Russia hits Ukraine’s east as Finland moves toward NATO bid
Russian forces unleashed airstrikes on the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the besieged city of Mariupol and pressed their advance on towns across the country’s east, Ukraine’s military said Thursday.
As the war, which has ground to a stalemate, wrought more death and upheaval, its globe-shaking repercussions spread, with Finland announcing plans to end decades of neutrality and seek NATO membership.
Finland’s president and prime minister said Thursday that the Nordic country should apply “without delay” for membership in the Western alliance, founded in part to counter the Soviet Union. The announcement means Finland is virtually certain to seek to join the military alliance, though a few steps remain before the application process can begin. Neighboring Sweden is expected to decide on joining NATO within days.
NATO’s support of Ukraine — particularly by supplying weapons — has been critical to Kyiv’s surprising success in stymieing Russia’s invasion, which began on Feb. 24. Many observers thought Moscow’s larger and better-armed military would be hard to stop, but the Ukrainians have bogged Russian troops down and thwarted their goal of overrunning the capital.
Still, the war has unleashed staggering destruction, killed thousands and forced millions from their homes, while shattering Europe’s sense of post-Cold War stability. It has prompted NATO to send troops and weapons to fortify the alliance’s eastern frontier and led Sweden and Finland to reconsider longstanding opposition to joining the trans-Atlantic alliance, whose members are committed to mutual defense.
such animals, there is an increased number of unregistered and illegal animals being kept, Bezzina said.
The recommendation is that with immediate effect, a shortterm amnesty is provided for the registration of exotic, dangerous and wild animals. A positive incentive was also proposed, such as a limited time free microchipping service, for people to register and microchip cats and dogs.
The commissioner recommended that in 2023 the introduction of a separate and obligatory nationwide animal census, which by 2031, would include animals in the existing 10-year national census.
The third recommendation includes the improvement of the electronic microchipping system, which includes the possibility of shared ownership and the automatic flagging of people banned by the courts from owning dogs or other animals.
This recommendation would address some problems, where it would flag a name of a person who is convicted of cruelty to animals, as well as address the situation that only one person can be recognised as the owner of the animal, despite being married and adopting a dog together.
Bezzina said that ‘blacklisted’ individuals who are forbidden from owning animals should be included in a database that is digitally synced to the microchipping database. The recommendation also includes the strengthening of administrative fines and the distribution of official certificates for those who microchip their pet cats.
Bezzina said that the recommendations made would curb the overpopulation of dogs and cats and for the government to provide adequate resources to enforce the current laws regarding animals.