International
Ukraine debates the exemption from military service in exchange for higher taxes
Ukraine is studying the possibility of allowing its citizens to avoid mobilization in exchange for a greater contribution to the state budget, in an attempt to find the right balance between guaranteeing enough soldiers for the Army and resources to pay for the defense of the country and an enlistment during martial law that is considered fair.
The Ukrainian Parliament is preparing to review three bills presented by the president of its Economy Committee, Dmitro Nataluja, which provide for the so-called exemption or “economic reserve” of individual employees and entrepreneurs.
Thus, companies will be able to “reserve” their especially valuable employees by paying an additional amount to the state budget of about 470 euros per month for each or when the salary is equal to or greater than 840 euros, since taxes in this case are already high.
Supporters of the idea argue that it would help limit the growing labor deficit in Ukraine, caused by emigration and mobilization, which 58% of companies indicate as the main problem.
According to the European Association of Ukrainian Enterprises, the measure would complement the current reservation mechanism, which is based, among other measures, on mobilization quotas in various sectors considered the most important and is often criticized for its lack of transparency and predictability.
The “economic reserve” would guarantee that companies continue to function, thus boosting the economy and contributing to the financing of the Army, the companies argue.
Currently, the State finances its defense against the Russian invasion only with its own income, while the money contributed by the allies directly to the state budget can only be spent on “civilian” purposes.
According to the Government of Ukraine, at least 11.500 million more euros need to be found in 2024.
Nataluja maintains that his idea can contribute between 4.6 billion and 7.4 billion euros to the budget, which would help equip and pay the soldiers who are being mobilized now.
The fate of the proposals depends on the support they obtain in society depending on their impact on the mobilization.
Vitali, a 35-year-old computer scientist from the city of Lviv, has barely left his apartment in the last half year for fear of meeting on the street with the representatives of the recruitment center.
Since the country currently needs more soldiers on the battlefield, he fears that he will be sent to an infantry unit and be injured or died.
With a monthly income of much more than 400 euros, the average salary of the country, Vitali says that he would be happy to pay to avoid military service, in addition to the frequent direct donations to the Ukrainian Army that he currently makes.
“I would know that I am not doing anything wrong from a legal point of view, I would support our defense effort and I could finally live without fear,” he explains to EFE.
However, for many soldiers and veterans, the introduction of an “economic reserve” would be a hard blow to national unity and the image of the Army.
“It is the principle of social justice that differentiates us from our enemy. We are all equal before the law, in the Army we are all equal and all sectors of the population must enlist,” argues on local television “Express” Oleg Simoroz, a well-known veteran who lost both legs in combat.
Simoroz points out that such “discrimination based on property” or personal wealth has no place in “a civilized democracy.”
According to him, the idea undermines long-term efforts for military service to be considered “prestigious” and that, instead, the Government should increase taxes on oligarchs and optimize its own expenses to find more funds.
Those who defend the proposals point out, however, that the veteran ignores that some pay bribes to avoid mobilization or have difficulties due to the absence of clear rules on the exemption from mobilization.
They believe that the “economic reserve” would make the mobilization more transparent and would also benefit the Army.
International
Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on Monday requested that the Supreme Court restore his freedom while he appeals the historic 12-year house arrest sentence he received for bribery and procedural fraud.
Uribe, the most prominent figure of Colombia’s right wing, was convicted last week by a lower court for attempting to bribe paramilitary members into denying his ties to the violent anti-guerrilla squads.
Since Friday, the 73-year-old has been under house arrest at his residence in Rionegro, about 30 km from Medellín. The judge justified the measure by citing a risk of flight.
However, Uribe’s defense team rejected that argument and formally petitioned the court to immediately lift the detention order, claiming it lacks legal basis.
Uribe, a dominant force in Colombian politics for decades, is now the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted and placed under arrest, found guilty of witness tampering and obstruction of justice to prevent links to paramilitary groups.
He has repeatedly denounced the trial as politically motivated, blaming pressure from the leftist government currently in power.
His political party, Centro Democrático, has called for nationwide protests on August 7 in support of Uribe, who remains popular for his hardline stance against guerrilla groups.
Uribe has until August 13 to submit his written appeal. The case will then move to the Bogotá High Court, which has until October 16 to uphold, overturn, or dismiss the sentence. If the deadline passes without a decision, the case will be archived.
International
U.S. Embassy staff restricted as gunfire erupts near compound in Port-au-Prince
The poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean is currently engulfed in a deep political crisis and a wave of violence driven by armed groups — a situation that an international security mission led by Kenya is attempting to stabilize.
Due to the worsening security conditions, the U.S. government has suspended all official movements of embassy personnel outside the compound in Port-au-Prince, the U.S. State Department announced Monday in a security alert posted on social media platform X.
“There are intense gunfights in the Tabarre neighborhood, near the U.S. Embassy,” the alert reads, urging the public to avoid the area.
Tabarre is a municipality located near Port-au-Prince International Airport, northeast of the Haitian capital.
According to a July report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,141 people were killed in Haitibetween January 1 and June 30 of this year.
International
Israel says 136 food aid boxes airdropped into Gaza by six nations
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that 136 boxes of food aid were airdropped into Gaza by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, and Belgium.
“In recent hours, six countries conducted air drops of 136 aid packages containing food for residents in the southern and northern Gaza Strip,” read the statement, which added that the operation was coordinated by COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Israeli military emphasized that they will “continue working to improve the humanitarian response alongside the international community” and reiterated their stance to “refute false allegations of deliberate famine in Gaza.”
The announcement comes as UN agencies warn Gaza faces an imminent risk of famine. More than one in three residents go days without eating, and other nutrition indicators have dropped to their worst levels since the conflict began.
The agencies also noted the difficulty of “collecting reliable data in current conditions, as Gaza’s health systems —already devastated by nearly three years of conflict— are collapsing.”
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported on Sunday that hospitals in the enclave recorded six deaths from hunger and malnutrition on Saturday, all of them adults.
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Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction