Russia Adds Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to Wanted List
According to Russian state media, Moscow has officially placed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, as reported by the interior ministry’s database.
Allegations and Reactions
As of the latest update, both Zelenskyy and former President Petro Poroshenko are listed on the ministry’s wanted list for unspecified criminal charges. Additionally, Gen. Oleksandr Pavlyuk, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, is also included.
Despite the lack of clarity on the allegations, independent Russian news outlet Mediazona revealed that Zelenskyy and Poroshenko have been on the list since late February. In response, Ukraine’s foreign ministry dismissed the reports as a sign of Russian propaganda and desperation.
International Figures on the List
Notably, Russia’s wanted list extends to officials and lawmakers from Ukraine and NATO countries. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas of Estonia, a member of both NATO and the EU, is among those targeted. Kallas has been vocal in advocating for military aid to Ukraine and imposing stricter sanctions on Moscow.
Russia’s actions stem from Estonia’s removal of Soviet-era monuments, a move seen as a rejection of past oppression. Similar actions have been taken by Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, reflecting a broader sentiment against Soviet symbols.
Key Targets and Accusations
Other individuals on Russia’s wanted list include cabinet ministers from Estonia and Lithuania, as well as the ICC prosecutor who prepared a war crimes warrant against President Vladimir Putin. Moscow has also accused Ukraine’s military intelligence head, Kyrylo Budanov, of terrorist activities related to drone strikes on Russian infrastructure.
The Kremlin’s narrative of linking Ukraine to Nazism has been met with skepticism, given Ukraine’s Jewish president and efforts to strengthen democracy. Moscow’s insistence on “de-Nazification” as a goal of its military operation has been refuted by Kyiv and Western allies.
Historical Context and Manipulation
Putin’s use of World War II and Nazism to justify Russia’s actions in Ukraine reflects a broader attempt to shape historical narratives. Russia’s emphasis on Soviet sacrifices in WWII has been criticized for downplaying collaboration and crimes committed during the war.
By distorting historical truths, Russia aims to legitimize its military operations while disregarding the complexities of wartime history. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is not just geopolitical but also deeply rooted in differing interpretations of the past.
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The Hunt for Zelenskyy: Russia’s Search for the Ukrainian President
Imamoglu receives a warm welcome at a European gathering famous for his criticism of Erdogan (video)
TurkPress
Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, affiliated with the Turkish opposition, was warmly welcomed by members of the European Socialists Party, which is famous for its criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
This came during the participation of Imamoglu, who belongs to the Republican People’s Party, the largest opposition party in Turkey, in one of the special sessions of the “European Socialists.”
The audience clapped for several minutes while standing on their feet, during Imamoglu’s presentation at the session.
📽Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is widely celebrated by members of the “Party of European Socialists,” famous for his criticism of President Erdogan’s positions.👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/DjCoyCSX8z
— TR99 (@TR99media) May 4, 2024
The Party of European Socialists is a social democratic and progressive European political party. This system consists of political parties at the national level primarily from member states of the European Union and other countries on the European continent.
The party was also famous for its continuous criticism of the positions of Turkish President Erdogan, especially on political issues.
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Imamoglu receives a warm welcome at a European gathering famous for his criticism of Erdogan (video)
Sadiq Khan has been elected Mayor of London for the third time
Sadiq Khan, mayor of London since 2016, was re-elected for a third term in the municipal elections held on Thursday 2 May (counting began on the morning of Saturday 4). Khan will be the first mayor in the history of London to be re-elected twice: he was able to do this because in the United Kingdom there are no limits on the number of mandates for the office of mayor. However, the office of mayor of London has existed since 2000: previously the city was administered by a council of elected men and women, and for a transitional phase by the authorities of individuals boroughthat is, the districts.
Khan He obtained 43.8 percent of the votes, while Conservative candidate Susan Hall 32.7 percent. The other candidates obtained less than 6 percent of the votes. For Khan, it is a superior result to the 2021 elections, when he collected 40 percent of the vote, trailing the then Conservative candidate, Shaun Bailey, by less than 5 points. The turnout was 40.5 percent, slightly lower than 2021, when 42 percent of eligible voters voted.
Khan he was not a particularly popular candidate: he has been suffering for years very heavy attacks from the right – both nationally and internationally – on the grounds that he is a non-white, Muslim person. Some of his policies to reduce the emissions produced by cars in London then caused him to lose some consensus, especially among the inhabitants of the suburbs. In London, however, the Conservative Party is very unpopular, even more so than in the rest of the country: the Labor Party’s moment of great popularity may also have contributed to Khan’s victory.
The victory of Khan, who is one of the most recognizable faces of the Labor Party at a national level, is part of a broader wave of victories for the British centre-left, which has been in opposition at a national level since 2010. In the rest of the local elections held on Thursday to renew around a hundred English municipal councils, Labor gained 173 seats compared to the last elections, and had around a thousand councilors elected out of 2,600. The Conservative Party has instead lost around 450 councilor seats compared to the last elections.
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Sadiq Khan has been elected Mayor of London for the third time