21 Mar, 2024 02:35

Ukraine forced to close controversial ‘war sponsors’ blacklist

Publishing a list of ‘enemies’ has had a negative impact on Kiev’s fight against Moscow

Ukraine has decided to abandon its list of ‘international sponsors of war’ following complaints from other countries.

Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention has hosted a website listing companies that continue to do business in Russia or “indirectly assist in or contribute to Russia’s war efforts.” The list includes major corporations such as PepsiCo, P&G, Yves Rocher, Unilever, Metro, Nestle, Auchan, and Xiaomi.

The project was part of Kiev’s strategy to pressure companies into cutting ties with Moscow in response to the conflict with Russia.

The Ukrainian government announced on Tuesday, however, that those wishing to view the list will be redirected to the more neutrally named State Register of Sanctions curated by Ukraine’s National Defense and Security Council. The decision was made after ameeting attended by diplomats from more than ten countries, including the US, China, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, as well as representatives from the EU.

According to a statement on the government’s website, many of Ukraine’s partnersraised concerns about “the lack of legal basis for the existence of the ‘international sponsors of war’ list.” Kiev had to consider “the negative impact of this list on the adoption of important decisions to stop the Russian aggression,” the statement read.

Ukraine’s Justice Ministry ultimately agreed that it was “unacceptable to disseminate such information in the state’s name without resolving the legal issues.”

Austria had refused to back the 12th round of EU sanctions against Russia, demanding that Kiev remove the Vienna-based Raiffeisen Bank from the blacklist. Ukraine eventually conceded, paving the way for Austria to give the green light to the sanctions in December 2023.

Last month, Beijing requested that Kiev remove its companies from the list as well. “China firmly opposes the inclusion of Chinese enterprises in the relevant list and demands that Ukraine immediately correct its mistakes and eliminate negative impacts,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Reuters.

https://www.rt.com/russia/594587-pressured-ukraine-closes-list/

Adam Schiff: DOJ should have moved faster with Trump indictments

“That delay has contributed to a situation where none of these trials may go forward,” Schiff said.

3/17/24

Adam Schiff blames the Justice Department — at least partially — for the possibility that former President Donald Trump may not face trial in his federal cases before the 2024 election.

“The Justice Department did wait at least a year to look beyond the foot soldiers — those that broke into the Capitol that day — and refrained from looking at those who were the inciters of the attack on the Capitol,” the California representative said of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.

“I think that delay has contributed to a situation where none of these trials may go forward.”

The cases against Trump have been experiencing a series of delays in recent weeks. The federal election interference case is on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court decides his immunity claims, and the timing for the classified documents trial remains unclear. On Friday, the judge overseeing his New York criminal case pushed back Trump’s expected first trial until at least mid-April so that new records could be reviewed.

The recent delays have been elevating fears among Trump’s critics that he won’t face trial in his federal cases before the 2024 election — and perhaps not at all.

“There is a chance that he could evade justice by delaying justice. This is a tried-and-true tactic of Trump throughout his career,” Schiff said Sunday.

Part of Trump’s legal strategy throughout all of his cases has been for his lawyers to attempt to push back trial dates. Schiff said that they are the most at fault for the delays.

Schiff, a long-time Biden ally, is running for the Senate seat formerly held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein against Republican Steve Garvey.

(Schitt is losing to Garvey and blames it on the DOJ. Boo Hoo)

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/17/adam-schiff-justice-department-trump-indictments-00147480