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Ultranationalist Simion To Face Moderate Dan In Romania's Presidential Election Runoff
BUCHAREST -- Ultranationalist politician George Simion easily won the first round of a rerun of Romania's presidential election, setting up a runoff with pro-Western reformist Nicusor Dan in a vote that could impact the country's political direction and its support for Ukraine.
Far-right leaders from around the globe sent their congratulations to Simion, 38, after results showed he took 41 percent of the vote in the May 4 election, nearly double that of Dan, the current mayor of Bucharest, who garnered 21 percent. A second round of voting will take place May 18.
Simion, an outspoken supporter of US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who leads the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), has promoted reunifying Romania and neighboring Moldova, along with halting military aid to Ukraine.
He was banned in 2024 from entering Ukraine for three years for what Kyiv called "systematic anti-Ukrainian activities" while Moldova has called him a national security threat and barred him from entering the country as well.
Simion, who benefitted from a wave of anger coursing through the electorate, has also pledged to break EU laws he disagrees with, though he also says Romania should remain in the bloc.
"This is not just an electoral victory, it is a victory of Romanian dignity. It is the victory of those who have not lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected, sovereign country," Simion said.
Reactions on the ground reflected a degree of cynicism about the election in Bucharest.
Student George Bistriceanu, one of 9.5 million Romanians who voted, said the election results "are somewhat to be expected. I honestly didn't find it surprising, but in the end that was everyone's vote."
Another student, Alicia Danculescu, called Simion's win "honestly, pretty outrageous. I wasn't expecting those percentages."
Bucharest resident Iulian Tudorache suggested the result could be seen as a protest vote, saying, "This is not all right, but they've stopped putting up with the system."
While Simion had lead in most opinion polls before the election, his result and the margin of victory -- though it fell short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff -- was praised by far-right leaders across Europe.
Antonio Giordano, secretary-general of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party, said Simion's success "confirms how vision, courage, and passion can pave the way for change."
Former Polish prime minister from the Law and Justice Party (PiS) Mateusz Morawiecki and French far-right politician Marion Marechal, the granddaughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France's National Front (FN), congratulated Simion as well.
The 55-year-old Dan -- considered a political moderate -- is a mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016.
"This was a democratic process that Romania needed…. This won't be a debate between individuals, it will be a debate between a pro-Western direction for Romania and an anti-Western one," Dan said after the vote.
"I call on all Romanians to be part of this battle, and I am optimistic that we will win."
Last November, Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russian nationalist seen as a fringe candidate, pulled off a surprise win in the first round of voting.
However, authorities annulled the results amid accusations of a Russian influence campaign to boost his candidacy. Georgescu was banned from running in the new elections, and a raft of new rules were introduced for the May 4 rerun.
Romania's Controversial Canceled Election
The canceled vote drew criticism outside of Romania, most prominently from US Vice President JD Vance, who weighed in during a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, accusing officials of acting on "flimsy suspicious and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors."
Simion has publicly embraced some of the rhetoric of US President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement.
In the two months since Vance's comments, tensions in Romania have been rising. The country has a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine and the political establishment in Bucharest has been further jolted by Washington's sharp policy shift on Ukraine and Russia.
In November, he posted a photograph of himself wearing Trump's signature red baseball cap with the logo "Trump Save America," and he recently said he's "perfectly aligned ideologically with the MAGA movement."
On April 24, electoral authorities announced an investigation into Simion's political party over allegations it had violated campaign-financing rules.
The investigation has centered on allegations that Simion organized a $1.5 million payment to a US lobbying firm to set up meetings in Washington with prominent media figures allied with Trump. Simion has denied the allegations.
The election campaign drew outside observers to monitor the vote. In a pre-election report, monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) criticized some of Romania's registration and vote tallying procedures.
The Trump administration also sent its own election observer independent of the OSCE: a top official from the Federal Election Commission, which oversees US elections.
Under Romania's constitution, the president appoints the country's prime minister. The appointment needs to be approved by parliament, where Simion's AUR is the largest opposition party.
The president also represents Romania at NATO and EU summits and can use Romania's veto of EU decisions.
Sanctions, War Tribunal On Agenda As EU Ministers Prepare For Warsaw And Lviv Meetings
European Union foreign ministers will gather in Warsaw this week for an informal council meeting and then head to Lviv in a show of solidarity with Ukraine in the face of a major Victory Day celebrations in Russia.
Few concrete decisions are expected be made in either Poland on May 7-8, nor a day later in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, as these aren't official EU councils.
"In line with the meeting's informal nature and taking benefit from the more intimate (ministers-only) setting, we encourage everyone's contribution to a truly frank and nonscripted discussion," read a welcoming note for the Warsaw meeting that was seen by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
"In this spirit, we recommend that our working sessions take place without interpretation or electronic devices. We also kindly invite you to opt for semi-formal attire throughout the meeting.”
But the informality doesn't mean the meetings will lack high-level officials and come at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to capture the world's attention with a massive military parade in front of dozens of dignitaries from around the world.
During the first day of the Warsaw meeting, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will join to discuss European security, while the second day is dedicated to EU-US relations and the situation in Ukraine.
On the latter, the welcome note, signed by the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the host, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, proposes an "in-depth discussion" on the EU's role in bolstering Ukraine's negotiation position toward a "just and lasting peace."
Officials will look to do this, the note says, by "building on our unique collective leverage: broad support to Ukraine, in particular financial and military, pressure to constrain Russia's war chest, Ukraine's EU accession path, and the ongoing work on enhancing European defense capabilities."
While no decisions are to be rubber-stamped, there are three developments pertaining to Ukraine that analysts say will be closely watched.
The EU is aiming to announce more cash for Ukraine's defense industry, though a figure has yet to be agreed.
The bloc is also expected to accelerate sanctions on Russia in the wake of numerous missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.
According to EU diplomats, it is likely to be a smaller package consisting mainly of the further blacklisting of Russian officers and politicians along with adding ships belonging to the Russian shadow fleet that will be banned from getting services in European ports.
Major new economic sanctions against Russia aren't expected to avoid dissent from some EU capitals and instead get a quick green light as a sign of solidarity in ratcheting up pressure on Moscow.
The Lviv meeting is set to take place as the ministers attend the establishment of a special tribunal aimed at prosecuting senior Russian and Belarusian leaders for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The tribunal is meant as a complement to the ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide that was launched three years ago.
It will fill in the gaps as the ICC isn't looking into is what are legally known as "crimes of aggression" such as military occupation, annexation, and bombardments.
A so-called core group of countries, including all EU member states except Hungary and Slovakia, as well as the G7 minus the United States, has drawn up three documents on an agreement with Ukraine to establish the tribunal.
The actual tribunal won't be formally set up until the Council of Europe's committee of ministers votes on it on May 14.
The EU and Kyiv have been gathering evidence on crimes of aggression since 2023.
- By RFE/RL
During Prague Visit, Zelenskyy Says 'Eager' Putin Should Focus On Peace, Not Parades
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to focus on reaching a peace deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine instead of being "eager" to show off military hardware at next week's Victory Day parade
Speaking during a visit to Prague to meet with top Czech officials on May 4, Zelenskyy told a joint news conference with Czech President Petr Pavel that Putin "is very eager to show off his tanks at the parade, but he should think about ending his war."
In Moscow, which is preparing major celebrations on the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, Putin said Russia has the "strength and means" to bring the Ukraine war "to its logical conclusion," and that he hoped there would be no need to resort to nuclear weapons.
As Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine grinds on, now in its fourth year, both Kyiv and Moscow are preparing celebrations marking Victory Day, the World War II anniversary of the Nazi defeat.
Ukraine, which has suffered massive destruction and loss of life, shifted its remembrance of Victory Day to May 8, aligned with the date when Western allies mark the occasion.
As it did under the Soviet Union, Moscow observes the day on May 9, since the Nazi surrender in 1945 occurred overnight in Moscow.
Putin has called for a three-day cease-fire in its Ukraine invasion beginning on May 8 to coincide with Victory Day celebrations. In response, Zelenskyy called instead for a longer, 30-day cease-fire.
Pavel said Putin can end the war "with a single decision," but despite recent cease-fire claims, "has not shown any willingness" to do so.
Renewed Western efforts to resolve the conflict, pushed in large part by US President Donald Trump, have begun to falter, as Russia continues to press its advantage on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Despite an earlier tentative agreement to limit attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine and Russia have also continued to target oil pipelines, power plants, electricity transmission lines, and other crucial sites.
When asked by NBC News on May 4 as to whether Trump "misread" Putin's intentions to negotiate the end to the three-year-old war, the US leader responded: "I have no idea."
"I’ll tell you about in a month from now, or two weeks from now," Trump replied.
The White House's lead envoy for Russia traveled to Moscow to meet with Putin last month and discuss a multipoint proposal to resolve the conflict, which included several points that Kyiv has publicly rejected.
In the NBC interview, Trump said the US is "closer" with one of the conflicting parties, and "not as close" with the other, but he refused to specify which country was which.
He also reiterated that the US might give up its role as mediator in the conflict, but expressed hope that an agreement would still be reached.
"Well, there will be a time when I will say, 'Okay, keep going. Keep being stupid and keep fighting,'" Trump said.
Russia Hits Kyiv With Drone Barrage
Hours before Zelenskyy visited Prague, Russia launched more than 160 drones, the Ukrainian military said, claiming 69 were downed or intercepted by Ukrainian defenses.
"The Russians are calling for a cease-fire... while hitting Ukraine every day," Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.
In Kyiv, drones, and debris from downed drones, sparked fires in several buildings, according to emergency services.
Nearly two dozen drones were also launched at the central city of Cherkasy. Emergency services said one person was wounded and several residential buildings were damaged, in part by debris from falling drones.
Early on May 5, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defense units in the Russian capital had destroyed four Ukrainian drones flying toward the city. No injuries were immediately reported.
Ukraine Seeks Artillery Shells
The Czech government has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, spearheading a global effort to source and supply Ukraine with artillery shells. The Prague-led effort has already sent more 1.6 million shells in 2024.
After the meeting, Zelesnkyy told journalists that Ukraine hopes to receive up to 1.8 million more shells in 2025.
"The Czech artillery initiative has proven effective, and we will continue this effort," Zelenskyy said on X.
In a preview released May 4 of an upcoming interview on state television, Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a "logical conclusion."
"There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons," Putin said, "and I hope they will not be required."
"We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires," he said.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and the AP
Romanian Ultranationalist Simion Set To Win First Round Of Presidential Vote -- Race Tight For Second Place
BUCHAREST -- Romanian ultranationalist George Simion appeared to wrap up a solid victory, though not the majority needed to avoid a runoff, in a presidential election nearly six months after an initial vote was abruptly canceled amid allegations of a Russian influence campaign.
But, as final votes were being tallied early on May 5, it remained uncertain who his next-round opponent will be, as Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan and Crin Antonescu, a member of the country's ruling coalition, remained neck-and-neck, with diaspora votes likely to determine the outcome.
With 97 percent of ballots counted, Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the AUR party, led with about 40 percent, or 3,407,645 votes, according to Romania’s Central Election Bureau.
Dan had 20.65 percent, while Antonescu had 20.64 percent, giving the Bucharest mayor a lead of about 1,000 votes.
Election officials estimate some 800,000 diaspora votes will be counted. Overall, they appear to favor Simion, followed by Dan, and final totals could be enough to send the Bucharest mayor into the May 18 runoff.
Results from exit polls from leading firms indicated similar results, although they gave Simion a smaller lead and included a higher total for Dan.
The vote is being closely watched outside of Romania, in part because Simion has made controversial statements claiming parts of Ukrainian and Moldovan territories as well as questioning Romanian military aid to Ukraine.
He has also criticized Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Last November, Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russian nationalist seen as a fringe candidate, pulled off a surprise win in the first round of voting.
However, authorities annulled the results amid accusations of a Russian influence campaign to boost his candidacy. Georgescu was banned from running in the new elections, and a raft of new rules were introduced for the May 4 rerun.
The canceled vote drew criticism outside of Romania, most prominently from US Vice President JD Vance, who weighed in during a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, accusing officials of acting on "flimsy suspicious and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors."
Simion has publicly embraced some of the rhetoric of US President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement.
In November, he posted a photograph of himself wearing Trump’s signature red baseball cap with the logo "Trump Save America," and he recently said he's "perfectly aligned ideologically with the MAGA movement."
On April 24, electoral authorities announced an investigation into Simion's political party over allegations it had violated campaign-financing rules.
The investigation has centered on allegations that Simion organized a $1.5 million payment to a US lobbying firm to set up meetings in Washington with prominent media figures allied with Trump. Simion has denied the allegations.
The election campaign drew outside observers to monitor the vote. In a pre-election report, monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) criticized some of Romania's registration and vote tallying procedures.
The Trump administration also sent its own election observer independent of the OSCE: a top official from the Federal Election Commission, which oversees US elections.
If the results are confirmed, Simion will fall short of the 50 percent-plus of the vote required for an outright victory. In that case, a second round of voting between the top two candidates will be held on May 18.
Most observers believe Simion would find it challenging to win a second round, particularly if Dan or Antonescu garner enough votes.
- By RFE/RL
Russian Air Strikes Target Kyiv As Zelenskyy Calls For 30-Day Cease-Fire
Moscow launched air strikes against Kyiv hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a three-day cease-fire surrounding its May 9 Victory Day remembrances -- a proposal dismissed by Kyiv as "theater."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy countered late on May 3 by calling for a more substantial pause in military action, saying Kyiv was seeking a 30-day "complete silencing" of arms and was ready to act immediately if Moscow reciprocated.
"We are ready to move to a cease-fire as soon as possible, even from today, if Russia is ready for mirror steps -- for complete silencing, for a long silence for at least 30 days," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
"This is an honest deadline when the next steps can be prepared. Russia must stop the war and stop assaults, stop shelling," he added.
The comments come as Russia maintains its relentless assault of Ukrainian military and civilian sites.
Shortly after midnight and through the morning of May 4, Ukraine military and government officials said a Russian drone attack damaged several residential buildings and ignited fires in the capital.
Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on Telegram that falling debris from destroyed Russian drones ignited fires in homes in Kyiv's Obolonskiy and Sviatoshynskiy districts.
He said at least two children -- aged 14 and 17 -- were injured in the Obolonskiy attacks.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko sent out an appeal for doctors to aid in assisting victims in the Sviatoshynskiy district.
The scale of the attack was not immediately clear. Reuters said witnesses reported hearing explosions and what appeared to be air defense systems operating.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the week suggested a three-day truce to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, running from May 8 to May 10.
Zelenskyy has long stated that Ukraine is ready for a 30-day truce as proposed by Washington.
Speaking to reporters on May 2, Zelenskyy said Putin's offer was aimed at making international guests feel safe at the annual Red Square parade on May 9.
Among those slated to attend are Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"We do not recommend visiting Moscow on May 9. Don't ask us for assurances. It's your choice to go there," Zelenskyy said.
In his address on May 3, Zelenskyy said, "Right now, no one sees any such readiness from Russia; on the contrary, all of their internal rhetoric is increasingly mobilizing, and Russian propagandists continue to threaten not only Ukraine but also other neighbors -- Lithuania, the other Baltic states."
"This is exactly what we have been saying for a long time: Without pressure on Moscow, Russia will continue to wage war."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow wanted a clear answer to its three-day cease-fire suggestion.
"We will, of course, await not ambiguous but definitive statements and, most importantly, actions aimed at deescalating the conflict over the public holidays," Peskov said.
Despite the talk of cease-fire, Russia maintained the intensity of its attacks on Ukraine.
The Ukrainian General Staff said 216 combat clashes had taken place at the front on May 2 and that more than a third of the fighting was recorded in the direction of Pokrovsk, with Ukrainian authorities saying they had repelled 83 attacks.
The area around the strategic town of Pokrovsk remains one of the heavily contested areas at the front with the largest number of combat clashes being recorded there over the past year.
Vadym Filashkin, head of Ukraine's Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said that in the town of Myrnohrad late on May 3, "the Russians killed a 56-year-old man and damaged six private houses. The second fatality was a 69-year-old resident of Komar."
Also, a correspondent for the Radio Liberty Donbas Realities project reported that a Russian attack on Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region led to fires breaking out in several private homes. Local authorities have not yet commented on the attack.
Ihor Taburets, governor of the Ukrainian region of Cherkasy, late on May 3 said that "since nightfall, our region has been under enemy targeting. Most of the Russian attack drones were directed at the regional center."
He said initial reports indicated that an infrastructure facility was damaged but that there were no immediate reports of casualties.
With reporting by Reuters
Pakistan Carries Out Ballistic Missile Test Amid India Tensions
The Pakistani military reported that it had test fired a ballistic missile on May 3, as the country squares off with India following a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Video released by the army showed the missile streaking into the sky as soldiers looked on, before shouting joyful slogans.
The military said they had tested an Abdali surface-to-surface missile system, which has a range of 450 kilometers.
"The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile's advanced navigation system and enhanced maneuverability features," the Pakistani military said.
The two countries have been locked in a standoff since militants killed 26 people in the Himalayan mountain town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.
The attack has sparked widespread outrage across India and brought nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan to the brink of conflict.
India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack and the two countries’ militaries have exchanged fire across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir, which both sides claim sovereignty over.
On April 30, Pakistan said an Indian attack was “imminent” within the next 24-36 hours, but no attack materialized.
In recent days, Pakistan has asked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to help ease tensions with India. But the ballistic missile launch may rekindle them.
Prior to the test, India had warned that it would be a “reckless” act and a “provocation.” There was no immediate response to the test taking place on May 3.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “congratulated the scientists and engineers” involved in the test, according to the Pakistani statement.
Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali told the Associated Press that the Abdali missile was named after a prominent Muslim conqueror of India, also known as Ahmad Shah Durrani, underlining its symbolic significance.
“The timing of this launch is critical in the current geopolitical context,” he said, adding it was intended as a strategic signal to India after it had threatened to suspend a crucial water-sharing treaty.
Pakistan previously conducted a test launch in August 2024. This was a Shaheen II surface-to-surface ballistic missile, with a range of 2,000 kilometers, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
In October 2023, Pakistan also successfully conducted a test flight of the Ababbeel weapon system. At the time, the military said the missile system was “aimed at strengthening deterrence and enhancing strategic stability in the region.”
Moscow Seeks 'Definitive' Truce Response After Zelenskyy Dismisses Putin's Plan
The Kremlin has said it wants Kyiv to give a clear answer to its call for a cease-fire lasting from May 8 to May 10 even as its forces continued to pound civilian targets in Ukraine.
“We will, of course, await not ambiguous but definitive statements and, most importantly, actions aimed at deescalating the conflict over the public holidays," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
His comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the truce proposal as “theater.”
And they preceded a Russian attack near the strategic city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, reportedly killing two civilians.
Earlier, a major overnight Russian assault on Ukraine between May 2 and 3 targeted multiple regions with missiles and drones, according to local authorities.
The Ukrainian military reported that two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 183 strike and decoy drones had been launched at the Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Mykolayiv regions.
The northeastern city of Kharkiv, located near the Russian border, bore the brunt of the drone offensive. The city sustained hits at 12 locations across four districts on the evening of May 2, resulting in dozens of casualties.
One local woman whose apartment was damaged told RFE/RL that the overnight assault had given her "a nervous breakdown."
"Everything is broken, everything is destroyed," she said. "Many people are cut up."
The woman, who gave her name as Natalya, said her home was rocked by an explosion as she was about to go to bed.
"The only thing that saved me was perhaps the corner that I was behind and the blanket that I had over me -- or simple luck," she said.
"We are alive and well, that's important."
Local authorities said at least 51 people had been injured and that eight had been hospitalized. The victims included two girls, aged 11 and 16.
Moscow has denied allegations of deliberately striking civilian targets in Ukraine throughout the war, even though repeated attacks on hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and residential buildings have been documented.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff said 216 combat clashes had taken place at the front on May 2 and that more than a third of the fighting was recorded in the direction of Pokrovsk, with Ukrainian authorities saying they had repelled 83 attacks.
The area around the strategic town of Pokrovsk remains one of the heavily contested areas at the front with the largest number of combat clashes being recorded there over the past year.
Vadym Filashkin, head of Ukraine's Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said that in the town of Myrnohrad late on May 3, "the Russians killed a 56-year-old man and damaged six private houses. The second fatality was a 69-year-old resident of Komar."
Also, the correspondent of the Radio Liberty Donbas Realities project reported that a Russian attack on Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region led to fires breaking out in several private homes. Local authorities have not yet commented on the attack.
In Russia, the governor of the Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack had hit a residential building in Novorossiisk, on the Black Sea.
He said two adults and two children were injured.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 170 Ukrainian drones in various regions. The number included 96 in Russian-occupied Crimea. They also claimed to have destroyed eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles over the Black Sea.
Battlefield reports cannot be independently verified.
Russian pro-war blogs also reported the Ukrainian drone attacks. Two of them reported that a Russian Su-30 fighter was shot down over the Black Sea.
The Ukrainian intelligence service claimed it was the first time ever that an unmanned naval drone had shot down an enemy warplane. At least one Russian blogger also reported that this had happened.
WATCH: Footage shared on social media purportedly showing a drone downing an Su-30 warplane:
The fighting again underlined how US-led efforts to broker a cease-fire have stalled.
In the latest move, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a three-day truce to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, running from May 8 to May 10.
Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready for a 30-day truce as proposed by Washington.
Speaking to reporters on May 2, Zelenskyy said Putin's offer was aimed at making international guests feel safe at the annual Red Square parade on May 9.
Among those slated to attend are Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"We do not recommend visiting Moscow on May 9. Don't ask us for assurances. It's your choice to go there," Zelenskyy said.
With reporting by Current Time
- By RFE/RL
Ukrainian Forces To Join UK Military Procession In London Marking VE Day
Ukrainian soldiers will join a British military procession next week in London marking the 80th anniversary of end of World War II in Europe, the UK government announced on May 3.
Ukrainian personnel will join around 1,000 UK armed forces members on May 5 as UK kicks off commemorations of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
The participation of the Ukrainians will symbolize "the global support for their continued fight for freedom" against Russia, the government said in a statement.
"In the midst of the first full-scale war in Europe since the Second World War, it is fitting that the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently fighting on the frontline of freedom are represented in Monday's event," Defense Minister John Healey said in the statement.
The procession, including soldiers on horseback and military bands, will begin in Parliament Square when Big Ben strikes midday and will conclude with a flyover featuring an aerobatic team and historic military aircraft.
Britain has various events planned for the anniversary. Next week's events in London will culminate on May 8 with a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey attended by the royal family.
May 8 is observed in Britain, France, the United States, and other countries as the date when the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany took effect in 1945. Russia, which fought the Nazis as part of the Soviet Union, marks the occasion on May 9.
Britain will observe a two-minute countrywide silence on May 8 at noon UK time to remember and thank those who fought for our freedom, the government said in a statement.
Britain has staunchly supported Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. It has provided billions of pounds in military aid and placed wide-ranging sanctions on Russian entities and individuals to punish Moscow for the conflict.
The Ukraine representatives in the VE Day march on May 5 will be soldiers deployed on Operation Interflex, the UK's training program for Ukrainian recruits with 12 partner nations.
The UK and partner nations have trained more than 54,000 Ukrainians in frontline combat skills.
Armed forces from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand will carry their nations' flags during the procession, which will feature the flags of every Commonwealth nation, the British statement added.
"People from all over the world joined forces 80 years ago to defend freedom -- we must remember all of their sacrifices," World War II veteran Jack Mortimer, 101, said in a statement issued by the government. Mortimer is expected to be one of the veterans observing the military procession on May 5.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
- By RFE/RL
US Approves F-16 Maintenance Deal For Jets Already Transferred To Ukraine
The US State Department on May 2 approved a deal to provide training and equipment for F-16 fighter jets already in Ukraine.
The State Department said it notified Congress that it has given the nod for a $310.5 million sale to Ukraine that will include services to maintain the aircraft in addition to training and equipment.
"The proposed sale will improve Ukraine's capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring its pilots are effectively trained and by increasing its interoperability with the United States," the State Department said in a statement.
Ukraine has previously received F-16 jets from US allies under a transfer authorized by former President Joe Biden's administration. Ukraine received its first deliveries of F-16s in mid-2024 after two years of pushing Biden to approve their transfer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this year announced the delivery of a fresh batch of jets but did not say how many were delivered.
The deal announced on May 2 -- which Ukraine will pay for -- comes after US President Donald Trump criticized the billions of dollars in military and economic support provided to Kyiv under the Biden administration.
Zelenskyy said F-16s were discussed on May 2 during a meeting on the development Ukraine’s fleet of military aircraft.
“All the key issues were discussed: the F-16s that are already in Ukraine, the F-16s we expect in the near future, and the systemic solutions that will help us prepare and use our military aviation more effectively,” he said on X. “I thank everyone who is strengthening our actions in the skies.”
The weapons and equipment pledged to Ukraine under Biden were mostly approved under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the president to approve rapid transfers to foreign countries from US military stockpiles.
These weapons and others purchased with US funds on behalf of Ukraine continue to flow.
The sale approved by the State Department on May 2 is separate and represents an actual weapons deal whose principal contractors include US defense contractors Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and BAE Systems, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The sale could include aircraft modifications and upgrades, flight training, maintenance, and sustainment support; spare parts, repair, ground handling equipment, classified software, classified publications and support, the statement said.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
- By RFE/RL
US Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration To Temporarily Halt Funding To Radio Free Europe, Other Broadcasters
A US appeals court paused lower court rulings requiring President Donald Trump's administration to transfer congressionally authorized money to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other federally funded news organizations.
The May 1 ruling by a three-judge panel in Washington, D.C., plus a related decision by the same panel on May 3, means RFE/RL's budget remains in limbo, as well as its ability to continue publishing and broadcasting.
RFE/RL has been locked in a legal fight with the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) since March 14, when Trump signed an executive order calling for the reduction of USAGM to "the maximum extent consistent with applicable law."
The executive order not only affected USAGM but also Voice of America, RFE/RL, and other news organizations that receive congressional funding such as Radio Free Asia (RFA), the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), and others.
Unlike Voice of America, which is a federal entity, RFE/RL, RFA, and MBN are private nonprofit organizations.
RFE/RL has sued USAGM to release frozen budget funds. On April 29, US District Judge Royce Lamberth granted RFE/RL a temporary restraining order, ruling it was Congress that "ordained that the monies at issue should be allocated to RFE/RL" and that Trump signed into law the budget resolution appropriating those funds.
The ruling ordered payment of some of the outstanding funds RFE/RL said it is due.
On May 1, however, the three-judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 2-1 to issue an "administrative stay," which paused Lambeth's decision.
The panel said it wanted to give "sufficient opportunity" to hear emergency motions from US Justice Department lawyers, which are representing USAGM in court.
The halt "should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of those motions," said the panel, which included two judges appointed by Trump and a third who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
If it is appealed, then the decision on whether the administrative stay should remain in place will be heard by a fuller panel of the D.C. appeals court.
VOA and other federally funded broadcasters have been drastically affected by the Trump administration executive order and have filed parallel lawsuits challenging the order.
VOA has been forced to put nearly all its staff on paid leave and ended publications and broadcasts for the first time since it was launched in 1942.
RFA said nearly all of its staff, including those who have been furloughed, would be laid off as May 9. This means that by the end of May, half of RFA's language services will no longer produce or publish new content, it said.
RFE/RL has continued to broadcast and publish. However, it furloughed dozens of staffers, canceled many freelance contracts, and taken other measures to stretch dwindling budget funds.
The situation surrounding VOA is even more confusing. Lambeth, the same judge overseeing RFE/RL's case, on April 22 ordered the Trump administration to "take all necessary steps" to restore VOA employees.
On May 2, USAGM reportedly sent an e-mail to hundreds of employees instructing them to prepare to return to work in the coming days.
A day later, however, on May 3, a three-judge appeals panel -- the same panel that heard RFE/RL's case -- paused Lambeth's ruling, suggesting he did not have jurisdiction to order the VOA employees to return to work.
While the May 3 ruling did not directly affect RFE/RL, it could have legal implications for the broadcaster as its lawsuit proceeds.
Kari Lake, the Trump appointee who has overseen the efforts to shutter USAGM, hailed the appeals court ruling in a post to X: "Turns out the District Court judge will not be able to manage the agency as he seemed to want to."
RFE/RL continues to seek an injunction for the rest of the money it says it is due from congressional appropriations for the remainder of the 2025 budget year.
- By RFE/RL
In Move To Support Radio Free Europe, R.E.M. Releases Remix For World Press Freedom Day
The release of the single “Radio Free Europe” in 1981 introduced the alternative rock band R.E.M. to the world.
It also reminded the world of the role the US-funded broadcaster plays in building democracy in countries where a free press is banned or not yet fully established.
To mark World Press Freedom day on May 3, the band has announced a special reissue of the single to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty amid a fight over winding down operations at a number of US-funded broadcasters in what is seen by many as an attempt to silence pro-democracy media.
“Whether it’s music or a free press –- censorship anywhere is a threat to the truth everywhere. On World Press Freedom Day, I’m sending a shout-out to the brave journalists at Radio Free Europe,” said Michael Stipe, lead singer and a founding member of the band.
RFE/RL, along with other government-funded broadcasters, such as Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio Marti), and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, have come under dire circumstances since US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that gutted the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
The USAGM is an independent government agency that oversees several US-funded broadcasters, which together distribute news and information in almost 50 languages to some 361 million people each week.
Hours after the executive order was published, a letter from the USAGM said the Congress-approved grant that funds RFE/RL, headquartered in the Czech capital, Prague, had been terminated, a move the broadcaster is currently fighting in court.
Trump, who has taken several moves to slash government spending since taking office for a second term in January, clashed with the USAGM over editorial independence and the direction of programming during his first term.
He has reiterated those concerns again since retaking office.
But supporters of the broadcasters say they are an important arm of US diplomacy and their silencing will be celebrated by the authoritarian regimes they expose.
“To me, R.E.M.’s music has always embodied a celebration of freedom: freedom of expression, lyrics that make us think, and melodies that inspire action,” said RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus.
“Those are the very aims of our journalists at Radio Free Europe -- to inform, inspire, and uphold freedoms often elusive to our audiences. We hold people accountable, especially those threatened by the truth. They go to great lengths to silence us -- block feeds and websites and even imprison our colleagues.”
Lyrically, R.E.M.’s “Radio Free Europe” has been interpreted as a commentary on the desire for authentic information amid a landscape of misinformation. The upbeat and jangly sound of the music contrasting with heavier themes to capture a spirit of resistance and hope.
That spirit of resistance, said Mike Mills, a founding member of R.E.M., lives on in what he called the “OG” (Original Gangster) of pro-democracy broadcasting.
“Radio Free Europe’s journalists have been pissing off dictators for 75 years. You know you’re doing your job when you make the right enemies,” he said.
Four RFE/RL journalists and contributors -- Ihar Losik, Nika Novak, Vladyslav Yesypenko, and Farid Mehralizada -- are currently imprisoned on charges related to their work.
To commemorate the song, R.E.M. said it was releasing a limited-edition orange vinyl recording of “Radio Free Europe” as well as merchandise with proceeds going to RFE/RL.
- By RFE/RL
Ukraine War 'Not Ending Soon': Vance, Rubio Cast Doubt On Quick Peace Deal With Russia
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance expressed uncertainty over the chances of reaching a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine one day after Washington and Kyiv signed a deal that gives the United States access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.
"I think we know where Ukraine is, and we know where Russia is right now…. They're closer, but they're still far apart," Rubio said on Fox News on May 1. Vance, speaking in a separate interview on the network, went further, saying the war in Ukraine is not going to end "any time soon."
Rubio said if there isn't a real breakthrough on the war in Ukraine in the near future, US President Donald Trump will have to decide how much more time to dedicate to the negotiation process.
The United States had already warned that negotiations had reached a "critical" phase, and a lack of progress could mean it would walk away from its efforts to broker an end to the conflict.
Rubio said last week that, while "real progress" had been made in talks to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, "those last couple of steps of this journey were always going to be the hardest ones, and it needs to happen soon."
Trump, who began his second term as president in January, has made ending the war a top priority. He has called for an immediate and full cease-fire and demanded that Russia stop its indiscriminate attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Vance said he was "optimistic" about securing a halt to fighting but it would ultimately be up to Kyiv and Moscow.
"They're the ones who have to take the final step," he said. It is "going to be up to the Russians and Ukrainians now that each side knows what the other's terms for peace are. It's going to be up to them to come to an agreement and stop this brutal, brutal conflict."
"It's not going anywhere…. It's not going to end any time soon," Vance added.
Ukraine says it wants a cease-fire of at least 30 days to open the way for talks on securing a just peace. Russia has not agreed to such a truce, but President Vladimir Putin has unilaterally announced a three-day cease-fire next week to coincide with Victory Day, which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, and the Kremlin said he is open to direct talks with Kyiv.
Deadly Drone And Missile Attacks
Russian forces continue to launch deadly drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities almost nightly. Zelenskyy has called on Ukraine’s Western partners to take tougher measures against the Kremlin.
Both the United States and Ukraine on May 1 hailed the minerals deal, which was to have been signed on February 28 at the White House. But a tense exchange between Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vance resulted in the cancellation of the signing ceremony.
Both sides made efforts to patch up relations, culminating in a one-to-one meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy on April 26 on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican.
The minerals agreement was signed on April 30 by Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Ukraine said the agreement secured key interests after protracted negotiations, including full sovereignty over its own rare earth minerals, which are vital for new technologies.
Washington called it a new form of US commitment to Kyiv after Trump ended military aid soon after he returned to office.
"This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term," Bessent said.
Trump had initially demanded rights to Ukraine's mineral wealth as compensation for tens of billions of dollars’ worth of US weapons sent to aid Ukraine’s military under former President Joe Biden.
Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on May 1 that there were no debts to be paid from past US aid to Kyiv. He called the agreement “truly equal” and one that “creates an opportunity for investments in Ukraine.”
“This is working together with America and on fair terms, when both the Ukrainian state and the United States, which helps us in defense, can earn in partnership,” he added.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
- By RFE/RL
Ukraine Hails Minerals Deal As Helping Strengthen US Support For Its Security
A landmark minerals deal between Ukraine and the United States offers "equal" benefits for both sides and opportunities for investment in Ukraine and the modernization of its industry, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on May 1.
Zelenskyy hailed the deal in a video posted on Telegram but also said more pressure on Russia is needed.
He and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent underlined that talks between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump in Rome during Pope Francis's funeral on April 26 played an important role in securing a deal.
"In fact, now we have the first result of the Vatican meeting, which makes it truly historic," Zelenskyy said.
The two leaders met one-on-one while seated informally in St. Peter's Basilica to try to revive faltering efforts to end Russia's war with Ukraine.
The accord, which was signed in Washington on April 30, establishes a joint investment fund for Ukraine's reconstruction and would see the United States and Kyiv jointly develop and invest in Ukraine's critical mineral resources.
Trump initially described the deal as "money back" for billions of dollars in military aid that Ukraine has received since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. But Ukraine said the agreement is not linked to any past "debt,” and Bessent stressed that the accord signaled support for Ukraine.
"This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term," Bessent said.
The agreement establishes the United-States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which Bessent said in a news release is a historic economic partnership.
The deal will show Russia that there is “no daylight between the Ukrainian people and the American people, between our goals," Bessent said on Fox Business Network on May 1.
It gives Trump the ability to now negotiate with Russia on even a stronger basis, he added.
The Ukrainian parliament must still approve the pact. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met parliamentary factions on May 1 as some members complained they had not seen the text of the agreement or been properly consulted.
First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who signed the accord for Ukraine, told reporters in an online briefing that ratification would happen in the next few weeks
Zelenskyy said he hoped there would be no delays in securing parliament's approval, though some lawmakers said they expected it to take longer than a week.
Some technical details must be completed before a joint US-Ukraine investment fund can become operational, Svyrydenko said.
"We really need to be more sustainable and more self-sufficient, and this is a real tool that can help us achieve this goal," she said, adding that the two sides did not expect the agreement to begin generating revenue this year.
Svyrydenko, who is also Ukraine's economy minister, said the agreement "can provide success for both our countries" and "will attract global investment into our state" in highlighting its key points in a post on Facebook.
Svyrydenko said the investment fund will be filled with income exclusively from new licenses. This involves 50 percent of the funds from new licenses for critical materials and oil and gas projects, which will come into Ukraine's budget once the fund is established.
The agreement states that all resources on Ukraine's territory and in territorial waters belong to Ukraine, and Kyiv alone will determine where and what to extract. It also does not change Ukraine's European integration course, Svyrydenko added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andryi Sybiha wrote on X that he had briefed EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas about the agreement.
"This marks an important milestone in Ukraine–US strategic partnership aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s economy and security," he said in his post.
Military Aid
Beyond its monetary aspects, Ukraine also sees the agreement as key to ensuring its access to future US military aid.
Roman Kostenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker and special forces commander, told Current Time that the question of security guarantees in connection with the US-Ukraine minerals deal "remains open."
"Perhaps there were certain nuances that prevented their inclusion in the minerals deal, even though it was a demand from our side," he added.
On April 29, the US Congress website published a notice from a senior official in the State Department's Bureau of Legislative Affairs on the certification of a proposed license for the export of defense articles which included "defense services to Ukraine in the amount of $50 million or more."
According to the Ukrainian media outlet the Kyiv Post, the White House approved the license shortly after the two countries signed the agreement on mineral resources.
The US is seeking access to more than 20 raw materials deemed strategically critical to its interests. Among them are deposits of titanium, which is used for making aircraft wings and other aerospace manufacturing, and uranium, which is used for nuclear power, medical equipment, and weapons. Ukraine also has deposits of lithium, graphite, and manganese, which are used in electric vehicle batteries.
Trump said the deal “in theory” means that the US will get more from Ukraine than it contributed.
“I wanted to be protected,” he said in an interview on NewsNation, adding that he didn’t want to be looking “foolish” by not getting money back for the investment.
Trump said earlier at a cabinet meeting that the American presence will "keep a lot of bad actors out of the country or certainly out of the area where we're doing the digging."
With reporting by Reuters
- By Todd Prince
US Eyes Aleutian Military Revival As Russia, China Expand Operations Near Alaska
In October 2024, the US Coast Guard spotted two Chinese maritime enforcement vessels operating alongside a pair of Russian border patrol boats as they transited the Bering Sea, just kilometers from Alaskan waters.
It was the third consecutive year that a joint Russian-Chinese military convoy sailed through the strategic waterway. A year earlier, the two nations staged joint naval exercises in the region with 11 ships -- a clear signal of their growing military cooperation near US territory.
The October transit, which China said continued through the Bering Strait into the Arctic Ocean, came less than three months after the first joint flight of Chinese and Russian strategic bombers over the Bering Sea.
The uptick in Russian and Chinese activity near Alaska -- home to America’s largest fleet of advanced fighter jets and a cornerstone of its missile defense architecture --is fueling calls to reestablish Cold War-era military infrastructure on the Aleutian Islands.
Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 10 that he supports reopening the shuttered naval facility on Adak Island and upgrading Eareckson Air Station on Shemya, the westernmost outpost of the chain.
Facilities on Adak and Shemya would give the United States “time and distance on any force capability that is looking to penetrate” American waters or airspace, Paparo said. Reactivating Adak would allow the United States to increase maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) coverage in the region by a factor of 10, he told lawmakers.
A Gateway To The Arctic
The Aleutian chain, made up of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller ones, stretches more than 1,600 kilometers from the Alaskan mainland toward Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The islands sit astride the great circle routes, the shortest paths between Asia and North America, and serve as a gateway to both the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea.
Kamchatka -- 800 kilometers west of Shemya -- is home to Russia’s Pacific submarine fleet and squadrons of long-range fighters. Paparo described Russia’s Pacific Fleet as a “growth enterprise” that now operates “frequently” along the great circle routes.
General Gregory Guillot, commander of the US Northern Command, testified in February before a Senate committee that reviving Adak could provide important “maritime and air access.”
The Pentagon is currently evaluating future uses for Adak, which features a deep-water port with three piers, two 7,000-foot (2,100-meter) runways, multiple hangars, de-icing platforms, and one of the largest bulk fuel storage facilities in the United States.
During the Cold War, Adak served as the primary anti-submarine warfare base in the Pacific, with P-3 Orions regularly patrolling the surrounding waters. The island also stored B57 nuclear depth bombs designed to detonate underwater and destroy enemy submarines.
At its peak, the island was home to 6,000 military personnel and their families. The base was officially closed in 1997. Today, fewer than 200 people live on the island. Alaska Airlines operates a single commercial route to Adak using Boeing 737s.
Eareckson Air Station on Shemya hosts a 10,000-foot (3,000-meter) runway and hangars. Shemya is also home to the Cobra Dane radar system -- an advanced sensor used to track ballistic missile launches and satellites. The air station also serves as an emergency diversion airport for civilian flights crossing the North Pacific.
'A Real Challenge'
US forces in September carried out an exercise on Shemya in response to the joint Russia-China bomber flight.
“Every time a state vessel or aircraft enters the area, it’s collecting information,” said Troy Bouffard, an Arctic security expert at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “The only way to respond is to intercept and push them out.”
“This is a real challenge,” he added. “And places like Adak provide outstanding positions to base the assets needed to meet it.”
Adak, which will be part of Indo-Pacific Command's Northern Edge exercise in August, could host P-8A Poseidon aircraft -- America’s most advanced maritime patrol aircraft and the successor to the P-3. Based on the Boeing 737 airframe, the P-8 is designed to detect and destroy both surface ships and submarines.
The P-8 plays a central role in US and allied anti-submarine warfare. The US resumed P-8 flights from its airbase at Keflavik, Iceland, in 2018 amid renewed Russian activity near the GIUK Gap, a key maritime chokepoint into the Atlantic.
Allies including Canada, Germany, and Norway have announced plans to purchase the aircraft to replace their P-3s. Norway reversed plans to close an Arctic air station after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and will now use it for maritime drone flights that complement the P-8s.
Shortest Missile Flight Path To The US
Russia’s Pacific Fleet is expected to grow to 45 modernized warships by the early 2030s, including 19 submarines. Some of its newest vessels are armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, which can reach speeds over Mach 5 and strike targets hundreds of kilometers away.
Meanwhile, China is expanding the world’s largest navy by hull count. The Congressional Research Service estimates its fleet could grow from 370 to 435 ships by 2030. Intelligence reports suggest Russia is helping China reduce the acoustic signatures of its submarines -- critical to making them harder for US forces to track.
Experts warn that, if Chinese nuclear-armed submarines reach the Arctic, it would significantly enhance Beijing’s second-strike capability against the United States. The shortest missile flight path to the continental US is over the Arctic.
Russia’s air presence in the Bering and Arctic regions is also growing. A senior Alaskan commander told reporters in 2021 that US intercepts of Russian aircraft near or inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone had reached a post-Soviet high.
The spike coincides with Moscow’s rapid expansion and renovation of dozens of Arctic military installations, including airfields and radar sites.
In the event of a reopening, the United States is not expected to station many military personnel on the islands, which are renowned for their high winds, dense fog, persistent overcast skies, and freezing temperatures. A 1937 Naval War College assessment described them as having “some of the worst weather in the world.”
Imperial Japan captured two of the islands in June 1942, marking only the second time in US history that its territory had been seized by a foreign adversary. Though US forces recaptured the islands, the 14-month Aleutian Campaign cost 225 American aircraft, most lost to the region’s extreme weather.
US Deports Over 100 Central Asian Nationals With Uzbekistan’s Cooperation
The United States has deported more than 100 citizens from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan to Tashkent in what Uzbek officials said is part of initiative aimed at ensuring the rights of its citizens caught in "difficult situations abroad."
The flight from New York to Tashkent was reportedly arranged on April 30 and operated by Uzbekistan Airways. A statement released by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that Uzbekistan funded the operation in full.
The deportations appear to mark the first such deal between the United States and a foreign government since the President Donald Trump took office in January.
"We are talking about citizens who have violated visa requirements or have expired their legal stay in the United States," Ahror Burkhanov, a spokesman for the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, wrote in a social media post.
"The repatriation process will be organized on the basis of humanitarian and legal principles, ensuring the dignified and safe return of citizens," he added, though he did not say how many of those deported on April 30 were Uzbek nationals.
Since taking office on January 20, Trump has declared a crackdown on illegal immigration.
Immigration agents have carried out hundreds of raids in various cities with thousands of immigrants arrested.
Many critics say a large number of those deported to third countries are refugees who have been granted protections against returning to their home countries, where they would face persecution or torture.
Demonstrations and pickets have been held against Washington's anti-immigration policy, and a judge handed down a ruling on April 18 that barred the Trump administration from rapidly deporting migrants to countries other than their own without giving them a chance to show they fear being persecuted.
The government has appealed the court ruling.
The DHS said the operation "underscores the deep security cooperation" between the nations and "sets the standard for US alliances."
"We commend Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his leadership in sending a flight to return 131 illegal aliens to their home country," said US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
She added that the Trump administration will continue to work with Uzbekistan on efforts to "enhance mutual security and uphold the rule of law."
Uzbek media reported the Kyrgyz and Kazakh nationals who arrived on the flight to Uzbekistan will continue on to their home countries.
Earlier, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said the repatriation process was organized on the basis of "humanitarian and legal principles."
"It is aimed at ensuring the dignified and safe return of citizens," the ministry said in a statement.
In January this year, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement estimation showed that 975 Uzbeks living in the US as illegal migrants could be deported from the country in the near future.
Following the reports, the NY Times said in February that US authorities had begun deporting Central Asian migrants to Panama and Costa Rica to speed up the process of their removal from the country.
From September 2023 to September 2024, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 572 people to Uzbekistan.
In August 2024, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service published an investigation detailing the plight of hundreds of Uzbek and Kyrgyz migrants attempting to enter the United States illegally from Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico.
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