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Restrictions and pressure on the media are going beyond wartime security needs, local journalists told the paper Ukrainian journalists and monitoring groups have sounded the alarm over attempts to curtail press freedom in the country under Vladimir Zelensky, the New York Times has reported.According to media workers, restrictions and pressure on them from the government go beyond Ukraine’s security needs amid the conflict with Russia, the paper said in an article on Tuesday.The authorities in Kiev are trying to make sure that the opposition, in particular the party of former president Petro Poroshenko, does not get positive coverage in the press, and that the government and the military are never criticized, the report read.Late last year, management at the state-run news agency, Ukrinform, provided a list of opposition figures, activists and elected officials labeled “undesirable” for quoting in its articles, according to the NYT. Those blacklisted included the mayor of Lviv, Andrey Sadovoy, who is viewed as a possible future presidential candidate, it added.The deputy director of Ukrinform, Marina Singaevskaya, resigned this year over what she described as political meddling by the authorities.“If we name desirable and undesirable speakers, it is a big step back for democracy,” Yury Stryhun, a reporter with Ukrinform, told the outlet. Read more Head of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence Kirill Budanov Telegram a ‘huge’ problem for Ukraine – intel chief Stryhun said he received a notice to renew his draft registration one day after he appeared on Suspilne broadcaster to talk about the government’s guidelines for journalists. The timing of the notice was “suspicious,” he added.Last month, Ukrainian media watchdog, Detector Media, said members of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party accounted for some 70% of political guests on the Telemarathon, a round-the-clock multi-channel broadcast set up by the Kiev government as a single source of televised information about the conflict with Russia, during the first quarter of this year.The only broadcaster that gave airtime to representatives of Poroshenko’s European Solidarity party during the Telemarathon was Suspilne, which had since withdrawn from the project. The channel’s leadership said its decision to quit the Telemarathon was linked to pressure from the government, the report read.The paper noted that the Ukrainian authorities also had “tense relationships” with Western media throughout the conflict as they revoked military press passes for journalists from several outlets, including the NYT, following reports criticizing the military. However, credentials were later restored, it added.It also mentioned a story that made headlines in Ukraine in January, when it was revealed that Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) officers had spied on reporters attending a holiday party of an investigative news website, Bihus, by drilling peepholes in their hotel rooms. READ MORE: Ukrainians tired of ‘state propaganda’ on TV – NYT “The only way people can change things for the better is through journalism. That’s why some people in the government try their best to control it,” Sevgil Musaeva, the editor in chief of Ukrainskaya Pravda national news outlet, told the NYT. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/zXd7eBv

The Ukrainian government has accused businessman Igor Kolomoysky of attempting to arrange the murder of a lawyer in 2003 Ukrainian media have published new details about a criminal case against businessman Igor Kolomoysky, who was charged with ordering a contract killing over two decades ago.The mogul is believed to have played a key role in Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s rise to power. Prior to running for the presidency in 2019, Zelensky had a comedy show platformed by a Kolomoysky-controlled media holding.Ukrainian authorities placed Kolomoysky in pre-trial detention last September over alleged financial crimes and have since added fresh charges, including in May.The most recent statement on the case alleged that in 2003 “a famous businessman” hired a gang to exact revenge against a lawyer for rejecting his demand to overturn the outcome of a shareholder meeting. The gang assaulted its target but failed to kill him, the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general said. It did not name Kolomoysky, although a photo of the accused clearly showed the businessman. Read more FILE PHOTO. EU sets up Ukraine corruption watchdog   On Tuesday, the Ukrainsky Novini (Ukrainian News) media outlet claimed to have access to the court papers and shared more details of the allegations against Kolomoysky. According to prosecutors, he engaged the gang through a bodyguard. They initially targeted the wrong man, badly beating him, but eventually made an attempt on the lawyer’s life. They failed to kill him “due to circumstances outside of their control,” the case stated.The victim was identified in the documents as working for businessman Victor Pinchuk, the son-in-law of then-President Leonid Kuchma. The details coincide with the circumstances of the 2003 assault against lawyer Sergey Karpenko, for which Kolomoysky was investigated in 2005.According to reports in the Ukrainian media, Karpenko was involved in the fight for ownership of the metal plant Dneprospetsstal and opposed Kolomoysky’s attempts to seize control. Kolomoysky allegedly asked his bodyguard, a man surnamed Nikitin, to hire a group of criminals to carry out retaliation. They reportedly first attacked Karpenko’s business partner and later the lawyer himself, using metal rods, hammers, and knives in both assaults. READ MORE: New charges against ex-Zelensky sponsor announced In 2005, Ukrainian prosecutors opened a criminal case against Kolomoysky. In a bizarre twist, a request for an arrest warrant was recalled by the prosecutor general’s office a day after it was filed. The investigation was closed several months later.Some in Ukraine had expected the case to reemerge at the High Court in London, which in 2015 was due to hear an ownership dispute between Pinchuk, Kolomoysky, and a third Ukrainian businessman. The row was settled out of court. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/6aKlbqW

<strong>New Delhi and Beijing are both ramping up their capabilities, according to the latest report by SIPRI</strong> India expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2023 with an emphasis on developing warheads capable of striking targets in neighboring China, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported in its <a href="https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198890720/sipri-9780198890720.xml">annual assessment released on Monday. According to the think tank, India is estimated to have increased its number of nuclear missiles from 164 to 172, surpassing Pakistan, the third major nuclear power in the region, which has 170 nuclear warheads. China, at the same time, has increased its atomic arsenal significantly during the same period, from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024. <em>“While Pakistan remains the main focus of India’s nuclear deterrent, India appears to be placing growing emphasis on longer-range weapons, including those capable of reaching targets throughout China,”</em> SIPRI noted. Last year, India conducted the first test flight of the 5,000km range nuclear-capable Agni-5 missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, meaning warheads can be directed from a single missile at enemy targets thousands of kilometers apart.  ‘Pralay’, a surface-to-surface short-range missile similar to Russia’s ‘Iskander’, is also being readied for deployment along disputed borders with China and Pakistan, reports suggested last year.  <strong>Read more</strong> <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.03/thumbnail/65f17db985f5401e99103593.jpg">A long-range missile being fired off from a mobile launcher from Wheeler Island off the coast of India on April 19, 2012 <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/594202-modi-announces-first-launch-missile/">Modi announces first launch of India’s most powerful missile Hans M Kristensen, associate senior fellow with SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Program, noted that China is expanding its nuclear arsenal <em>“faster than any other country.”</em> Moreover, the reported stated that Beijing could have at least as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as either Russia or the US by the turn of the decade. Meanwhile, Russia (4,380) and the US (3,708) remain far ahead of any other country in terms of nuclear arsenals, possessing almost 90% of all such weapons, according to SIPRI.  The Indian nuclear program’s growing focus on China comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and New Delhi, primarily over border disputes. The two neighbors share a vaguely defined 3,440km (2,100-mile) border called the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Himalayan region, where numerous skirmishes have occurred over the years. Tensions flared in June 2020, after troops clashed in the disputed Galwan Valley, resulting in casualties on both sides.   <strong>Read more</strong> <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.04/thumbnail/6617a53085f54054c00be8a3.jpg">Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 11th G20 Leaders Summit in 2016 in Hangzhou, China. <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/595729-world-needs-peace-india-china/">World needs peace between India and China – Modi Despite both countries making efforts to de-escalate and disengage, several friction points remain. The two sides have also held dozens of talks since the Galwan incident, without any indication of a clear breakthrough. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stressed in a recent interview that New Delhi and Beijing must <em>“urgently address”</em> border disputes and resolve the <em>“abnormality”</em> in their bilateral ties. After the new coalition government was formed earlier this month by the Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bloc, which won the recently concluded elections, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar emphasized that New Delhi’s focus is on <em>“finding a solution for the border issues that still continue.”</em> The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi…

Gordon Black pleaded guilty to theft charges, but denied assaulting a woman he was staying with in Vladivostok A court in the Russian city of Vladivostok has sentenced US soldier Gordon Black to three years and nine months in prison, after he was found guilty of theft and making death threats against a woman with whom he was reportedly having an affair.Black had pleaded guilty to theft charges, but denied allegations that he had assaulted and threatened to kill his girlfriend, who has been identified as Aleksandra Vashuck. The 35-year-old army staff sergeant reportedly lived with Vashuck in her Vladivostok apartment for around a month earlier this year. Following an argument, he allegedly choked her and took 10,000 rubles ($116) from her purse.On Tuesday, a Vladivostok judge sentenced the US soldier for grand larceny and death threats. Black’s lawyer told the press that he will appeal the sentence.At a hearing the day before, Black claimed he had wanted to return the money to Vaschuk, and had transferred funds to her via an acquaintance. His defense had asked the court to acquit him of all charges. Read more FILE PHOTO: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Russia formally charges WSJ journalist with spying for CIA The prosecution had requested a sentence of four years and eight months, alongside a 40,000 ruble ($466) fine. “The victim said that the stolen funds have not been reimbursed,” the prosecution said.According to US media reports, Black met Vashuck on Tinder while he was stationed in South Korea. They dated until she moved back to Russia, settling in Vladivostok. His mother told the New York Post that the soldier was in the middle of a divorce from his wife, with whom he has a six-year-old daughter. Black reportedly took leave in April, and instead of going back to his home base in Texas, he traveled to Russia via China without permission from his superiors. READ MORE: US soldier pleads guilty in Russia via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/7KZze23

A Ukrainian lawmaker has accused Washington of deliberate delays so as not to antagonize Moscow The US is making “excuses” for its failure to prepare sufficient numbers of Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots to aid the war effort, the head of the arms procurement commission in Kiev's parliament, Aleksandra Ustinova, has claimed.Kiev’s sponsors in the so-called ‘F-16 coalition’ – the US, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands – have pledged to deliver up to 60 American-made aircraft by the end of this year. Ukrainian pilots are being trained in the US and Denmark, while a separate training program in Romania is planned, but is yet to begin.So far only eight Ukrainian pilots have received training at the Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, Ustinova told British newspaper The Times in an interview published on Monday. An additional 12 are being trained in Denmark, she added.The delay in preparation means Ukraine is likely to only have 20 fully trained F-16 pilots by the end of this year, the lawmaker said. Ukraine earlier asked the US for at least another ten spots in the training programs, but was refused, Ustinova noted. Read more FILE PHOTO: Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer during a news conference in Vienna. Crossing Moscow’s red line ‘permissible’ – Austria Last week, Politico wrote that Kiev’s efforts to get 30 more pilots into Western training facilities have been rebuffed. Ukrainian pilots have already hit language barrier issues, a senior DOD official told the news outlet. The Tucson base can only train 12 at a time, and Washington already has other countries’ pilots booked, the source added.Ustinova questioned the US justification for the delays, suggesting it was deliberate.“These are not arguments, they are excuses, and they keep coming up with them time and time again,” she stated. The training delays are likely motivated by Washington’s fear that a large-scale presence of US F-16s in the Ukraine conflict could be viewed by Moscow as the integration of the country into NATO, Ustinova told The Times. “This is totally political.”  Read more Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Defense Andrey Kartapolov Russia ready to strike NATO airfields hosting Ukrainian jets – MP F-16s are needed to help mitigate the effect of Russian glide bombs on the battlefield, a weapon that has shown devastating effectiveness in the Ukraine conflict, Ustinova stressed. “These bombs are huge – from 500 kilos to 1,500 kilos,” and for Kiev, the only solution is to “bring them down is jet-to-jet.”Moscow has repeatedly warned that Western arms deliveries will not change the course of the conflict, and only prolong it, causing more deaths. The Russian Parliament’s Defense Committee chair, Andrey Kartapolov, replied to Kiev’s statements about plans for some F-16s to be stationed outside Ukraine. Should the aircraft take off from foreign bases and be used to strike at Russian forces, both the jets and the facilities they are stationed at will be considered “legitimate targets,” Kartapolov warned. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/vleWDYp

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un has welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang with a spectacular ceremony on Wednesday, marking the Russian leader’s first official visit to the neighboring country since 2000. The two leaders commenced an official ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang around noon on Wednesday. The local military orchestra played the national anthems of the two nations, with artillery guns firing a welcoming salvo. The square that is capable of holding more than 100 thousand people was packed with local residents, who came to greet the Russian president. Ahead of President Putin’s visit, Pyongyang streets were decorated with countless Russian flags, welcoming banners both in Korean and Russian as well as portraits of the Russian head of state.  The official negotiations between the two delegations began immediately after the ceremony, while the two heads of state are expected to hold more in-depth tête-à-tête talks at some point during the day. READ MORE: Putin’s state visit to North Korea: LIVE UPDATES via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/UjzK6uo

The Russian president is set to discuss sensitive topics with Kim Jong-un Russian President Vladimir Putin has a “very busy agenda” for his official state visit to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, during which he is expected to hold comprehensive talks with the country’s leadership on economy, security, and other global issues.Kim Jong-un personally greeted Putin upon his arrival at the Pyongyang airport early Wednesday morning, and the two leaders are expected to hold lengthy face-to-face talks to discuss “the most important, the most sensitive issues” following an official welcoming ceremony later in the day.The visit is largely focused on the international agenda, with Moscow and Pyongyang expected to sign a number of bilateral documents, including a landmark Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/6PE9Xlz

The US-led bloc set unrealistic preconditions for Kiev, according to Russia’s deputy foreign minister Ukraine will never become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said, warning the US-led military bloc against repeating the same old mistakes.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated last week that “there is no membership issue to be discussed,” unless Kiev defeats Moscow on the battlefield. “We need to ensure that Ukraine prevail that’s an absolute minimum for Ukraine to become a member of the alliance,” he said.“This means this will never happen,” Ryabkov told TASS on Tuesday. “I hope Mr. Stoltenberg understands this.”The Russian diplomat said that Stoltenberg should know better what happened after NATO announced at its Bucharest summit in 2008 that Ukraine would become a member in the future. Read more Ukrainian soldiers of the 43rd Infantry Brigade in Kharkov Region, June 5, 2024. Ukraine must defeat Russia to join NATO – US “This became the trigger for much of the entire crisis that we are observing today. If NATO members are ready to fall into the same trap again and history teaches them nothing, then they will get hit again and their bruises will get worse,” he said, reiterating that Ukraine joining NATO is “ruled out.”President Vladimir Putin has warned for nearly two decades that NATO’s policies undermine Russian national security. He signaled last week that Moscow could order a ceasefire and start negotiations as soon as Kiev completely withdraws its troops from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions. However, a lasting peace could only be achieved if Ukraine commits to neutral status and abandons plans to join NATO.Both Kiev and NATO dismissed the offer as an unacceptable “ultimatum,” but the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergey Naryshkin, noted that Ukraine would be better off accepting Putin’s offer now. “The next terms under which a ceasefire can be achieved and some kind of peace agreement signed will be tougher with regard to Ukraine,” he warned. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/9HChY1e

The opposition is worried that the defense pact does not prohibit the deployment of American nuclear weapons Lawmakers in Stockholm have approved a controversial defense pact with Washington, which allows American troops onto 17 Swedish military bases and training sites. Critics have blasted the agreement for not explicitly barring US nuclear weapons from being deployed in the country.The Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) was signed between Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in December of last year, but needed parliamentary approval to enter into force. On Tuesday, MPs in Stockholm overwhelmingly backed the DCA, with 266 MPs voting in favor, 37 against, while 46 were absent. As a high stakes vote, a three quarters majority with more than half of lawmakers present was needed for the bill to pass.The agreement was opposed by the Left and Green parties, who argued that the pact should explicitly state that Sweden would not host nuclear weapons. Read more FILE PHOTO: Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. NATO’s newest member could host US nukes – PM “We want to see legislation that bans nuclear weapons from being brought onto Swedish soil,” Green Party MP Emma Berginger said in parliament during Tuesday’s proceedings, arguing the pact “doesn’t close the door to nuclear weapons.”The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Association, a major anti-war non-profit organization, slammed the move as one that increases tensions and security risks for Sweden, claiming it betrays voters’ expectations for a nuclear-free nation.“Unlike in Norway and Denmark’s DCA pacts, the Swedish agreement contains no reservation against nuclear weapons,” the group’s head Kerstin Bergea wrote in an op-ed after the vote. Neighboring Finland, which joined NATO in 2022, has a national law barring nuclear weapons from their territory, and their DCA pact with the US refers to it, Bergea pointed out. Read more FILE PHOTO: The HMS Vigilant, one of the carriers of Britain’s Trident nuclear missile system. NATO chief saber-rattling with nuclear weapons – Kremlin Sweden, a member of the US-led military bloc since March, will allow American troops, vehicles and aircraft unimpeded passage across the country. The Pentagon will also be allowed to set up its own facilities at existing Swedish military bases. The presence of US personnel will be regulated by the US rather than local laws.Earlier this month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out the numerous waves of NATO expansion has made Europe less safe. Moscow has no territorial disputes or points of tension with the US-led military bloc’s new members Sweden or Finland, he stressed, admitting that NATO military infrastructure will no doubt be hosted on their soil. Stockholm and Helsinki “understand this would lead to consequences for their own security,” he said. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/GbtUxvX

<strong>Anatoly Antonov has elaborated on Moscow’s proposal for ending the Ukraine conflict</strong> Moscow’s proposals for ending the Ukraine conflict are specific and realistic, unlike the <em>“advertising campaign”</em> coming from the West, Russian ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, has said.Newsweek published an interview with Antonov on Tuesday, in which the Russian envoy elaborated on President Vladimir Putin’s statements last week, <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/599276-putin-names-conditions-peace-talks/">outlining the conditions</a> for starting peace talks with Kiev. <em>“There is a path to peace, even if it is thorny,”</em> Antonov said. It involves <em>“withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from four regions of Russia; confirmation of the status of Crimea, Sevastopol, [Donetsk People’s Republic], [Lugansk People’s Republic], Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as subjects of the Russian Federation; Kiev’s refusal to join NATO; Ukraine’s status as neutral, nonaligned and nuclear-free state; its demilitarization and denazification; lifting of Western sanctions; [and] ensuring the rights, freedoms and interests of Russian-speaking citizens of the republic,”</em> the diplomat <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ambassador-path-peace-ukraine-1914297">explained</a>. <strong>Read more</strong> <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.06/thumbnail/666c233085f5401f694574ac.jpg">RT</a> <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/599276-putin-names-conditions-peace-talks/">Putin names conditions for Ukraine peace talks</a> <em>“Talks on the above-mentioned issues should be conducted without ‘imperial’ dictates and orders from the White House,”</em> Antonov added. <em>“It is high time the US recognized the futility of constant pursuit to enforce its will on all countries and realized that it will no longer be possible to deter the growing shift towards multipolarity.”</em>Scary stories about Moscow plotting to attack NATO once Ukraine is defeated are simply <em>“an embodiment of the US intentions to keep a tight rein on its satellites, primarily in Europe,”</em> according to Antonov. <em>“The aim is to finally turn the continent into the US ‘back yard’, which is not entitled to its own opinions nor its own history.”</em>Such policies are actually undermining US leadership, though American policymakers <em>“prefer not to notice”</em> that, Antonov added.The purpose of the peace conference in Switzerland this weekend was <em>“purely opportunistic: to create an illusion of widespread support for the ‘peace formula’ in various capitals, but in reality, to hush up any doubts about the legitimacy of the Kiev regime, which has already been bankrupt for a long time, both politically and economically,”</em> the ambassador said. <strong>Read more</strong> <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.06/thumbnail/66700a7d2030276d030dba11.jpg">Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin.</a> <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/599411-ukraine-putin-peace-tough-terms/">Russia’s next peace offer could come with ‘tougher terms’ for Kiev – intel chief</a> Putin’s clear and verifiable conditions stand in stark contrast to <em>“idle talk and failed conferences”</em> of the West, Antonov said. The <em>“advertising campaign”</em> by the US and its allies intends not to stop, <em>“but to prolong the bloody ‘project’ that the West has been implementing for more than 10 years,”</em> since the 2014 coup in Kiev, he added.Russia pursues dialogue and peace, and is <em>“ready for a serious, thoughtful conversation”</em> without any deadlines or rushed photo-ops, Antonov noted. What Moscow wants is <em>“truly equal and indivisible security in Eurasia, based on mutual respect for one and all.”</em>In a new political architecture reflecting the transition to multipolarity, there would be <em>“no place for aggressive political and economic dominance of individual nations,”</em> or division into blocs, Antonov said. <em>“If in response we continue to hear only Russophobic barking…