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
FBI Warns of Possible Iranian Drone Attack on U.S. West Coast
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned police departments in California about a possible Iranian plan to carry out a drone attack against the west coast of the United States, according to a report published Wednesday by ABC News.
The warning was issued through a memorandum sent to agencies participating in a Joint Terrorism Task Force, outlining the possibility of a surprise attack involving unmanned aerial vehicles launched from a vessel off the U.S. coastline.
According to the document, intelligence suggested that in early February 2026 Iran may have considered an attack against unspecified targets in California if the United States carried out airstrikes on Iranian territory.
However, the memo also noted that authorities lack additional details about the timing, method, specific targets, or individuals responsible for the alleged plan.
Reports cited by U.S. media indicate that the alert coincided with the start of a military offensive by the administration of Donald Trump against the Iran, a development that has heightened tensions across the Middle East.
Law enforcement sources with counterterrorism experience told the Los Angeles Times that the warning is part of a routine precautionary advisory based on information from the U.S. Coast Guard.
The sources emphasized that there is no credible indication of an imminent attack and no evidence that Iran currently has the capability to successfully carry out such an operation.
California is home to the largest Iranian community in the United States. According to the Migration Policy Institute, more than half of Iranian immigrants in the country lived in the state in 2019, including around 140,000 people in Los Angeles County alone.
The city also hosts a neighborhood widely known as “Tehrangeles,” where a large Iranian community began settling in the 1960s and continued to grow following the Iranian Revolution.
International
Trump Says Iran Is Welcome at 2026 World Cup but Warns of Security Concerns
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said Thursday that the national football team of Iran is “welcome” to participate in the 2026 World Cup, although he suggested it might be safer for the team not to take part in the tournament.
“The Iranian national soccer team is welcome at the World Cup, but I really don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be there, for their own safety,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
His comments came a day after Iran’s sports minister, Ahman Donyamali, said that there are currently no conditions for the country to participate in the tournament following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, during a military offensive launched on February 28 by Israel and the United States.
“After the corrupt government killed our leader, there are no conditions that allow us to take part in the World Cup,” the Iranian official said. He added that the country has faced two wars in the past eight or nine months, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths, making participation in the tournament unlikely.
On Tuesday, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, met with Trump at the White House.
Following the meeting, Infantino said that Trump reiterated that Iran’s national team would be allowed to compete in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
“We discussed the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. During the conversation, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote on Instagram.
International
Iran issues threat to Trump as conflict escalates over Strait of Hormuz
The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, threatened U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, warning him to “beware of being eliminated.”
The Republican president had warned on Monday that he would strike Iran “very hard” if the Islamic Republic blocked oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed since the war began eleven days ago.
“Iran is not afraid of your empty threats. Others more powerful than you tried to destroy the Iranian nation and failed. Beware that you are not eliminated,” Larijani wrote on X.
Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards — the ideological military force of the Islamic Republic — also said their forces would move to block oil exports from the Gulf.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s military offensive against Iran is far from over.
“Our aspiration is that the Iranian people free themselves from the yoke of tyranny; ultimately, that depends on them. But there is no doubt that with the measures taken so far we are breaking their bones, and we are not finished yet,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
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