This week, @ODNIgov released their annual threat assessment, which draws clear attention to how weakened Russia is and how much they fear continued U.S. aid to Ukraine.
We cannot play right into their hands. We must renew the aid.
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) March 13, 2024
Day: March 13, 2024
My interview in Statecraft just went live https://t.co/qvZgqjJ2fn
— Laura Thomas (@laurae_thomas) March 13, 2024
San Francisco community members at Elaine Kapjian-Pitt and Morley Pitt’s home, where they celebrated the Arev Children’s Development Center in ArmeniaSAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco community members gathered at the home of Elaine Kapjian-Pitt and Morley Pitt in San Francisco March 8 to honor the impactful work of the Arev Children’s Development Center in Yerevan, Armenia.
More than a few dozen guests learned about the center’s efforts to improve the lives of children with Down syndrome which provide medical care, education, and advocacy—the only center of its kind focusing on Down syndrome in Armenia.
Fr. Grigor Grigorian, founder of the Arev Center, was in attendance from Armenia and shared the center’s journey and mission, including how it has personally played a vital role in the development of his young son, also with Down syndrome.
Fr. Mesrop Ash (center left) and Fr. Grigor Grigorian (center right) with Kim Bardakian Demirjian (left) and Elaine Kapjian-PittFr. Grigor also discussed the Bell Choir formed by the children at the center, illustrating their dedicated efforts to reshape societal perceptions of individuals with Down syndrome across Armenia. Families bringing their children to the center are not required to pay for the rehabilitation services their child receives, which is a huge burden lifted for the families.
Generously hosted by St. John Armenian Church, Fr. Mesrop Ash, Elaine Kapjian-Pitt, Kim Bardakian Demirjian, and Valina Agbabian, the event highlighted the power of community in uplifting the lives of those in need.
Guests left inspired by the center’s work and their role in making a difference. The event showcased compassion, inclusion, and empowerment for all children, irrespective of ability.
To learn more about the Arev Center or to donate, visit the website.
VIENNA — Austria has declared two diplomats from the Russian embassy personae non grata for actions “incompatible with their diplomatic status,” ordering them to leave the country within a week, Austria’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
The move brings to 11 the number of Russian diplomats Austria has expelled since 2020 in four separate rounds. It is not clear whether the expulsions are connected.
Officials have said that some previous expulsions involved spying, but as before the ministry gave no specifics.
“Two diplomats from the Russian embassy have acted in a manner that is incompatible with their diplomatic status,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, using its standard phrasing for such cases. They must leave the country by the end of Tuesday, it added.
Before Austria even announced the move, Russia already said it would retaliate. Its foreign ministry called the decision “groundless,” according to state news agency RIA.
Russian news agencies, quoting a statement issued by the Russian embassy in Vienna, expressed “outrage” at the expulsions.
“As in previous episodes of expulsions, this time we have not been presented with the slightest evidence, let alone proof of any violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the agencies quoted the statement as saying.
“This is a purely political decision by the Austria authorities which we categorically reject. There can be no doubt of Moscow’s resolute response,” the statement said, according to the agencies.
After previous expulsions from Austria, Moscow has responded by expelling diplomats from the Austrian Embassy in Moscow, which has only a fraction of the number of diplomats that Russia has stationed in Austria.
Vienna is a major diplomatic center hosting the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and United Nations organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency.
VIENNA — Austria has declared two diplomats from the Russian embassy personae non grata for actions “incompatible with their diplomatic status,” ordering them to leave the country within a week, Austria’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
The move brings to 11 the number of Russian diplomats Austria has expelled since 2020 in four separate rounds. It is not clear whether the expulsions are connected.
Officials have said that some previous expulsions involved spying, but as before the ministry gave no specifics.
“Two diplomats from the Russian embassy have acted in a manner that is incompatible with their diplomatic status,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, using its standard phrasing for such cases. They must leave the country by the end of Tuesday, it added.
Before Austria even announced the move, Russia already said it would retaliate. Its foreign ministry called the decision “groundless,” according to state news agency RIA.
Russian news agencies, quoting a statement issued by the Russian embassy in Vienna, expressed “outrage” at the expulsions.
“As in previous episodes of expulsions, this time we have not been presented with the slightest evidence, let alone proof of any violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the agencies quoted the statement as saying.
“This is a purely political decision by the Austria authorities which we categorically reject. There can be no doubt of Moscow’s resolute response,” the statement said, according to the agencies.
After previous expulsions from Austria, Moscow has responded by expelling diplomats from the Austrian Embassy in Moscow, which has only a fraction of the number of diplomats that Russia has stationed in Austria.
Vienna is a major diplomatic center hosting the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and United Nations organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Go back to Western #Europe, crusaders, stop trying to take what doesn’t belong to you. You saw how it ended last time. Historical falsification will not help #Armenia. International Law backs #Azerbaijan. You don’t even belong to #SouthCaucasus region. https://t.co/KHpKhxduF4 pic.twitter.com/xqsFR8t5Hu
— Artemis (@justitiartemis) March 13, 2024
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