RT News - December 14th 2022

RT follows Russian troops as they battle both Ukrainian artillery and freezing weather.

A US organization protecting journalists worldwide rejects the idea of supporting Russian media.

A US Senator backtracks on his own resolution banning American support for Saudi-led military operations in Yemen where over 23 million people are in dire need of aid, according to UNICEF.

Israel admits its troops accidentally killed a Palestinian girl during a weekend raid on a West Bank city. We spoke with relatives who called for the continued killings to stop.

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Below 1) -- EU looks to freeze RT parent company assets – media
2) -- US charges Russians with illegally purchasing electronics
3) --- No EU consensus over Ukraine tribunal – Borrell
4) --- Macron’s party HQ raided by investigators – media
5) --- Russian parliament bans ‘reproductive tourism’
6) --- US missiles in Ukraine will be targeted if delivered – Kremlin
7) --- UK training Ukrainian judges for trials of Russians
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via RT website 14 Dec, 2022 16:45

1) -- EU looks to freeze RT parent company assets – media

The next sanctions package against Moscow will likely also ban other Russian TV channels, the EUObserver reports

The EU’s upcoming ninth sanctions package will likely strike at Russian media channels – including RT – that have been accused of posing “a threat to the Union’s public order and security,” the EU Observer reported on Monday, citing draft documents.

According to the outlet, lawmakers are looking to freeze all of the EU assets of ANO TV-Novosti, RT’s parent company, which they accuse of “gravely distorting and manipulating facts.” The next package would also place personal sanctions on some 200 individuals and companies and revoke broadcast licenses for three Russian channels – NTV/NTV Mir, Rossiya 1, and REN TV – who have also been accused of trying to “destabilize EU countries.”

The move comes as Russian media channels, including RT and its German-language division RT DE, have come under fire from Western officials and media outlets for disseminating what they call “propaganda” and “Kremlin talking points.”

RT, Sputnik, and most other major Russian news outlets have been banned from broadcasting in the EU since Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine in late February. However, a study conducted by the German editorial network (RND) found that many European citizens have been bypassing the bans and continue to read and watch the channels through Telegram, YouTube, and other resources.

Earlier this month, the Insider reported that a CeMAS poll found nearly 44% of Germans supported the notion that “Putin was fighting against the global elite, which secretly controls the world.” The outlet also found a vast network of German-language Telegram channels sharing pro-Russian content.

EU officials are now calling for more decisive measures to censor Russian content within the bloc. Deputy leader of the Union Parliamentary group Andrea Lindholz has suggested creating a special reporting commission to collect and examine examples of “Russian disinformation.”

“Now that everything is becoming more expensive, there is a risk that people will become more receptive to pro-Russian fake news,” she explained.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists Ricardo Gutierrez has blasted the EU for censoring Sputnik and RT without going through state media regulators. In an interview with France 24 last week, he warned that such an approach threatened freedom of the press in Europe.

“The rules are very clear in this area: If these television channels violate the broadcasting rules, by inciting hatred for example, then yes, they must be banned. But it is not enough to say that they are propagandists,” Gutierrez pointed out.
https://www.rt.com/news/568250-eu-rt-asset-freeze/
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via RT website 14 Dec, 2022 14:18

2) -- US charges Russians with illegally purchasing electronics

The accused are suspected of smuggling and money laundering, according to the Justice Department

Five Russian nationals have been charged in the US for “unlawfully” buying electronic equipment – including some which could be used for military purposes – as well as money laundering and attempting to defraud Washington, the country’s Justice Department announced on Tuesday.

It added that two US nationals had also been charged in the case. However, only three of the seven accused – one Russian national and two US nationals – have been apprehended.

According to a statement published on the department’s website, the defendants are believed to have conspired to obtain military-grade and dual-use technologies from American companies for Russia’s defense sector and to have smuggled sniper rifle ammunition, all in violation of US sanctions imposed upon Moscow earlier this year over its ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.

The Justice Department further notes that some of the “highly sensitive and heavily regulated electronic components” allegedly acquired by the defendants could be used in the “development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing and other military applications.”

In its statement, the Justice Department suggests one of the defendants works for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) while the others are affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC – two Moscow-based companies that the US claims operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics for Russia’s military industrial complex.
Both companies, however, have denied having anything to do with the accused Russian nationals. “These are all sanction fictions. We have nothing to do with the people who appear in the news, nothing,” Serniya general director Sergey Ershov told RT, adding that his company was being dragged into this case for some unknown reason.

Both Serniya and Sertal were sanctioned by the US after Moscow launched its campaign in Ukraine. The US accused the companies and the people associated with them of being “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”

The defendants could all face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
https://www.rt.com/news/568234-us-russia-technologies-smuggling/
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via RT website 14 Dec, 2022 14:02

3) --- No EU consensus over Ukraine tribunal – Borrell

The bloc's top diplomat has proposed creating a special body that would deal with allegations of Russian war crimes

There is still no agreement on setting up a special tribunal to deal with alleged war crimes in Ukraine, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has said.

Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday at the EU-NGO forum on human rights, Borrell stated “there’s a polemic about do we need something more than the [International Criminal Court] in order to fight impunity in Ukraine.” He said that “together with the commission” he had presented a proposal to establish a separate body for that purpose.

“On Monday, we were discussing about it,” the diplomat remarked, while acknowledging that the consultations ended “without a result.”

Borrell suggested there is still a possibility that a special tribunal for Ukraine will be set up, saying “this is an interesting discussion that, for the time being, has not a concrete answer.”

Borrell went on to claim that Russia’s actions in Ukraine are tantamount to the “destruction of a country” and a “war crime.” He said Moscow had deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure in an attempt to carry out the “assassination of millions of people by cold.” The top EU official also accused Russian troops of forced deportations and kidnappings of Ukrainians, including children.

Borrell, however, didn’t mention anything about the attacks committed by the Ukrainian side. Moscow has repeatedly accused Kiev’s Western backers of turning a blind eye to evidence of war crimes allegedly committed by Ukrainian troops, including indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Donbass.

Earlier this month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that the West has no legal right to establish courts to investigate and prosecute Russia over its actions in Ukraine.

Russia consistently denies its troops have committed any war crimes, saying its military personnel are doing all they can to minimize civilian casualties. Moscow also insists its aerial bombardments, which have intensified in recent months, target facilities related to Ukraine’s military and defense capabilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the harsh new tactics came in response to a Ukrainian attack against the Crimean bridge in early October and other “terrorist attacks” perpetrated on Russian soil.
https://www.rt.com/news/568232-borrell-eu-tribunal-ukraine/
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via RT website 14 Dec, 2022 16:18

4) --- Macron’s party HQ raided by investigators – media

Law enforcement is probing allegations that the French president’s campaigns were illegally financed

Criminal investigators have raided the Paris offices of French President Emmanuel Macron and US consulting firm McKinsey & Company, Le Parisien reported on Wednesday. Authorities suspect that McKinsey illegally funded Macron’s 2017 and 2022 campaigns.

The raids, which targeted the headquarters of Macron’s Renaissance party, its funding association, and Mckinsey’s French headquarters, took place on Tuesday morning, the newspaper wrote.

Renaissance officials confirmed that a search had taken place at the party’s headquarters, but said that it focused solely “on the campaign side” of the office. McKinsey also confirmed that its premises had been searched, adding that it would “cooperate fully with the public authorities.”

The probe into the Macron/Kinsey connection was announced by France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s office late last month. While the prosecutor’s office did not reveal further details of the investigation, it said that the probe was connected to media reports suggesting McKinsey was underbilled for work on Maron’s 2017 and 2022 presidential campaigns, and in turn received lucrative state contracts once Macron was in office.

A report (https://www.politico.eu/article/french-senators-slam-consultancy-use-explosion-under-macron/) by French senators published in March found that under Macron, the French government and civil service signed contracts worth at least €2.4 billion ($2.55 billion) with consultancy firms since 2018, more than double the expenditure of previous administrations.

McKinsey’s offices were also raided by customs officials in May, as part of an investigation into alleged tax fraud.

Campaign funding in France is strictly controlled and funding of presidential bids by private companies is illegal. Individual contributions are also heavily regulated.

Macron insists that he did not violate any rules, and stated last month that he has “nothing to fear” from the investigation.
https://www.rt.com/news/568246-macron-party-office-raided/
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via RT website 14 Dec, 2022 15:14

5) --- Russian parliament bans ‘reproductive tourism’

A bill prohibiting surrogacy for foreign nationals and single men must now be signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law

The Russian parliament’s upper house, the Federation Council, passed a bill on Wednesday that prohibits single males and foreigners from hiring women to become surrogate mothers. The sponsors say the legislation is needed to protect children.

Under the new rules, foreign nationals and single Russian males are banned from obtaining these services in the country. Surrogacy will remain available only to married couples, where at least one of the spouses is a Russian citizen, and to single Russian women who are unable to have children due to medical conditions. Also, all children born under these circumstances will automatically receive Russian citizenship.

One of the co-sponsors of the bill, Senator Margarita Pavlova, said on Tuesday that the practice has become a “conveyor belt” to take children out of the country, with the fate of around 45,000 surrogate babies unknown.

The legislation was approved by Russia’s lower house, the State Duma, last week. Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the measure was long overdue, as “these babies oftentimes end up in very dangerous situations – they become victims of crimes, including illegal organ trade, and are adopted by same-sex couples.”

Russian legislators have long debated restrictions on surrogacy, with some even calling for a blanket ban on the practice. The current bill was first introduced in 2021. Before it becomes law, it must be signed by President Vladimir Putin.

Russia has sought additional protection for children born in the country – in 2012, it outlawed the adoption of Russian children by US nationals following several high-profile cases of abuse and even deaths of adopted children, as well as sanctions imposed by Washington on Moscow.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568230-parliament-foreigners-surrogacy-ban/
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via RT website 14 Dec, 2022 13:05

6) --- US missiles in Ukraine will be targeted if delivered – Kremlin

The US media has claimed that a Pentagon plan to arm Kiev with Patriot systems is being finalized

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russia would certainly target US MIM-104 Patriot missile systems in Ukraine if the weapons are deployed in the ongoing conflict. Media reports in the US have indicated that plans to deliver the air defense system are in the final stages.

Peskov’s remarks came in response to a question about how Russia would react to the possible delivery of the US-made systems, which Kiev currently does not have. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy chair of the National Security Council, stated in late November that such weapons and their crews would be legitimate targets if a NATO member were to deliver them.

When asked whether the Kremlin supported Medvedev’s stance, Peskov confirmed that was the case but advised against rushing to conclusions.

“In our times media reports are not reliable. Let us wait for official information,” he explained.

Medvedev’s remark came after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had praised Germany’s decision to deploy its Patriot missiles to Poland. He hailed Berlin’s support of Kiev and remarked that “decisions on specific capabilities” being sent to Ukraine were up to national governments. Some observers, including Medvedev, took this as a hint of an upcoming deployment of the weapons.

CNN claimed this week that the Pentagon is finalizing a proposal to arm Ukraine with Patriot missiles. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has to give the plan the go-ahead before it would be sent to the president for approval, the network said. Sources cited by other major news outlets confirmed the reporting.

If delivered, each missile battery would require “dozens of well trained Air Defenders to operate,” retired US Army General Mark Hertling remarked on Twitter. Preparing crews would require months, so “unless there’s been secret training going on for months, ‘approval’ doesn’t mean those systems will be on the battlefield immediately.”

The US and its allies have pledged to support Ukraine with arms, training and funding for “as long as it takes” to defeat Russia. Moscow says Western nations are simply prolonging the conflict in an attempt to hurt Russia and are pressuring the Ukrainian government not to enter into peace negotiations.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568227-patriot-missiles-ukraine-response/
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via RT website 14 Dec, 2022 11:02

7) --- UK training Ukrainian judges for trials of Russians

An ex-judge on the tribunal for former Yugoslavia is heading the program

A UK jurist previously involved in the trial of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is heading a British government program to train some 90 Ukrainian judges on how to conduct trials of Russian troops for alleged war crimes, Sky News has reported.

The first group of judges were given lessons at a “secret location in the region” last week, according to the outlet on Wedensday. The education program is part of a £2.5 million ($3 million) investment, the outlet said.

Victoria Prentis, who was appointed Attorney General in late October, gave a preview of the program in The Times earlier this month. She said her Ukrainian counterpart was facing “a horrifying catalogue of war crimes, with more than 43,000 cases recorded” and pledged her support in “navigating” them.

Speaking to Sky News about the initiative, she touted it as a form of deterrence to the Russian military.

“These 90 judges will go back after some really intensive training, able better to run those courts,” she added.

The program is headed by Sir Howard Morrison, a veteran British barrister, who was appointed an adviser to the Ukrainian prosecutor general in March. He expressed hope that senior figures in the Russian leadership could be prosecuted over Ukraine, just as former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and Bosnian Serb leaders were by the special tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

“I was told … that we would never try [Slobodan] Milosevic, [Radovan] Karadzic or [Ratko] Mladic, and we tried all three,” he told Sky News. “So you don't know how the political winds will change direction in the future.”

Morrison was among the judges in the trial of Karadzic, who was ultimately convicted of genocide and other serious crimes by the tribunal.

Moscow has accused Kiev’s foreign backers of turning a blind eye to evidence of war crimes committed by Ukrainian troops, including several incidents of torture of Russian prisoners of war, which were captured on camera.

The Kremlin also says indiscriminate attacks by Kiev on civilian targets in Donbass were a major reason for its decision in February to send troops into Ukraine. Last week, Russia delivered a letter to the UN Security Council accusing Ukraine of shelling residential areas using the weapons it has received from nations like the US and UK.
https://www.rt.com/news/568220-uk-trains-ukrainian-judges/
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