efforts to halt the war if he is ultimately selected for the post. While there is currently no special envoy dedicated solely to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump is considering creating the role, according to the four sources. Grenell has advocated for the creation of "autonomous zones" as a means of settling the conflict. He also suggested he would not be in favor of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the immediate future.
- By dpa
EU Parliament Leader Wants Germany To Send Taurus Missiles To Ukraine
EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola supports the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion and said Germany should quickly deliver its long-range Taurus system to the embattled country. Metsola, in an interview published on November 23 by the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers, said "yes," when asked whether countries providing long-range missiles to Ukraine should allow it to use them against targets in Russia -- and whether Germany should deliver its Taurus weapons system to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, has been staunchly opposed to sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. His coalition partners, the pro-business Free Democrats and the Greens, however, are in favor of sending Kyiv the missiles.
Bulgaria, Romania Step Closer To Schengen As Austria Drops Veto
Austria has dropped its long-standing veto to Bulgaria and Romania joining the passport free Schengen zone, opening the door to their accession next year.
The breakthrough development was announced on November 22 by the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, which hosted a meeting in Budapest with the interior ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria.
The EU will meet with the two candidate countries to finalize a joint security package at a meeting on December 11-12. The two countries could become Schengen members in January.
“Bulgaria and Romania belong fully to the Schengen area. I welcome the positive outcome of informal discussions in Budapest today.” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a tweet following the announcement.
The addition of Bulgaria and Romania will expand the Schengen zone to 28 states, including 24 EU members. Ireland and Cyprus will remain the only EU members not part of the Schengen Area.
Bulgarians and Romanians currently are not permitted to travel freely into other Schengen member states over land borders. Early this year, they received the right to travel freely by air and sea in the first concession by Vienna.
After the meeting in Budapest, Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter told media that the agreement to be signed next month includes the establishment of a special contingent of at least 100 border police officers on the Turkish-Bulgarian border.
Hungary will contribute to the full deployment of the officers and provide the necessary technical equipment to ensure effective protection of the border, he said. Pinter expressed confidence that the issue could be resolved by December 31.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said a January accession date is a realistic goal.
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