US announces $200 mn military aid to Ukraine
Washington, July 21 : In a move to counter Moscow's influence in Ukraine, the US has announced $200 million in security assistance to Kiev.
The aid will fund additional training, equipment and advisory efforts to build the defensive capacity of Ukraine's forces, the Pentagon said in a statement on Friday.
"This reaffirms the long-standing defence relationship between the US and Ukraine," the statement noted, adding that Washington's security assistance to Kiev totalled more than $1 billion since 2014.
The Pentagon statement came after the White House on Friday rejected a proposal from Russia to hold a referendum in eastern Ukraine on the fate of the region, Xinhua news agency reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the possibility of a referendum in Ukraine during his meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday in Helsinki, Finland, Russia's Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine started in 2014 between the government forces and armed groups that declared independence from Kiev.
Ukraine has long accused Russia of aiding the insurgents while Moscow has repeatedly dismissed Kiev's claims.
"To organise a so-called referendum in a part of Ukraine which is not under government control would have no legitimacy," the White House National Security Council said Friday.
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Bypoll results will decide the future of Congress in Karnataka: BJP leader Ashoka
Bengaluru (PTI): Leader of Opposition BJP in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said the results of the bypolls in Davanagere South and Bagalkote assembly constituencies will decide the future of the ruling Congress in the state.
The bypolls were necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies respectively.
The ruling Congress has fielded Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson and Karnataka Minister S S Mallikarjun’s son Samarth Shamanur in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote, who are locked in a direct contest with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.
According to Ashoka, there is a contest between the poor and the rich in the upcoming bypolls, scheduled on April 9.
"The Congress will lose this election, and the future of the state will be decided. Since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said ‘Make the poor win’, the BJP has fielded poor candidates,” the BJP leader said in a press conference.
In Davanagere, the BJP has given a ticket to an ordinary person, whereas Congress has given tickets to powerful and influential people. In Bagalkote, there is a very good opinion about the BJP candidate, he claimed.
According to him, the Congress has given space to dynastic politics in both places. Therefore, the BJP has a strong chance of winning in both constituencies.
The LoP said if the Congress candidate wins in Davanagere, it is understood that Muslims will not get opportunities in the future, and therefore, Muslims are opposing the Congress party.
He also charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who talks about uniting backward classes, has not given a ticket to backward class candidates.
