Bern has indicated there isn’t enough evidence to show the funds fall under sanctions, making the move illegal
The Swiss government will not block more Russian assets – apart from the funds already frozen – due to a lack of evidence they fall under sanctions, Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Helene Budliger Artieda said in a Tuesday interview in the German newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
Her comments came in response to earlier claims by US Ambassador to Switzerland Scott Miller, who criticized SECO last month for not doing enough to implement sanctions against Russia, saying that Bern could block a further 50 to 100 billion Swiss francs in Russian assets and use them to help restore Ukraine.
“The figure of 50 to 100 billion francs was initially circulated as a possible estimate of Russian funds under [Swiss] management, but it was not an estimate produced by Switzerland. Not all Russians are subject to sanctions – only a small minority,” Budliger Artieda told the NZZ.
Bern has frozen 7.5 billion Swiss francs ($8.3 billion) worth of Russian assets since the EU imposed sanctions on Moscow in connection with its military operation in Ukraine. According to the SECO chief, the blocked funds equate to around “a good third” of the €21.5 billion ($23.4 billion) frozen across the European Union, but further asset freezing would require evidence that the funds were connected with sanctioned entities or individuals.
“We keep telling the US and all partner countries, if you have any valuable leads, give them to us. We will follow these up. To this day we have not received any from the Americans,” she stated.
When asked whether the frozen assets could be confiscated to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine, the official reiterated earlier statements by Swiss authorities that such a move would violate ownership rights and would be illegal from the point of view of the Swiss legal system.
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Seizing Russian assets is ‘challenging’ – EU task force head
“The confiscation of private assets is not permitted in Switzerland if they are of lawful origin and have no proven criminal background. Their confiscation would be contrary to the Federal Constitution and the applicable legal system and violate Switzerland’s international obligations,” she stated, adding that the Swiss government is also unlikely to pressure the country’s financial institutions to stop serving Russian clients.
“We do not dictate to any bank or company who it has to maintain customer relationships with,” she said.
While the notion of seizing frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine has been discussed by Western countries for some time, no actual steps have been taken so far, as many fear it could create a dangerous precedent in the global legal system. Russia has repeatedly warned against taking such actions, claiming they essentially constitute theft.
Not all crises are equal under the Biden Administration.
Climate change is top of mind on Capitol Hill, and government funding reflects this.
Joe Biden’s budget includes nearly $50 million for the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technology Office to assist communities and low-income households in continuing to decrease the cost of installing rooftop solar and solar plus storage on homes across the country.
The battle against fentanyl, which claims tens of thousands of lives each year from overdoses, gets $40 million to fight trafficking and disrupt transnational criminal organizations.
If the White House has a good reason why a program to help people install solar panels gets a bigger slice of the budget than efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking, the American people would love to hear it.
Biden’s taken some heat for not doing enough to fight the scourge of fentanyl, but as Politico reported, he’s taking steps, announcing Tuesday increased sanctions targeting drug traffickers.
The White House issued a fact sheet, saying it will increase sanctions and other measures against targets to stymie drug traffickers’ access to the U.S. financial system and illicit financial flows.
Washington will build a global coalition to combat the illicit synthetic drug trade, the statement said, in an effort to “develop solutions, drive national actions, and create synergies and leverage among like-minded countries.”
We all know how well sanctions against Russia, issued by a coalition of countries, worked in getting Russia to back off its war plans for Ukraine.
How about pulling out the stops to increase the number of Customs and Border Patrol officers? The agency has been struggling with shortages, boosting funding to entice recruits is well worth the expense.
CBP already does yeoman’s work. In February, CBP officers in California intercepted the largest seizure in the history of the port with almost $1 million worth of fentanyl and methamphetamine at the Andrade Port of Entry. It was stashed in a pickup truck, found after officers used the port’s imaging system to screen the vehicle. We need more wins like this.
Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Washington reintroduced the Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of Life (END FENTANYL) Act. The legislation would require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to update its policies at least once every three years to ensure drug interdiction guidance is up to date. It builds off the 2019 GAO report, “Land Ports of Entry: CBP Should Update Policies and Enhance Analysis of Inspections,” that found drug interdiction guidance has not been updated in 20 years.
These are concrete ways to address fentanyl trafficking, and warrant concerted bipartisan efforts to enact such legislation.
Getting U.S. homes outfitted with solar panels is a nice idea, but dedicating more budget dollars to stopping the flow of a deadly drug that is wreaking havoc on American lives should the Biden Administration’s top priority.
The Bruins won their record 64th game in their regular season Garden finale on Tuesday, but they did not escape their 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals without some concern.
Linus Ullmark had to leave the game with 9:39 left in the third period. A few minutes earlier, he had gotten up slowly after he slid into the post in attempt to make the save. He stayed in the game for a few minutes but eventually came out.
As he did when Charlie McAvoy got dinged up last week, coach Jim Montgomery calmed some fears after the game.
“It was just precautionary. He’s going to to be fine,” said Montgomery, allowing for a giant exhale across the region. “Just some mucle tightening. That’s all.”
Montgomery said the goalie hadn’t been dealing with anything prior to Tuesday night. Did he get a scare when he saw Ullmark leave?
“No. Goalies are odd, didn’t you know that?” said Montgomery with a laugh.
Ullmark, credited with his 40th win of the season (the most by a Bruin goalie since Pete Peeters notched 40 in 1982-83), did not come out to give his reliever Jeremy Swayman their usual hug, nor did he return for the shirt-off-their-backs post-game event. And he didn’t speak to reporters after the game. But the fact that Montgomery was able to crack himself up about the whole thing suggests the favorite for the Vezina Trophy will indeed be OK.
Otherwise, the B’s checked a few noteworthy boxes in the home finale:
*Get Brad Marchand off the schneid? Check. He snapped a 16-game goal-less streak and added a pair of assists.
*Continue rebuilding the power play? Check. They went 2-for-2 and looked good doing it.
*Set the record for most points in a season? Check. They earned their 132nd and 133rd point, surpassing the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. That Habs team, which lost only eight games in regulation, would be quick to point out that they played in the pre-overtime era and in an 80-game schedule. But the record still belongs to the B’s.
Pround son of Montreal, Montgomery didn’t want to dwell too much on this latest mark.
“It’s nice that we’re getting the record for points, but the Montreal team we surpassed only played 80 games,” said Montgomery. “I think the wins (63) in 80 games is a little more significant. But I care more that we’re playing the right way.”
After a sleepy start, the B’s finally broke the ice at 8:32 of the second period, and it came from a very welcome – and needed – source. Marchand had been mired in one of the worst scoring slumps of his career. He hadn’t even notched a point in his previous seven games. But after Matt Irwin cross-checked Taylor Hall to give the B’s their first power play, Marchand cashed in.
David Pastrnak, fresh off his hat trick that gave him 60 goals for the season on Sunday in Philadelphia, was set up for a one-timer at his usual spot on the left elbow when he took a slick pass from Patrice Bergeron. He didn’t take the slapper, but took it into the middle of the ice and fed Marchand on the right side for the wide open net. It was Marchand’s 21st of the season.
“You almost have to laugh about it,” said Marchand. “It was on of those things that gets frustrating, but then it gets to the point where it’s just laughable. You can’t take it too serious. I think that’s what it got to. It got to the point where it’s not the norm and I know that. I have much bigger expectations. But at the same time, we’re winning a lot of games (14 of their last 15 and seven straight) and we’re having a lot of fun and you don’t let the frustration get in the way of that.”
The B’s took a 2-0 lead on their second PP at 14:20. With the Tom Wilson in the box for roughing, Tyler Bertuzzi put back a rebound of a Pastrnak shot for his eighth of the season.
But the Caps got one back quickly on a bad break at 15:27. Nick Jensen took a harmless looking shot from out in the high slot, but it deflected off Charlie McAvoy and it bounced past Ullmark.
In the third period, the B’s poured on the pressure and, for a while, Lindgren was up for the challenge, making save after spectacular save.
But Tomas Nosek eventually gave the B’s a little bit of breathing space. After he had just changed on, Nosek pounced on a Washington turnover out high and he snapped it past Lindgren at 4:13. It was Nosek’s 100th career point.
Lindgren made one more terrific save on Hall at 5:21 on which he appeared to suffered a right shoulder injury, forcing him to leave the game in favor of Darcy Kuemper.
Wilson got the Caps back to within a goal when on a Washington power play, he chipped home a rebound at 7:13.
Not to worry. Just 36 seconds later, former Cap Garnet Hathaway chipped home a Nosek pass to give the B’s their two-goal pad again and, finally, Marchand set up Jake DeBrusk for an empty netter to finally end it.
The B’s now have one more very meaningless game left, Thursday in Montreal. When they return to the Garden early next week, it will be playoff time. There’s already a buzz in the air.
“You can tell the excitement that the city has right now. We love the opportunity. We’re real excited about it as well,” said Marchand. “The expectations are there, but there’s a long way to get to that point. We love that challenge, but it’s a step by step process that we need to focus on. We’ve got to worry about Game 1 and we’ll go game by game after that.”
It’s a methodical approach that has worked wonders for them in the regular season, that’s for sure.
Linus Ullmark of the Bruins tries to stop a shot during the first period. He left the game in the third period after apparently being injured. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Mel King’s familiar messages of love and action rang clear through the words of his family, friends, peers, students and others at a historic funeral Tuesday afternoon — calling on the city to carry the late Boston icon’s legacy forward.
The sold-out, packed-in funeral and celebration took place in King’s South End home neighborhood at the Union United Methodist Church, starting at noon and lasting through nearly four hours of commendations, memories and music.
Speakers included King’s children and granddaughter, Gov. Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, King’s former students, and community and religious leaders, with the eulogy delivered by former State Rep. Byron Rushing.
The hosts remembered their own time being inspired by King and his incredible work — from protesting and pushing the historic Tent City to ensure affordable housing in the South End; to advocating for educational opportunities through his work at MIT, establishing the South End Technology Center and more; to his trailblazing run for mayor in 1983, paving the way for the diversity and ideology of modern day leadership.
“In the leadership of every sector and institution in the city, and in City Hall, and in the halls of the State House, we know that we would not be here without Mel King,” said Wu. “In the hearts that shape everything happening in this great city pulse with the heartbeat of Mel King.”
“We need to understand that Mel was not ahead of his time — Mel was on time,” said Rushing, to thunderous applause. “He was only working in a city where the leadership was behind the time.”
The music — an artistic forum loved and championed by King — was curated to powerfully sweep genres and included West African drummers, the Boston Arts Academy Spirituals Ensemble, local artist and King collaborator Danielle Lee Ruffen and a rendition of King’s own “Bring Out the Music in You,” among others.
King will be remembered in many ways, attendees said again and again — as a poet, songwriter, activist, educator, champion of the South End, legislator, quilter, husband, father, trailblazer and leader.
“May his example be a call to action to fight longer, to think more deeply, and some love harder,” said Pressley.
The casket is carried from the church after the funeral for Mel King at Union United Methodist Church. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)Joyce King, widow of Mel King, is embraced after the funeral for her husband at Union United Methodist Church. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Mayor Michelle Wu, Gov. Maura Healey, Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren all attend the funeral for Mel King. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
