Some nations are reportedly urging for exemptions on food exports from the country
Leading EU member states have been calling on Brussels to amend sanctions on Moscow to make a clearer exemption for supplies of Russian grain and fertilizer, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
According to an EU position paper seen by the FT, Germany, France and the Netherlands are among the countries urging the European Commission to change the sanctions limits. They argue the current rules are delaying vital shipments to poor countries.
The position paper, whose authors reportedly also includes Spain, Belgium, and Portugal, points out that “the current legal situation contributes to criticism that sanctions actually hinder trade in food and fertilizers.”
It stated that shipments get stuck in European ports because companies are worried about taking part in transactions with Russian firms. The paper added that financial institutions, insurers, transporters, and wholesalers are reluctant to deal in the export of Russian food and fertilizer, disrupting supply chains.
READ MORE: Moscow clarifies conditions for extending grain deal
According to the FT, the document also said that there was now an “undesirable” situation where the EU is stricter on agricultural transactions than the US and the UK, which “seems in contradiction with the general EU policy on food security.”
The outlet noted that some member states want to use the planned ninth package of anti-Russia sanctions as an opportunity for amendments addressing food and fertilizer supply.
https://www.rt.com/business/567883-eu-russia-sanctions-food/
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is preparing to leave the Trump administration after what a new report has described as months of tension with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, potentially triggering another change at the army’s top echelons.
According to the Friday report by The Wall Street Journal, Driscoll is expected to step down before the end of the year and could leave his post earlier. The newspaper cited people familiar with discussions over his departure.
The Journal reported that Driscoll and his family vacated the official residence assigned to the army secretary at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall this summer, a move that could indicate he was preparing to leave the position.
The reported departure would come at a time of continuing uncertainty at the top echelons of the army.
Hegseth abruptly removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April, while Trump has not yet nominated a permanent successo....more below
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The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns the enemies that any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic will not go unanswered.
In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC issued a “stern warning” to the enemies after US forces launched strikes against the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
Following the US military attack on a point on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport with aerial projectiles, the IRGC carried out new strikes targeting the US air base from which the attack originated in the wee hours of Thursday, it added.
“This response is a serious warning to the enemy that they should know the act of aggression will not go unanswered,” the IRGC emphasized.
The elite military force warned of a “more decisive” response if the enemy repeated any act of aggression.
It also said the responsibility for the consequences of any IRGC response lies with the aggressor.
The statement comes after the IRGC Navy on Thursday forced an American tanker to turn back. The tanker ...
