Розділ: Повідомлення
Суд через акцію під ОП: активіст Ратушний заявив відвід судді через «конфлікт інтересів»
На думку активіста, його участь у подіях Революції гідності не дозволить судді розглянути його справу об’єктивно
…
By Gromada | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Голова НАЗК склав протокол щодо Тупицького за скасування засідання КСУ
НАЗК звинувачує Тупицького в тому, що він переніс засідання КСУ, на якому мали розглядати звернення щодо його власного проступку
…
By Gromada | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Ситуація з COVID-19 за минулу добу: понад 18 тисяч інфікованих і 326 смертей
Минулої доби шпиталізували 4 826 людей, одужали – 7 138
…
By Gromada | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
П’ять українських фільмів отримали сім міжнародних нагород у 2020-2021 роках – Держкіно
«Земля блатитна, ніби апельсин» Ірини Цілик та «Цей дощ ніколи не скінчиться» Аліни Горлової взяли по дві нагороди
…
By Gromada | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Specialized Care Required: Migrants Youths in US Custody
Unaccompanied minors continue to stream across the US-Mexico border, the only migrant group the Biden administration is allowing to remain in the US. As VOA’s Aline Barros reports, the influx has overwhelmed an immigration system struggling to comply with strict requirements for housing and processing children.
Camera: Celia Mendoza
…
By Polityk | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Georgia Governor Signs Republican-backed Election Bill Amid Outcry
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Thursday signed into law a sweeping Republican-sponsored overhaul of state election laws that includes new restrictions on voting by mail and gives the legislature greater control over how elections are run.Democrats and voting rights groups say the law will disproportionately disenfranchise voters of color. It is part of a wave of GOP-backed election bills introduced in states around the nation after former President Donald Trump stoked false claims that fraud led to his 2020 election defeat.Republican changes to voting laws in Georgia followed record-breaking turnout that led to Democratic victories in the presidential contest and two U.S. Senate runoffs in the once reliably red state.Kemp signed the bill less than two hours after it received final passage in the Georgia General Assembly. The bill passed the state House 100-75 earlier Thursday, before the state Senate quickly agreed to House changes 34-20. Republicans in the legislature were in support, while Democrats were opposed.’Unabashed assault on voting rights’Democratic Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler said the bill was filled with “voter suppression tactics.”“We are witnessing right now a massive and unabashed assault on voting rights unlike anything we’ve seen since the Jim Crow era,” she added.As Kemp delivered his remarks, he was interrupted by a commotion before a livestream of the event cut out.Capitol police arrested Democratic state Representative Park Cannon, who is Black, amid a protest outside the governor’s office during Kemp’s remarks.Police officers place state Rep. Park Cannon in handcuffs in the Capitol in Atlanta, March 26, 2021, in this still image obtained from a social media video. (Tamara Stevens/Reuters)Video captured by a bystander shows Cannon, who is handcuffed with her arms behind her back, being forcibly removed from the Capitol by two officers, one on each arm. She says, “Where are you taking me?” and “Stop,” as she is taken from the building.A Georgia State Patrol spokesperson, Lieutenant W. Mark Riley, said troopers intended to file charges against Cannon, though he declined to elaborate.Among highlights, the law requires a photo ID in order to vote absentee by mail, after more than 1.3 million Georgia voters used that option during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also shortens the time people have to request an absentee ballot and limits where ballot drop boxes can be placed and when they can be accessed.Lawmaker’s defenseRepublican Representative Jan Jones said the provisions cutting the time people have to request an absentee ballot are meant to “increase the likelihood of a voter’s vote being cast successfully,” after concerns were raised in 2020 about mail ballots not being received by counties in time to be counted.One of the biggest changes gives the GOP-controlled legislature more control over election administration, a change that has raised concerns among voting rights groups that it could lead to greater partisan influence.FILE – Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gives an update on the state of the general election and ballot count during a news conference at the Capitol in Atlanta, Nov. 6, 2020.The law replaces the elected secretary of state as the chair of the state election board with a new appointee of the legislature after Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger rebuffed Trump’s attempts to overturn Georgia’s election results. It also allows the board to remove and replace county election officials deemed to be underperforming.That provision is widely seen as something that could be used to target Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold covering most of Atlanta, which came under fire after long lines plagued primary elections over the summer.Republican Representative Barry Fleming, a driving force in crafting the law, said that provision would only be a “temporary fix, so to speak, that ends and the control is turned back over to the locals after the problems are resolved.”Runoff time frame reducedThe law also reduces the time frame in which runoff elections are held, including the amount of early voting for runoffs. And it bars outside groups from handing out food or water to people standing in line to vote.The law does not contain some of the more contentious proposals floated by Republicans earlier in the session, including limits on early voting on Sundays, a popular day for Black churchgoers to vote in “souls to the polls” events. It instead mandates two Saturdays of early voting ahead of general elections, when only one had been mandatory, and leaves two Sundays as optional.But those changes haven’t tempered opposition from Democrats or voting rights groups.About 50 protesters including representatives from the NAACP gathered Thursday across from the Capitol in opposition.AME Church Bishop Reginald Jackson announces a boycott of Coca-Cola Co. products outside the Georgia Capitol, March 25, 2021, in Atlanta. Jackson says large Georgia companies didn’t do enough to oppose restrictive voting bills in the state.During the rally, Bishop Reginald Jackson of the African Methodist Episcopal Church called for a boycott of Coca-Cola Co. products.Jackson, who leads more than 400 churches across Georgia, said the Atlanta-based soft drink company had failed to live up to the commitments it made last year to support the Black Lives Matter movement by not forcefully opposing the voting bills pushed by Republicans.”We took them at his word,” he said of Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey. “Now, when they try to pass this racist legislation, we can’t get him to say anything.”Jackson said boycotts also were possible against other large locally based companies such as Delta Air Lines and Home Depot.The Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce pushed against some proposals Republicans later dropped, including eliminating no-excuse absentee voting. But the business lobbies and top Atlanta corporations have not vocally opposed all changes.
…
By Polityk | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Border Issue Dominates Biden’s First News Conference
U.S. President Joe Biden took questions from reporters for one hour Thursday during his first formal news conference, an encounter partly intended to refute conservative critics who had predicted the oldest man ever elected U.S. president would not be up to the task.After brief opening remarks about his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, Biden responded to questions from 10 reporters, calling their names off a list on his lectern.On his 65th day in office, the president found that most of the questions had to do with immigration, specifically about the government’s treatment of child migrants at the border.On domestic issues, his remarks were generally ad-libbed, but on sensitive foreign policy matters, including those related to Afghanistan and China, he appeared to be reading from notes.Biden made a bit of news in response to a question about the next presidential election, more than three years in the future, saying he does intend to run for reelection in 2024. He said he has “no idea,” however, if the opposition Republican Party — facing internal tumult — will still exist by then.Replying to a question about the push by Republicans for voting restrictions, Biden said, “What I’m worried about is how un-American this whole initiative is. It is sick.”The president lamented the long-standing filibuster rule in the U.S. Senate as an obstacle and said it is being misused by senators “in a gigantic way.”Under the filibuster, 60 votes are needed to pass legislation in the Senate, which could make it difficult to pass some of Biden’s legislative agenda, including immigration reform, voting rights and possibly his infrastructure plan.There were also some swipes by Biden at his predecessor, Donald Trump.“I made it clear that no American president — at least one did — but no American president ever backed down from speaking out of what’s happening with the Uyghurs, what’s happening in Hong Kong,” Biden said when asked about China. “That’s who we are. The moment a president walks away from that, as the last one did, is the moment we began to lose our legitimacy around the world.”Asked about apparent short-range ballistic missile launches by North Korea early Thursday into Asian waters, Biden said the United States is “consulting with our allies and partners, and there will be responses if they choose to escalate. We will respond accordingly.”While Biden has restored daily briefings by his press secretary, and on many days has briefly answered one or two questions from White House correspondents in other formats, he was the first president in four decades to make it this far into his first term without holding a formal question-and-answer session with the news media. That had prompted criticism in recent weeks from across the political spectrum.The avoidance of the White House lectern sustained chatter Trump had amplified during the 2020 campaign, when the incumbent referred to his Democratic Party challenger as “sleepy Joe” and claimed the former vice president was “mentally shot.”“The dominant narrative from the right-wing industrial complex is that Biden is senile and being manipulated by shadowy leftists,” said Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Max Boot after Thursday’s press conference. “It’s a charge so crazy it doesn’t deserve refutation. But Biden’s crisp press conference shows he is fully in command of the issues.”Biden avoided straying off topic to recite anecdotes, something he does frequently, and he cracked a couple of jokes, including a reference to joining the Senate “120 years ago.”Biden’s performance, however, failed to quiet some of his detractors.Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham termed Biden’s news conference “hard to watch,” contending the president failed to grasp the immigration issues.“He does not have the situational awareness because he doesn’t understand the problem,” the senator said.President Biden’s news conference today makes our immigration problems worse. He doesn’t have the situational awareness to fix the problem because he doesn’t understand the problem. What he did today was entice people to come, not deter them from coming. pic.twitter.com/1trhXZTAIY— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 25, 2021Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary during the George W. Bush administration, criticized Biden on Twitter for turning to a “study guide” to answer foreign policy questions, calling it unprecedented.Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, considered a longtime conservative until the Trump era, commented that while Biden excelled, the reporters asking the questions embarrassed themselves.“Their failure to ask about the pandemic, the recession, anti-Asian violence, climate change or even infrastructure (Biden had to bring it up himself) was nothing short of irresponsible,” she wrote. “They pleaded for a news conference and then showed themselves to be unserious.”
…
By Polityk | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden Administration to Pitch Infrastructure Plan
President Joe Biden’s administration will soon begin working in earnest to sell the country on what it describes as a package of transformative investments designed to help keep the U.S. economy competitive on a fast-changing global stage while simultaneously addressing climate change.Biden will reveal the expected plan, with an estimated $3 trillion price tag, at an event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, next week. It will be the first step by his administration to keep the promise he frequently made during his presidential campaign last year to help the country “Build Back Better” in the wake of the sharp economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.During his first formal press conference as president Thursday afternoon, Biden said he found it “frustrating” that the United States has allowed much of its physical infrastructure to deteriorate.Concerned that the U.S. lags far behind China and other global economic rivals, Biden promised a proposal that would “rebuild the infrastructure — both physical and technological infrastructure in this country — so that we can compete and create significant numbers of really good-paying jobs.”FILE – President Franklin D. Roosevelt, second from right in front, looks at a model of the Grand Coulee Dam, Oct. 2, 1937. Construction of the dam began years earlier; Roosevelt had envisioned the Washington state project would fit into his New Deal under the Public Works Administration.A new New Deal?Even before any details of the plan have been revealed, its rumored expansiveness is drawing comparisons to the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression in the 1930s.That combination of government works projects, unemployment relief and financial reforms helped lift the country out of the Depression and reshaped the economy and politics for a generation.Republicans in Congress, however, reached back to the Roosevelt era themselves, with Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn saying the package sounded like a boondoggle — a term popularized in the 1930s to refer to wasteful government projects that spent taxpayer dollars for political reasons.Biden’s package will follow on the heels of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which Democrats in Washington pushed through with no support from Republicans. While infrastructure is, nominally at least, a bipartisan issue, there are questions about how much Republican support the president can expect for this new initiative.Infrastructure is generally considered to be one of the areas most ripe for bipartisan cooperation in Congress. Congressional committees are already working in bipartisan fashion on a major surface transportation bill that would replace existing authorizations that expire in September. In the Senate, the Committee on Environment and Public Works has introduced a bill to overhaul the nation’s water infrastructure.But both of those bills fit neatly into the mold of traditional infrastructure proposals, while Biden is expected to define infrastructure far more broadly.What counts as ‘infrastructure?’Biden’s plan is expected to contain hundreds of billions of dollars each for the building and maintenance of the sort of thing that usually falls into the infrastructure category: internet broadband access, ports, highways, water and sewer systems, airports, railways, the electrical grid and more. However, there will be an estimated $400 billion directed to new green energy projects, including a national effort to install charging stations for electric cars and trucks.FILE – Children peer out a screened window in the fence at a child care center in Seattle, Aug. 27, 2018.Other funds would be dedicated to creating the facilities necessary to make affordable, high-quality child care more widely available. The administration reportedly wants to address other issues as well, including the lack of access to medical facilities in some parts of the country.Michele Nellenbach, vice president of strategic initiatives at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, said widening the number of areas that fall under the banner of infrastructure is one thing likely to cost Biden Republican support.“That’s where you’re going to lose them,” she said.The Republicans generally define infrastructure as traditional bricks-and-mortar-type projects, and their response will likely be, Nellenbach said, “No, we don’t want to do all that other stuff.”Paying for the programNellenbach said there are some areas of agreement in Congress on how to fund infrastructure projects. For example, there is a lot of common ground on funding roads and water projects by assessing user fees.During a hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg discussed the possibility of replacing the gasoline tax that funds federal highway grants with a “vehicle miles traveled” tax, or VMT tax, to capture user fees from both gasoline-powered and electric vehicles. Representative Sam Graves, the ranking Republican on the panel, indicated his enthusiastic support.FILE – President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are pictured at the White House in Washington, March 4, 2021. Buttigieg called the U.S. disparity with China in infrastructure investment “a threat to our collective future.”However, Graves also warned the administration about stretching the definition of infrastructure to include other priorities.“I don’t think the bill can grow into a multitrillion-dollar catchall,” he said. “A transportation bill needs to be a transportation bill, not a Green New Deal. It needs to be about roads and bridges.”Other elements of the bill could create or enhance dedicated funding sources for particular sectors. But Biden is expected to propose paying for much of the plan by raising taxes on businesses and individuals earning more than $400,000 per year, and that will be difficult to sell to Republican lawmakers.On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “We’re hearing the next few months might bring a so-called infrastructure proposal that may actually be a Trojan horse for massive tax hikes and other job-killing, left-wing policies.”The specter of ChinaThe administration appears to hope that Republicans can be brought on board by describing the infrastructure push as essential to maintaining the U.S. role as an economic superpower.Prior to Biden’s appearance on Thursday, Buttigieg raised the specter of China before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.“We see other countries pulling ahead of us, with consequences for strategic and economic competition,” he said. “By some measures, China spends more on infrastructure every year than the U.S. and Europe combined. The infrastructure status quo is a threat to our collective future. We face an imperative to create resilient infrastructure and confront inequities that have devastated communities.”Biden’s remarks on infrastructure were not prompted by a reporter’s question. The president segued into the topic after addressing China, saying, “China has an overall goal. And I don’t criticize them for the goal, but they have an overall goal to become a leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country. It’s not going to happen on my watch, because the United States can continue to grow and expand.”
…
By Polityk | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
У Дніпрі від ускладнень, викликаних COVID-19, померла колишня ув’язнена нацистського концтабору
Ще бувши дитиною, Людмила Кочержина пережила примусове вивезення до Німеччини
…
By Gromada | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Biden Holds First White House Press Conference
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday is holding his first formal news conference since taking office in January. Biden faced reporters’ questions about the surge in migrants at the country’s southwestern border, the Senate filibuster rule, voting rights and testy foreign relations with North Korea and China.While Biden has restored daily briefings by his press secretary and answered questions in other formats, he is the first president in four decades to make it this far into his first term without holding a formal question-and-answer session with the news media.“It’s an opportunity for him to speak to the American people, obviously directly through the coverage, directly through all of you,” press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters earlier this week. “And so, I think he’s thinking about what he wants to say, what he wants to convey, where he can provide updates, and, you know, looking forward to the opportunity to engage with a free press.”Joan Lutz, places a note that says, “Thank you police officers, our hearts are grieving,” at a memorial for Officer Eric Talley, who was killed during a mass shooting in King Soopers grocery store, in Boulder, Colorado, March 23, 2021.Domestic agenda
Biden faced questions on several pressing domestic topics, including the surge in the number of migrants from Central America and Mexico trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, and the progress of the government’s vaccination program to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.In his opening remarks, Biden touted congressional passage of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that includes $1,400 stimulus checks now being sent to millions of Americans. He could also lay out plans for a $3 trillion infrastructure proposal to fix the country’s aging roads and bridges while providing funding for what he says are environmentally friendly changes in the American economy.Biden has urged migrants in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico to stay home. But when he announced after taking office that he was ending construction of the border wall on the U.S.-Mexican line that was championed by former president Donald Trump and embracing what he said were more humane immigration policies, many migrants say they viewed it as an invitation to try to reach the United States.Asylum seeking migrant families from Central America await to be transported from a make shift U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing center under the Anzalduas International Bridge after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States.The result has been that thousands of migrants have made the treacherous walk north through Mexico to reach the U.S., overwhelming U.S. border security agents. Biden on Wednesday named Vice President Kamala Harris to oversee negotiations and policy making with the four foreign governments most affected by the migration and how living conditions might be improved in their countries to curb the migrants’ intentions to move to the United States.In recent days, photos have been published showing unaccompanied migrant children crammed into holding centers, not unlike those seen during Trump’s White House tenure, even as the U.S. processes the children and attempts to place them with relatives already living in the U.S. or vetted caregivers.After single gunmen killed eight people in Georgia and 10 in Colorado respectively in the last week, Biden called for tighter background checks on gun buyers and renewal of an expired ban on the sale of assault weapons. But with the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of gun ownership rights, Biden’s stance is already encountering stiff opposition in Congress from Republicans opposed to further gun restrictions.Foreign policy
On the international front, Biden could expect questions about the prospects of rejoining the Iran nuclear agreement, recent North Korean missile tests, the military takeover in Myanmar and U.S. relations with China and Russia.Biden recently said in an interview that he deems Russian President Vladimir Putin to be a “killer,” while the U.S. views China, the world’s second biggest economy after the U.S., as an economic adversary and a military threat, especially in the Pacific region.
…
By Polityk | 03/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
У Києві до Дня Волі відкрили виставку сучасного білоруського мистецтва
Протести в Білорусі тривають від серпня 2020 року, коли влада оголосила Олександра Лукашенка переможцем президентських виборів
…
By Gromada | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Biden Holds First White House Press Conference – WATCH LIVE
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday is holding his first formal news conference since taking office in January and is likely to face reporters’ questions about the surge in migrants at the country’s southwestern border, two horrific mass killings in recent days and testy foreign relations with Russia and China.WATCH LIVE at 1:15pm EDT While Biden has restored daily briefings by his press secretary and answered questions in other formats, he is the first president in four decades to make it this far into his first term without holding a formal question-and-answer session with the news media.“It’s an opportunity for him to speak to the American people, obviously directly through the coverage, directly through all of you,” press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters earlier this week. “And so, I think he’s thinking about what he wants to say, what he wants to convey, where he can provide updates, and, you know, looking forward to the opportunity to engage with a free press.”Joan Lutz, places a note that says, “Thank you police officers, our hearts are grieving,” at a memorial for Officer Eric Talley, who was killed during a mass shooting in King Soopers grocery store, in Boulder, Colorado, March 23, 2021.Domestic agenda
Biden is likely to face questions on several pressing domestic topics, including the surge in the number of migrants from Central America and Mexico trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, mass shootings in the U.S. states of Georgia and Colorado that killed a total of 18 people, and the progress of the government’s vaccination program to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.Biden is likely to tout congressional passage of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that includes $1,400 stimulus checks now being sent to millions of Americans. He could also lay out plans for a $3 trillion infrastructure proposal to fix the country’s aging roads and bridges while providing funding for what he says are environmentally friendly changes in the American economy.Biden has urged migrants in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico to stay home. But when he announced after taking office that he was ending construction of the border wall on the U.S.-Mexican line that was championed by former president Donald Trump and embracing what he said were more humane immigration policies, many migrants say they viewed it as an invitation to try to reach the United States.Asylum seeking migrant families from Central America await to be transported from a make shift U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing center under the Anzalduas International Bridge after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States.The result has been that thousands of migrants have made the treacherous walk north through Mexico to reach the U.S., overwhelming U.S. border security agents. Biden on Wednesday named Vice President Kamala Harris to oversee negotiations and policy making with the four foreign governments most affected by the migration and how living conditions might be improved in their countries to curb the migrants’ intentions to move to the United States.In recent days, photos have been published showing unaccompanied migrant children crammed into holding centers, not unlike those seen during Trump’s White House tenure, even as the U.S. processes the children and attempts to place them with relatives already living in the U.S. or vetted caregivers.After single gunmen killed eight people in Georgia and 10 in Colorado respectively in the last week, Biden called for tighter background checks on gun buyers and renewal of an expired ban on the sale of assault weapons. But with the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of gun ownership rights, Biden’s stance is already encountering stiff opposition in Congress from Republicans opposed to further gun restrictions.Foreign policy
On the international front, Biden could expect questions about the prospects of rejoining the Iran nuclear agreement, recent North Korean missile tests, the military takeover in Myanmar and U.S. relations with China and Russia.Biden recently said in an interview that he deems Russian President Vladimir Putin to be a “killer,” while the U.S. views China, the world’s second biggest economy after the U.S., as an economic adversary and a military threat, especially in the Pacific region.
…
By Polityk | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
У Міненерго розповіли, яка сума заборгованості по зарплатах шахтарям
За два місяці 2021 року заборгованість зарплат шахтарям 782,3 мільйона гривень,зазначили в Міненерго
…
By Gromada | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
У 2014 році на сході України не було військових частин – Муженко
У 2005 році Україна припинила скорочення ЗСУ, але на початку російської агресії їхня чисельність поступалася показникам 1990-х років
…
By Gromada | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Biden to Face Questioning at First News Conference
U.S. President Joe Biden is set to go before reporters Thursday in the East Room of the White House for the first news conference since taking office in January.While Biden has restored daily briefings by his press secretary and answered questions in other formats, he is the first president in four decades to make it this far into his first term without holding a formal question-and-answer session with members of the news media.“It’s an opportunity for him to speak to the American people, obviously directly through the coverage, directly through all of you,” press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday. “And so I think he’s thinking about what he wants to say, what he wants to convey, where he can provide updates, and, you know, looking forward to the opportunity to engage with a free press.”Biden is likely to face questions on a number of pressing domestic topics, including recent mass shootings in Georgia and Colorado, the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border and the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.On the international front, Biden could expect questions about the prospects of rejoining the Iran nuclear agreement, recent North Korean missile tests, the situation in Myanmar, and U.S. relations with China and Russia.
…
By Polityk | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
VOA Interview: State Dept’s George Kent Discusses US-Ukraine Relations
George Kent, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, spoke with VOA’s Ukraine service Wednesday, discussing Ukraine as well as Russia and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.The following interview, held at the U.S. State Department, has been edited for clarity and brevity.VOA: In the last two months since President Joe Biden took office, the U.S. is demonstrating its commitment to have a strategic partnership with Ukraine. However, the administration is clearly stating its priorities, importance of the delivering on the reform agenda, anti-corruption effort, is President Volodymyr Zelensky delivering on those fronts?George Kent: Well first, welcome back to the State Department. I know it’s been a long time. I would say what’s most important is that President Zelensky delivers on his promises and the priorities of the Ukrainian people because they are the ones who elected him. And if you look back at 2019, with the presidential and Rada elections, President Zelensky … [was] elected on a mandate of reform and change. So I think first and foremost that is the answer that the current Ukrainian authorities have to answer. What the U.S. wants is clear. And U.S. Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken mentioned it in his testimony two months ago. We are ready to support Ukraine, defending against aggression from abroad primarily from Russia and from the challenges from within, and that’s the reform agenda. You mentioned this administration is putting authority on anti-corruption action and helping democracies thrive because we believe democracies are best placed to address the challenges of the 21st century, and this issue is something that is shared by Ukrainians and Americans.And so I think the needs are clear. The expectations of Ukrainians and Americans are clear. Reform efforts need to continue and deepen. The justice sector is absolutely essential. How Ukrainian authorities get out of the constitutional crisis created by the constitutional court undermining reversing changes that were made is a real challenge for Ukrainians. The U.S. as a partner is here to be supportive. But to be very clear, any legislation that rolls back the independence of organizations, whether it’s the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, NBU, or the central bank, does not help Ukraine and that will make it very difficult for international partners, whether it’s the IMF or the United States, to continue to be as supportive of efforts when they are not leading to reform the change that Ukraine needs.VOA: Since President Biden took office, he spoke to many world leaders, however he did not speak to President Zelensky yet. How important it is to establish the contact between leaders and is their trust issue between two leaders?Kent: So I think you’re right that trust is very important in any relationship. That’s again within a country as well as between countries. And I think President Biden established an excellent record when he was vice president of reaching out and trying to establish that trust with Ukrainian counterparts. Trust is a two-way street, obviously, and I anticipate that there will be a call between our leaders in the near future. But I believe it’s also important to understand that a call, while taken as a symbol, has to be backed up by actions and the issues that we were discussing, the issues that are on the U.S.-Ukraine agenda. We want Ukraine to succeed. That means we want the government and President Zelensky to succeed. But for that success, there needs to be the right actions and the right reforms.VOA: The phone call between the two presidents is a hot political topic since we all remember well the last call between President [Donald] Trump and President Zelensky, is this a factor in today’s decision about the call?Kent: The Biden administration will make the right decisions for the U.S. interests in this administration, so I would not put any link between those.VOA: The Nord Stream 2 pipeline has become a serious issue between the U.S. and its European partners. Secretary Blinken made it clear that the U.S. opposed the building of the Nord Stream. What is the U.S. prepared to do if Germany and others will decide to go ahead with their plan to complete the pipeline?Kent: Yesterday, Secretary Blinken was in Brussels and stood up next to the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and he reiterated what he had issued last week. President Biden and the Biden administration considers Nord Stream to be a bad deal. It’s bad for Europe, it’s bad for our allies. And we think it fundamentally contravenes the concept of European energy security. And we do have obligations under our law to take action when we have. I think that’s the intent of the Biden administration.VOA: So what is the United States prepared to do?Kent: Well, again there are requirements under legislation to sanction companies that are directly involved in the pipe preparation planning process. So we are gathering information and considering next steps.VOA: U.S.-Russia relations are a hot topic as well, specifically after the security report about Russian interference in the U.S. election. There was an announcement about special sanctions or serious response to Russia. What should we expect?Kent: Well, we have not yet announced the package of response measures but as President Biden indicated last week. Russian actions do demand a response. So stay tuned.VOA: In Ukraine there’s a lot of fear that Russia will take on Ukraine in response to the United States and even possible escalation on Donbas, what is the United States prepared to do to ease the tension?Kent: Well we’re very concerned. You can see it in open-source reporting, different actions along the line of contact. New trenches near the old Donbas airport. I think the key thing is our expectation for Russia, the same as Ukraine is that President Vladimir Putin and Russia need to live up to the obligations and commitments that Putin made in February of 2015, six years ago. There would be a total cease-fire, foreign forces, by which mean Russian forces, are recalled from Russia and that Ukraine recovers the control of its sovereign border.And today seven years later, Russia has not lived up to its obligations.VOA: Is the United States prepared to be more active in negotiations with Russia in Normandy Format or other formats?Kent: I think you will see as we fill out our team at the State Department, we still don’t have a confirmed deputy secretary nominated or confirmed undersecretary or new assistant secretaries. As we all get vaccinated and are able to resume travel, you will see more active U.S. diplomacy in this area.VOA: The United States hasn’t had an ambassador in Ukraine for a long period of time and there’s a lot of questions about that. The United States is not represented well in Ukraine. When can Ukraine expect to have a U.S. ambassador on the ground?Kent: First of all, the State Department has full faith and confidence in our charge, we understand that all countries expect having fully accredited ambassadors and we expect the Biden administration to nominate a fully qualified person. And then it will be up to the Senate to confirm and look forward to having a U.S. ambassador.VOA: Do you have an idea about the timeline?Kent: Nope. And in that sense, ambassadors are the prerogative of the president and the White House with a role in the Senate to advise and consent. So no timeline yet.VOA: Could you comment on why Ukraine is important for the region since you were responsible for the whole region in the last three years. So what is the United States looking at in terms of Ukraine and its effect on the region?Kent: Ukraine is an important country in its own right. It’s an important country for the region. It’s an important country symbolically. It is the linchpin of, if you will, the eastern Slavic world. And I think the importance of Ukraine has never been understated, even by outsiders who may not follow the details on a daily basis.My former professor [Zbigniew] Brzezinski once said that if Ukraine succeeds, that gives the real impulse for Russia to have the possibility of reform in the long term. And so we treat Ukraine on its own merits and that’s why it is such a focus of our assistance that’s provided by Congress. It’s the focus of our diplomacy.We understand the great human potential of Ukrainians, whether it’s in information technology, whether it’s in agribusiness, whether it’s the dynamism of civil society. And we want to support that for Ukraine to succeed in its own right. And because we also understand that if Ukraine succeeds, then other countries farther to the east will understand that many of the false narratives and claims by Russia are simply not true.
…
By Polityk | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Активіст Ратушний повідомив про вручення йому підозри після акції під Офісом президента
Роман Ратушний пов’язує підозру зі своєю боротьбою проти забудови Протасового Яру в Києві
…
By Gromada | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Росія здійснювала розвідувальну діяльність у Чорному морі в 2013 році – Муженко
«Це був один із заходів розвідувального характеру, який проводили на території України в інтересах збройних сил Російської Федерації»
…
By Gromada | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
VOA Interview: State’s George Kent Discusses US-Ukraine Relations
George Kent, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, spoke with VOA’s Ukraine service Wednesday, discussing Ukraine as well as Russia and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.The following interview, held at the U.S. State Department, has been edited for clarity and brevity.VOA: In the last two months since President Joe Biden took office, the U.S. is demonstrating its commitment to have a strategic partnership with Ukraine. However, the administration is clearly stating its priorities, importance of the delivering on the reform agenda, anti-corruption effort, is President Volodymyr Zelensky delivering on those fronts?George Kent: Well first, welcome back to the State Department. I know it’s been a long time. I would say what’s most important is that President Zelensky delivers on his promises and the priorities of the Ukrainian people because they are the ones who elected him. And if you look back at 2019, with the presidential and Rada elections, President Zelensky … [was] elected on a mandate of reform and change. So I think first and foremost that is the answer that the current Ukrainian authorities have to answer. What the U.S. wants is clear. And U.S. Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken mentioned it in his testimony two months ago. We are ready to support Ukraine, defending against aggression from abroad primarily from Russia and from the challenges from within, and that’s the reform agenda. You mentioned this administration is putting authority on anti-corruption action and helping democracies thrive because we believe democracies are best placed to address the challenges of the 21st century, and this issue is something that is shared by Ukrainians and Americans.And so I think the needs are clear. The expectations of Ukrainians and Americans are clear. Reform efforts need to continue and deepen. The justice sector is absolutely essential. How Ukrainian authorities get out of the constitutional crisis created by the constitutional court undermining reversing changes that were made is a real challenge for Ukrainians. The U.S. as a partner is here to be supportive. But to be very clear, any legislation that rolls back the independence of organizations, whether it’s the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, NBU, or the central bank, does not help Ukraine and that will make it very difficult for international partners, whether it’s the IMF or the United States, to continue to be as supportive of efforts when they are not leading to reform the change that Ukraine needs.VOA: Since President Biden took office, he spoke to many world leaders, however he did not speak to President Zelensky yet. How important it is to establish the contact between leaders and is their trust issue between two leaders?Kent: So I think you’re right that trust is very important in any relationship. That’s again within a country as well as between countries. And I think President Biden established an excellent record when he was vice president of reaching out and trying to establish that trust with Ukrainian counterparts. Trust is a two-way street, obviously, and I anticipate that there will be a call between our leaders in the near future. But I believe it’s also important to understand that a call, while taken as a symbol, has to be backed up by actions and the issues that we were discussing, the issues that are on the U.S.-Ukraine agenda. We want Ukraine to succeed. That means we want the government and President Zelensky to succeed. But for that success, there needs to be the right actions and the right reforms.VOA: The phone call between the two presidents is a hot political topic since we all remember well the last call between President [Donald] Trump and President Zelensky, is this a factor in today’s decision about the call?Kent: The Biden administration will make the right decisions for the U.S. interests in this administration, so I would not put any link between those.VOA: The Nord Stream 2 pipeline has become a serious issue between the U.S. and its European partners. Secretary Blinken made it clear that the U.S. opposed the building of the Nord Stream. What is the U.S. prepared to do if Germany and others will decide to go ahead with their plan to complete the pipeline?Kent: Yesterday, Secretary Blinken was in Brussels and stood up next to the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and he reiterated what he had issued last week. President Biden and the Biden administration considers Nord Stream to be a bad deal. It’s bad for Europe, it’s bad for our allies. And we think it fundamentally contravenes the concept of European energy security. And we do have obligations under our law to take action when we have. I think that’s the intent of the Biden administration.VOA: So what is the United States prepared to do?Kent: Well, again there are requirements under legislation to sanction companies that are directly involved in the pipe preparation planning process. So we are gathering information and considering next steps.VOA: U.S.-Russia relations are a hot topic as well, specifically after the security report about Russian interference in the U.S. election. There was an announcement about special sanctions or serious response to Russia. What should we expect?Kent: Well, we have not yet announced the package of response measures but as President Biden indicated last week. Russian actions do demand a response. So stay tuned.VOA: In Ukraine there’s a lot of fear that Russia will take on Ukraine in response to the United States and even possible escalation on Donbas, what is the United States prepared to do to ease the tension?Kent: Well we’re very concerned. You can see it in open-source reporting, different actions along the line of contact. New trenches near the old Donbas airport. I think the key thing is our expectation for Russia, the same as Ukraine is that President Vladimir Putin and Russia need to live up to the obligations and commitments that Putin made in February of 2015, six years ago. There would be a total cease-fire, foreign forces, by which mean Russian forces, are recalled from Russia and that Ukraine recovers the control of its sovereign border.And today seven years later, Russia has not lived up to its obligations.VOA: Is the United States prepared to be more active in negotiations with Russia in Normandy Format or other formats?Kent: I think you will see as we fill out our team at the State Department, we still don’t have a confirmed deputy secretary nominated or confirmed undersecretary or new assistant secretaries. As we all get vaccinated and are able to resume travel, you will see more active U.S. diplomacy in this area.VOA: The United States hasn’t had an ambassador in Ukraine for a long period of time and there’s a lot of questions about that. The United States is not represented well in Ukraine. When can Ukraine expect to have a U.S. ambassador on the ground?Kent: First of all, the State Department has full faith and confidence in our charge, we understand that all countries expect having fully accredited ambassadors and we expect the Biden administration to nominate a fully qualified person. And then it will be up to the Senate to confirm and look forward to having a U.S. ambassador.VOA: Do you have an idea about the timeline?Kent: Nope. And in that sense, ambassadors are the prerogative of the president and the White House with a role in the Senate to advise and consent. So no timeline yet.VOA: Could you comment on why Ukraine is important for the region since you were responsible for the whole region in the last three years. So what is the United States looking at in terms of Ukraine and its effect on the region?Kent: Ukraine is an important country in its own right. It’s an important country for the region. It’s an important country symbolically. It is the linchpin of, if you will, the eastern Slavic world. And I think the importance of Ukraine has never been understated, even by outsiders who may not follow the details on a daily basis.My former professor [Zbigniew] Brzezinski once said that if Ukraine succeeds, that gives the real impulse for Russia to have the possibility of reform in the long term. And so we treat Ukraine on its own merits and that’s why it is such a focus of our assistance that’s provided by Congress. It’s the focus of our diplomacy.We understand the great human potential of Ukrainians, whether it’s in information technology, whether it’s in agribusiness, whether it’s the dynamism of civil society. And we want to support that for Ukraine to succeed in its own right. And because we also understand that if Ukraine succeeds, then other countries farther to the east will understand that many of the false narratives and claims by Russia are simply not true.
…
By Polityk | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
China, Russia Top NATO Agenda as US Seeks to Rebuild Transatlantic Bonds
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed America’s commitment to NATO as he sought to strengthen the transatlantic relationship in a two-day summit this week in Brussels, which wrapped up Wednesday. As Henry Ridgwell reports, a broad agenda included the growing threat posed by China.
Camera: Henry Ridgwell
…
By Polityk | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
A First: US Senate Confirms Transgender Doctor for Key Post
Voting mostly along party lines, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine to be the nation’s assistant secretary of health. She is the first openly transgender federal official to win Senate confirmation.The final vote was 52-48. Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joined all Democrats in supporting Levine.Levine had been serving as Pennsylvania’s top health official since 2017 and emerged as the public face of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. She is expected to oversee Health and Human Services offices and programs across the U.S.President Joe Biden cited Levine’s experience when he nominated her in January.Levine “will bring the steady leadership and essential expertise we need to get people through this pandemic — no matter their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability,” Biden said.Historic breakthroughTransgender-rights activists have hailed Levine’s appointment as a historic breakthrough. Few trans people have ever held high-level offices at the federal or state level.However, the confirmation vote came at a challenging moment for the transgender-rights movement as legislatures across the U.S. — primarily those under Republican control — are considering an unprecedented wave of bills targeting young trans people.One type of bill, introduced in at least 25 states, seeks to ban trans girls and young women from participating in female scholastic sports.One such measure already has been signed into law by Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, and similar measures have been sent to governors in Tennessee, Arkansas and South Dakota.Another variety of bill, introduced in at least 17 states, seeks to outlaw or restrict certain types of medical care for transgender youths. None of these measures has yet won final approval.Issues related to transgender rights also are a major factor in Republican opposition to the proposed Equality Act, which would extend federal civil rights protections to LGBTQ people across the U.S. The measure has passed the Democratic-led House but likely needs some Republican votes to prevail in the Senate.Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, president of the LGBTQ Victory Institute, alluded to those developments as she welcomed the Senate’s vote on Levine.”At a time when hateful politicians are weaponizing trans lives for their own perceived political gain, Dr. Levine’s confirmation lends focus to the contributions trans people make to our nation,” said Parker, whose organization recruits and supports LGBTQ political candidates.Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who voted no, confronted Levine about medical treatments for transgender young people — including hormone treatment and puberty blockers — during her confirmation hearing Feb. 25.”Do you believe that minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?” Paul asked.Levine replied that transgender medicine “is a very complex and nuanced field with robust research and standards of care” and said she would welcome discussing the issues with him.In the past, Levine has asserted that hormone therapy and puberty-blocking drugs can be valuable medical tools in sparing some transgender youth from mental distress and possible suicide risk.The confirmation vote was assailed by the conservative Family Research Council, which contended that Levine, in addition to her stance on transgender medical care, had supported “a variety of pro-abortion and anti-religious freedom proposals” while serving as Pennsylvania’s health secretary.”Levine may be the most extreme radical ever confirmed by the Senate,” said Travis Weber, the council’s vice president for policy and government affairs.A pediatrician and former Pennsylvania physician general, Levine was appointed as Pennsylvania’s health secretary by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in 2017. She won confirmation by the Republican-majority Pennsylvania Senate.However, Sen. Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican, voted against Levine’s confirmation Wednesday.”In Pennsylvania, the pandemic struck seniors in nursing homes disproportionately hard compared to other states,” Toomey said. “This was due in part to poor decisions and oversight by Dr. Levine and the Wolf administration.”He also said an extended lockdown advocated by Levine “was excessive, arbitrary in nature, and has led to a slower recovery.”Days of transphobic postsA graduate of Harvard and of Tulane Medical School, Levine is president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. She has written in the past on the opioid crisis, medical marijuana, adolescent medicine, eating disorders and LGBTQ medicine.Praise for her accomplishments and her handling of the pandemic have coincided with a steady stream of vitriol directed at her on social media.As reported Tuesday by The Associated Press, Levine was among the targets of a private Facebook group called the Pittsburgh Area Police Breakroom, whose participants included many current and retired police officers.Dozens of group members fueled days of transphobic posts about Levine for her role in statewide social-distancing mandates to stop the spread of COVID-19.”Someone needs to shoot this thing!!” one retired officer wrote.In January, a Pennsylvania legislator shared on Facebook an image mocking Levine’s appearance, then offered a general apology.State Rep. Jeff Pyle, a Republican, said on Facebook that he “had no idea” the post mocking Levine “would be … received as poorly as it was” but that “tens of thousands of heated emails assured me it was.”
…
By Polityk | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
На станцію «Академік Вернадський» їде 26-та антарктична експедиція
Загалом у 26-й експедиції буде 12 учасників: семеро науковців, лікар, кухар, дизеліст, системний механік та сисадмін. З них 11 чоловіків та одна жінка
…
By Gromada | 03/25/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Український культурний фонд оголосив повторний конкурс на посаду директора
Після проведення відкритих співбесід з кандидатами та голосування Наглядова рада УКФ оголосила повторний конкурс
…
By Gromada | 03/24/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
«Медзакупівлі України» поінформувало «Лекхім» щодо пені за порушення строку поставки вакцин
Відповідно до умов договору перша партія мала бути передана та прийнята не пізніше 6 березня 2021 року, зауважили у ДП
…
By Gromada | 03/24/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Мінветеранів про оприлюднення приватних даних людей, які записалися на вакцинацію: «Технічна помилка»
Посилання на бази даних із іменами, датами народженнями та телефонами таких осіб кілька годин були на сайті Мінветеранів
…
By Gromada | 03/24/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Крим: фігуранту «справи Хізб ут-Тахрір» Сейдаметову призначили примусову психіатричну експертизу
Судова експертиза в рамках кримінальної справи триватиме 21 день, протягом цього періоду дослідження Сейдаметов перебуватиме в палаті під наглядом
…
By Gromada | 03/24/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
