In 2021, when Olga Rudenko and other journalists launched the Kyiv Independent, they were committed to making a publication that wouldn't face political pressure from an owner. A few months later, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the Independent began reporting breaking news from the front lines.
Austria's Defense Ministry stated, 'There have indeed been requests and they were refused from the outset.' The refusal is based on the country's neutrality policy, which has been in effect since 1955.
The US state department announced the designation of Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention, accusing it of engaging in hostage diplomacy. Afghanistan joined Iran as countries singled out by the United States for detaining Americans in hopes of extracting policy concessions.