Washington says a Russian attack on Ukraine is still possible, calls for diplomacy

US President Joe Biden said that "a Russian attack on Ukraine is still very possible," but at the same time he called for "giving diplomacy every chance of success," and said, "There is an opportunity to address Russia's security concerns," threatening harsh and immediate sanctions if it invaded. Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a Russian attack on Ukraine was still very possible, but called for diplomacy to be given every chance of success in resolving the crisis.

He said, "We are ready for all scenarios in the Ukrainian crisis, but all opportunities must be given to diplomacy," and Biden stressed that "there are real ways to address Russia's security concerns."

He continued, "America and NATO are not a threat to Russia, and they do not have missiles in Ukraine or planes to deploy there."

Biden added that the start of the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Ukrainian border, as announced by Moscow, "will be positive," but added: "We have not yet verified the implementation of this," stressing that these forces, estimated at more than 150,000 soldiers, are still in a threatening situation. .

The US president warned that the human cost would be enormous if Russia invaded Ukraine, adding, "The invasion would be for no reason."

Biden warned that America and allies are ready to impose strong sanctions and export restrictions if Russia invades Ukraine, and said that "these sanctions are ready."

He explained that the "severe" sanctions would put pressure in particular on their largest and most important financial institutions and on major industries," reiterating that Nord Stream 2 would never operate to transport gas between Russia and Germany in the event of a Russian attack.

Biden indicated that energy prices could be affected if an invasion occurred.

Germany's Deutsche Welle dismisses two other Arab journalists for anti-Semitism

The German media network, Deutsche Welle, has dismissed the two Palestinian journalists, Zahi Allawi and Yasser Abu Maileq, who work in its Arabic department, on the grounds of "anti-Semitism", after it recently dismissed 5 journalists.

The German media network, Deutsche Welle, has dismissed two other Arab journalists working in its Arab section, claiming "anti-Semitism", after it recently dismissed 5 journalists.

The two journalists are the two Palestinians, Zahi Allawi and Yasser Abu Maileq, who were dismissed for allegedly using "anti-Semitic" terms on their social media accounts in the past, according to the German press.

And it was reported that Allawi had been working for 17 years in the German media organization, while Abu Maileq had been working for 12 years, and that they were among the 8 people whom the network's director general announced an investigation against them, last week.

She added that the two journalists had previously condemned, through their accounts on social media, the Israeli attack on the besieged Gaza Strip in 2014.

On February 8, the German media network Deutsche Welle dismissed 5 Arab journalists employed by it for allegedly using "anti-Semitic" terms.

In a press conference at the time, Deutsche Welle Network Director Peter Limburg stated that "5 Arab journalists have been dismissed, and investigations are continuing against 8 others for the same reason."

European Center recommends banning the Israeli Pegasus program in the European Union

In its report on the Israeli Pegasus spyware program, the European Union's Data Protection Monitoring Center recommended a ban on the program within the European Union to protect the basic rights of individuals.

The European Union's Data Protection Monitoring Center has recommended a ban on Pegasus software within the bloc to protect people's fundamental rights.

The Pegasus program, manufactured by the Israeli company NSO, is surreptitiously implanted in mobile devices for the purpose of espionage.

In the past months, it was reported that the same program was used by many countries to spy on dissidents, journalists, social activists, and politicians around the world.

In a tweet on its Twitter account, attached to its report on the program, the center said that "the use of Pegasus may lead to an unprecedented level of intrusion, threatening the essence of the right to privacy."

In its report, "Preliminary Observations on the Use of Modern Spyware", published Tuesday, the European Union's Data Protection Monitoring Center made it clear that a ban on Pegasus would be the most viable solution and the most effective option for protecting fundamental rights and freedoms.

He also pointed out that the use of the Pegasus program may lead to an unprecedented level of violation of basic rights and the principles of individual privacy, which are "an essential element for preserving human dignity," according to the statement.

On the other hand, the report of the European Commission stressed that the disclosure of the espionage methods used through the Pegasus program, today raises questions of great importance regarding the "potential impact of modern espionage tools on basic rights, in particular on the rights of privacy and data protection."

The European Parliament had decided, earlier, to form a committee to investigate the use of the Pegasus program within the European Union.