>>8166

TYB

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Zelensky signs EU membership application

02/28/22 12:42 PM EST

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday signed a membership application formally requesting that Ukraine join the European Union (EU) amid a Russian invasion of his country.

Andriy Sybiha, deputy head of the president's office in Ukraine, said in a tweet that head of parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal had also signed a joint statement.

“The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has just signed a historical document-Ukraine’s application for European Union membership,” Sybiha wrote on Twitter.

“Glory to Ukraine!” he added.

The tweet included photos of the application and the three men signing the papers. In a Facebook post cited by Interfax Ukraine, Sybiha said the documents were on their way to Brussels.

Zelensky had asked earlier Monday that Ukraine be added to the bloc as his country fights off an invasion by Russia.

“Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing,” Zelensky said during a video address, according to The New York Times. “I’m sure it’s fair. I’m sure it’s possible.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a military operation in Ukraine last week, setting off what has been a days-long invasion. While Russian forces have entered a number of Ukrainian cities, their efforts have been slowed by strong Ukrainian opposition.

The Council of the European Union condemned the Russian invasion last week, calling the operation “unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine.”

“Russia bears full responsibility for this act of aggression and all the destruction and loss of life it will cause. It will be held accountable for its actions,” the council added.

The EU approved sanctions against key members of Putin’s inner circle last week after the president recognized the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine as independent. Following the military operation, the European Council imposed more sanctions against the country, ranging from the financial, energy and transport sectors to dual-use goods, export control and export financings, and visa policy.

On Sunday, the European Commission said it was imposing sanctions on Belarus in response to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's support for the Russian invasion. It also unveiled more sanctions against Moscow, including barring Russian aircraft from flying in the bloc’s territory.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/596124-zelensky-signs-eu-membership-application

https://twitter.com/andrii_sybiha/status/1498329873751986176?s=20&t=E1cyeBLMSf_Z7T_AM_uoyg

Watch live: UN General Assembly holds special session on Ukraine

The United Nations General Assembly on Monday afternoon is slated to hold a special session on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

https://thehill.com/video/international/596136-watch-live-un-general-assembly-holds-special-session-on-ukraine

Ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan indicted on federal racketeering charges alleging array of bribery schemes, sources say

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, for decades the most powerful politician in the state, was indicted Wednesday on federal racketeering charges alleging an array of bribery schemes aimed at using the power of his office for personal gain, sources told the Tribune.

The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury after a more than two-year investigation, sources said.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-michael-madigan-indicted-comed-bribery-illinois-speaker-20220302-kbvrqt4nknhqfhme372jbq4oza-story.html

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/3/2/22958533/michael-madigan-indicted-charges-illinois-house

Oath Keeper pleads guilty to seditious conspiracy, will cooperate with Justice Department

(CNN)An Oath Keeper who served as private security for right-wing figures around January 6 pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy Wednesday, becoming the first person charged with seditious conspiracy related to the US Capitol attack to strike a plea deal with the Justice Department.

Joshua James also pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding and agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department's investigation into a group of Oath Keepers it alleged plan to stop the certification of the 2020 Electoral College vote.

He faces up to nine years in prison and up to a $300,000 fine, according to the deal read aloud during Wednesday's hearing.

The development is a major step forward for prosecutors who brought the ambitious case, with some of the most serious charges in the January 6 investigation. Other Capitol riot defendants with ties to the Oath Keepers who did not face sedition charges have already agreed to cooperate.

James, a Purple Heart recipient in the military, was originally arrested in March of last year for his alleged participation in the riot.

Prosecutors previously alleged James was with other Oath Keepers on January 6 who sped toward the Capitol on golf carts. He was accused of unlawfully entering the Capitol on the east side of the building, joining up with other members of the group after exiting the building.

An FBI agent also previously told the court James chauffeured Roger Stone, a longtime friend of former President Donald Trump, in a golf cart in Washington the day before January 6. Stone has not been accused of any crime.

In the subsequent indictment charging James and other Oath Keepers of seditious conspiracy, prosecutors alleged that members of the group organized to disrupt Congress' certification of the 2020 election and "oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power," stashing weapons and ammunition in a Virginia hotel as part of a quick reaction force and continuing to plot an attack after January 6.

The indictment also alleges that in the aftermath of the riot, while other Oath Keepers plotted whether to take future action, James messaged an associate, "After this … if nothing happens …its war … Civil War 2.0."

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/02/politics/oath-keeper-plea-deal-seditious-conspiracy/index.html

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Interesting picture. Makes me think:

Watch the water?

>>8644

>I'll have to find a suitable one for Jim to use

Thomas Massie was one of three Republicans who voted against a resolution affirming that America “stands steadfastly, staunchly, proudly, and fervently behind the Ukrainian people."

https://twitter.com/RollingStone/status/1499162057954021383

The House has passed a resolution supporting the people of Ukraine, 426-3.

Three Republicans voted against the resolution: Thomas Massie, Paul Gosar, and Matt Rosendale.