#SLOVAKIA: Pres. Fico Vows "Significant" Aid To Ukraine a For Removing Landmines

[world politics news]

Slovakia wants to assist Ukraine in the field of demining territories, particularly by providing relevant equipment, stated Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico during a press conference with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

"We discussed cooperation in the military sphere, where we offer significant assistance in demining. This includes specific demining machines. There is a great discussion here about special machines, agricultural machinery that can be used precisely for this purpose," noted Fico.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UKRAINE: Parliament Extends Martial Law, Mobilization During Russian Attack

[world politics news]

The Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, has prolonged Ukraine’s martial law and mobilization on Feb. 7, for the sixth time since the start of Russia’s all-out war, according to lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak.

Both measures are extended for 90 days.

Zhelezniak said 348 and 344 lawmakers voted in favor of extending martial law and mobilization, respectively.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GERMANY: Chancellor Approves Tanks For Ukraine

[world politics news]

Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed on Wednesday that Germany would be delivering an initial 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks to Ukraine and allowing partner countries to re-export their own German-made heavy battle tanks to the country.

Speaking at the start of a question-and-answer session in the German Bundestag, Scholz said, "It is right that we act closely with our international partners to support Ukraine — financially, with humanitarian aid, but also with weapons deliveries. Now we can say that, in Europe, it is us and Britain who have made the most weapons available for Ukraine. … Germany will always be at the forefront when it comes to supporting Ukraine."  

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAPAN: Nation Planning To Assist Ukraine

[world politics news]

Japan is engaged deeply on issues in Ukraine and is expected to roll out plans at the "appropriate time" to support Kyiv against Russia's invasion, White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Tuesday. 

"Prime Minister Kishida has a game plan and is already engaged deeply on issues in Ukraine," Campbell told a Center for Strategic and International Studies event.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BULGARIA: Parliament Votes To Buy F16 Fighter Jets

[world politics news]

Bulgarian lawmakers have voted to approve the purchase of eight F-16C/D Block 70 fighter jets for the country’s Air Force. The forthcoming acquisition is to be worth close to $1.3 billion.

The National Assembly, the country’s unicameral parliament, approved the planned purchase by a majority of 162 votes, with 49 members voting against, and 11 abstentions.

The first of eight F16 aircraft that have already been ordered, are scheduled to arrive in 2025. This current order of eight aircraft will arrive in 2027. The two orders will replace outdated MiG aircraft from the Soviet era, which are being withdrawn from service in 2023.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UKRAINE: Member Of Parliament Expelled From Ruling Party Over Bribery Scandal

[world politics news]

 

Oleksandr Trukhin, a lawmaker from the governing President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People faction, was kicked out of the party after a journalistic investigation exposed his attempts to bribe police officers at a car crash site.

The party announced the decision to expel Trukhin on Feb. 2, a day after the Ukrainska Pravda’s investigation was published. Now the party will also consider expelling Trukhin from the party's parliament faction, that including 242 members of parliament. However, even if he is expelled, Trukhin won't lose his seat in parliament.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UKRAINE: Military Signals Push Into Moldova

[world politics news]

Signaling that the war in Ukraine may spread to yet another country, the Ukrainian Army has declared in its readiness to help Moldova get rid of the 1500 Russian soldiers who illegally occupy Moldovan territory in Transnistria.

The statement was made by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Kirill Budanov

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BULGARIA: Parliament Approves Military-Technical Aid To Ukraine, But No Direct Military Aid

[world politics news]

The Bulgarian parliament has passed a resolution to enable the government to provide necessary military-technical support to war-torn Ukraine.

The parliament also approved a plan that involves repairing Ukrainian heavy military equipment.

Despite this, proposals that included sending direct military aid to the embattled country did not win enough votes, Reuters reported.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#RUSSIA: Duma Seeks To Control Negative Media With "Fake News" Law

[world politics news]

 

Spreading "fake news" about the Russian military can be punishable by up to 15 years in prison if a new bill is passed in Russia, state-owned news agency TASS reported Friday. 

On Friday the State Duma passed a law introducing punishment for spreading fake news about the Russian Armed Forces and the military operation in Ukraine, statements that discredit the armed forces, and calls for sanctions on Russia. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BELARUS: Sunday Referendum Will Decide On Nukes In Belarus

[world politics news]

 

Belarus is holding a referendum to adopt a new constitution that would ditch its non-nuclear status, at a time when the country has become a launchpad for Russian troops invading Ukraine.

The vote on Sunday is almost certain to pass under the tightly controlled rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, bringing nuclear weapons back on Belarusian soil for the first time since the country gave them up after the fall of the Soviet Union.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#RUSSIA: Putin Recognizes Breakaway Ukraine Regions, Invades

[world politics news]

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday formally recognized the independence of two Moscow-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine where Russia has been supporting armed separatists in an eight-year conflict.

The move by Putin was seen by the United States and its European allies as a dramatic provocation and possibly part of a pretext to invade Ukraine. The U.S. and European Union both swiftly announced sanctions.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#RUSSIA: Lawmakers Set To Vote On Recognition Of Ukraine Breakaway Republics

[world politics news]

Russia's parliament will vote on Tuesday to decide whether to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognise two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, the speaker of the Duma lower house said.

Vyacheslav Volodin said lawmakers would consider two alternative resolutions on recognition of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, in the area known as the Donbass, where separatist forces have been fighting the Ukrainian army since 2014.

The vote is a reversal of sorts for the parliament, which last week said it would not immediately take up the matter.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#RUSSIA: Duma May Delay Vote To Recognize Breakaway Ukraine Provinces

[world politics news]

 

Russia’s lower house of parliament may seek guidance from the government on whether to call for the recognition of two breakaway Ukrainian regions as independent, its speaker said on Friday, implying that the step could be delayed.

The State Duma, Russia’s lower house, is due on Monday to set a date to vote on a group of lawmakers’ proposal to appeal to President Vladimir Putin to recognize the two self-proclaimed republics that are supported by Moscow.

Formal recognition of the east Ukrainian regions controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014 would further inflame tensions over a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine that has raised fears of an invasion. Moscow denies invasion plans.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UKRAINE: Polish, Lithuanian Leaders Visit Ukraine As Russia Threatens Invasion

[world politics news]

 

In a show of support for Ukraine, which fears an immanent Russian invasion, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Andrzej Duda traveled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Monday.

The three leaders "called upon the international community to step up sanctions on the Russian Federation over its ongoing aggression against Ukraine." In a clear reference to Ukraine's desire for more weapons, Zelensky requested "powerful preventative actions" from the West.

The three leaders signed a declaration supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

[FULL STORY HERE and HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#RUSSIA: Tatarstan Rejects State Duma Law Banning The Title "President" For Its Leader

[world politics news]

Lawmakers in the Autonomous Russian republic of Tatarstan have voted against a bill initiated in Russia's lower chamber of parliament -- the State Duma -- that would eliminate the title of "president" currently held by the head of the  republic.

The bill put forward late last month by a group of State Duma lawmakers proposed among other things to replace the title of president of regional administrations with the more generic title of "head."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BELARUS: Parliament Blocks Migrant Crossings

[world politics news]

Lawmakers in Belarus have voted to suspend an agreement with the European Union obliging the ex-Soviet nation to take back migrants that crossed its territory into the EU.

The vote in the upper house of the Belarusian parliament formalizes the move that was announced by Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko in June.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ROMANIA: Gov't Of PM Citu Falls After No-Confidence Vote

[world politics news]

The Romanian government of liberal Prime Minister Florin Citu was ousted by a no-confidence vote among MPs Tuesday, threatening fresh political instability in one of the EU’s poorest states.

Former banker Citu had only been prime minister since December, but the center-right USR party withdrew from his coalition last month complaining about his “dictatorial attitude."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#MOLDOVA: Election To Decide Between West and East

[world politics news] 

Voters in Moldova headed to the polls Sunday in a snap parliamentary election called by new President Maia Sandu to strengthen her position against pro-Russia forces.

Sandu, who wants to bring Moldova into the European Union, in November defeated sitting Kremlin-backed president Igor Dodon on a pledge to root out graft in one of Europe's poorest countries.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ROMANIA: Parliament Adopts 5G Use Restrictions

[world politics news]

Romania's Chamber of Deputies has adopted the so-called 5G bill, which stipulates that communications providers will be able to use in 5G networks only technologies, equipment and software from manufacturers previously authorized by the decision of the prime minister, based on the approval of the national defense council CSAT.

The bill was eventually voted on by all parties except AUR, a party suspected by some of acting in favor of Russia. The AUR deputies abstained from voting.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UKRAINE: New Rule Includes Jail Time For Those Who Fail To Disclose Cryptocurrency Holdings On Tax Forms

[world politics news]

The Ukrainian parliament has approved new legislation that takes a tough stance against people who don’t disclose their cryptocurrency holdings on the tax fillings.

The measure comes in the wake of a recent publication that showed alleged mistakes in declarations from public servants.

Offenders Could Spend up to Two Years in Jail for not disclosing their crypto holdings.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.