Ukraine proposes fresh peace talks with Russia next week: Zelensky
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Leaders
an hour ago
- Leaders
Trump Demands Obama Prosecution for 'Treason'
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused his predecessor Barack Obama of treason and called for his prosecution. This explosive accusation stems from a report alleging that officials in Obama's administration manipulated information regarding Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard sent criminal referrals to the Justice Department based on this report, which claims Obama and his team participated in a 'treasonous conspiracy.' Gabbard's Controversial Allegations Gabbard asserted that Obama manufactured intelligence about Russian election interference to 'lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump.' However, critics widely condemned her claims. These accusations contradict findings from four separate investigations conducted between 2019 and 2023, which concluded that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to benefit Trump. During an Oval Office press event with visiting Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, Trump was asked whom the Justice Department should target based on Gabbard's report. He responded, 'Based on what I read — and I read pretty much what you read — it would be President Obama. He started it.' This statement followed criticism Trump faced for sharing an AI-generated video depicting Obama's arrest. In addition to Obama, Trump named several individuals as part of the alleged conspiracy, including then-vice President Joe Biden, former FBI Director James Comey, former DNI Director James Clapper, and ex-CIA Director John Brennan. Trump labeled Obama as the 'leader of the gang,' accusing him of treason. Trump's Ongoing Claims of a Hoax Since the investigations began, Trump has consistently claimed those probes are a 'hoax.' His latest remarks drew skepticism from opponents, who viewed them as an attempt to divert attention from the growing crisis surrounding the administration's failure to release files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. However, Obama's office issued an angry rebuke, calling Trump's claims 'ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.' Spokesman Patrick Rodenbush stated, 'Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.' A bipartisan report from the Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-acting chairman Marco Rubio, found in 2020 that the Trump campaign sought to 'maximize the impact' of leaks from Democratic documents stolen by Russian military intelligence. The report indicated that the hack aimed to assist Trump and undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. The report concluded, 'The Russian intelligence services' assault on the integrity of the 2016 US electoral process, and Trump and his associates' participation in and enabling of this Russian activity, represents one of the single most grave counterintelligence threats to American national security in the modern era.' Short link : Post Views: 20
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UN Urges Peaceful Settlement of Disputes as UN Chief Points to ‘The Horror Show in Gaza'
The UN Security Council urged the 193 United Nations member nations on Tuesday to use all possible means to settle disputes peacefully. The UN chief said that is needed now more than ever as he pointed to 'the horror show in Gaza' and conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and Myanmar. The vote was unanimous on a Pakistan-drafted resolution in the 15-member council. In urging greater efforts to pursue global peace, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council: 'Around the world, we see an utter disregard for — if not outright violations of — international law' as well as the UN Charter. It is happening at a time of widening geopolitical divides and numerous conflicts, starting with Gaza, where 'starvation is knocking on every door' as Israel denies the United Nations the space and safety to deliver aid and save Palestinian lives, Guterres said. Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff as part of its war with Hamas and blames UN agencies for failing to deliver food it has allowed in. In conflicts worldwide, 'hunger and displacement are at record levels' and security is pushed further out of reach by terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crime, the secretary-general said. 'Diplomacy may not have always succeeded in preventing conflicts, violence and instability,' Guterres said. 'But it still holds the power to stop them.' The resolution urges all countries to use the methods in the UN Charter to peacefully settle disputes, including negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, referral to regional arrangements or other peaceful means. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who chaired the meeting, cited 'the ongoing tragedies' in Gaza and between Pakistan and India over Kashmir, one of the oldest disputes on the UN agenda, that need to be resolved peacefully. 'At the heart of almost all the conflicts across the globe is a crisis of multilateralism; a failure, not of principles but of will; a paralysis, not of institutions but of political courage,' he said. The Pakistani diplomat called for revitalizing trust in the UN system and ensuring 'equal treatment of all conflicts based on international law, not geopolitical expediency.' Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea said the Trump administration supports the United Nations' founding principles of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war and working with parties to resolve disputes peacefully. Under President Donald Trump's leadership, she said, the US has delivered 'de-escalation' between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, and Congo and Rwanda. The US calls on countries involved in conflicts to follow these examples, Shea said, singling out the war in Ukraine and China's 'unlawful claims' in the South China Sea. The war in Ukraine must end, she said, and Russia must stop attacking civilians and fulfill its obligations under the UN Charter, which requires all member nations to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every other country. 'We call on other UN member states to stop providing Russia with the means to continue its aggression,' Shea said.
Saudi Gazette
3 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs bill targeting anti-corruption bodies
KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill that critics say weakens the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies, sparking protests in several cities and drawing international criticism. The new law grants the prosecutor general control of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sapo), and critics say it undermines their authority. In an address on Wednesday, Zelensky said both agencies would still "work" but needed to be cleared of "Russian influence". After the bill passed, hundreds of people gathered in Kyiv for the biggest anti-government protest since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Demonstrations were also seen in the cities of Lviv, Dnipro and Odesa. "We chose Europe, not autocracy," said a poster held by one demonstrator. "My father did not die for this," said another. Ukraine's chief prosecutor, Zelensky loyalist Ruslan Kravchenko, will now be able to reassign corruption probes to potentially more pliant investigators, and even to close them. In his overnight address, Zelensky criticised the efficiency of Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure, saying cases had been "lying dormant". "There is no rational explanation for why criminal proceedings worth billions have been 'hanging' for years," he said. He added that the prosecutor general would ensure "the inevitability of punishment" for those who broke the law. To critics of the legislation, this is at odds with more than a decade of pro-democracy and anti-corruption efforts. It is such aspirations that led to the Euromaidan uprising and the downfall of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, followed by Russia's invasion and the deaths of hundreds of thousands people. The Ukrainian government has cited Russian influence for curtailing Nabu's powers. The day before the controversial law was passed, Ukraine's Security Service and the prosecutor general's office carried out searches and arrests targeting alleged Russian spies at Nabu. The move has sparked concern among Ukraine's Western allies. The Ukrainian independent anti-corruption system was set up at their insistence and under their supervision 10 years ago. It was a key precondition for their aid and stronger ties as Ukraine declared a pro-democracy course amid Russia's initial invasion of 2014. "The European Union is concerned about Ukraine's recent actions with regard to its anti-corruption institutions," says European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier. "The EU provides significant financial assistance to Ukraine, conditional on progress in transparency, judicial reform, and democratic governance." Stamping out corruption is also a key requirement for Ukraine's application to join the EU. The European commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, criticised the bill's adoption. "The dismantling of key safeguards protecting Nabu's independence is a serious step back," Kos wrote on social media, saying the two bodies were "essential" for Ukraine's EU path. Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Taras Kachka, said he had assured Marta Kos there would be no compromise on anti-corruption, and that "all core functions remain intact". Dmytro Kuleba, who stood down as foreign minister last year, said it was a "bad day for Ukraine" and that the president had a choice — either to stand on the side of the people or not. Ambassadors from the G7 group of nations have said they would like to discuss the pressure on Nabu and Sapo with the Ukrainian leadership. However, Ukraine's allies would be extremely reluctant to roll back the aid and co-operation at a time when its troops are struggling on the frontline. — BBC
