PSAKI Salahcakap: OBAMA Belum LAGI Menandatangani Rang UNDANG-undang BARU Anti-RUSIA . . .

iLMu2lautan – Presiden Amerika Syarikat, Barack Obama belum lagi menanda-tangani rang undang-undang penjelasan cara utk lebih sekatan ekonomi terhadap Rusia. Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat mengesahkan Jen Psaki ‘misspoke’ semasa taklimat media.

Rang undang2 itu dijangka ditandatangani "pd akhir minggu ini," menurut kenya-taan Setiausaha Akhbar di White House Josh Earnest Selasa. Juru-cakap Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat Jen Psaki mendakwa pd hari Rabu bahwa rang undang-undang itu telah ditandatangani.

"Beliau menandatanganinya semalam," Psaki dinyatakan semasa taklimat itu, mengganggu Gayane Chichakyan RT ini yang bertanya soalan mengenai rang undang-undang digelar Ukraine Kebebasan Akta Sokongan 2014.

Walau bagaimanapun, menurut kepada wakil-wakil Rumah Putih "Presiden masih belum menandatangani undang-undang ini."

"Jen [Psaki] sebenarnya ‘misspoke’ semasa taklimat hari ini, jadi kami akan membetulkan ini dengan nota kaki pada transkrip dalam laman web dalam beberapa minit," jabatan ini officialconfirmed untuk Sputnik News Agency.

PSAKI Misspoke: OBAMA Not YET Signed NEW 

Anti-Russian BILL . . .

US President Barack Obama has not yet signed a bill clearing the way for more economic sanctions against Russia. The US State Department confirmed Jen Psaki misspoke during the press briefing.

The bill was expected to be signed “by the end of the week,”according to White House press secretary Josh Earnest’s statement in Tuesday. US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki claimed on Wednesday that the bill was already signed.

“He signed it yesterday,” Psaki stated during the briefing, interrupting RT’s Gayane Chichakyan who was asking a question about the bill dubbed Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014.

However, according to representatives of the White House “the President has not yet signed this legislation.”

"Jen [Psaki] actually misspoke during today’s briefing, so we will be correcting this with a footnote on the transcript found on the website in a few minutes," the department's official confirmed to Sputnik News Agency.

Rang undang-undang itu akan menyaksikan kira-kira $ 350 juta pada bantuan yang diberikan kepada Ukraine.

Selain bantuan tentera dan bukan tentera ke Ukraine, rang undang2 tambahan membolehkan pengenaan lagi sekatan bersyarat pada sektor pertahanan Rusia, seperti hukuman ke atas milik negara senjata Rosoboronexport peniaga dan orang perseorangan yang berkaitan.

Rang undang2 jg membayangkan $20 juta dana tahunan bagi menyokong "demo-krasi Rusia & masyarakat sivil organisasi" termasuk melalui peningkatan "Amerika Syarikat aktiviti penyiaran kerajaan disokong." 

Satu lagi keutamaan berkembang penyiaran di negara2 bekas Kesatuan Soviet, yang akan kos lain $ 10 juta setahun.

Walaupun rang undang-undang itu tidak membuat sekatan wajib sepenuhnya, ia membolehkan Obama untuk memutuskan bahagian mana rang undang-undang untuk menguatkuasakan.

'Pendekatan ketinggalan zaman'

Berita itu datang hari yg sama Presiden Obama membuat pengumuman yg ber-sejarah mengenai "perubahan dasar" ke arah Havana & Amerika Syarikat meran-cang untuk mengangkat jualan & eksport embargo dan mewujudkan hubungan diplomatik dengan Cuba.

BACA lebih lanjut: Obama mengumumkan Amerika Syarikat akan menubuhkan kedutaan di Cuba, sekatan lif READ MORE: Obama announces US will establish embassy in Cuba, lift sanctions

Dekad "pendekatan ketinggalan zaman" membawa sebarang perubahan rejim di Cuba yang "masih ditadbir oleh Castros dan parti Komunis," Presiden Amerika Syarikat mengumumkan.

"Tiada negara lain menyertai kami dalam sekatan ini. Dan ia mempunyai kesan yang kecil, "kata Obama. "Kami akan berakhir pendekatan ketinggalan zaman yang selama beberapa dekad telah gagal untuk memajukan kepentingan kami."

Bagi Rusia, ahli politik Amerika Syarikat termasuk Obama juga telah mengakui bahawa sekatan yang dikenakan setakat ini tidak adalah seperti yang berkesan seperti g diharapkan. 

Walau bagaimanapun, "setiap negara adalah sangat berbeza," Psaki berkata, nam-paknya membayangkan bahwa desakan utk "pengasingan" Rusia mungkin masih entah bagaimana mempengaruhi polisi dan proses dalam negara.

OP-EDGE: matlamat Sekatan 'adalah perubahan rejim, tidak kira Cuba atau RusiaOP-EDGE: Sanctions’ goal is regime change, no matter Cuba or Russia

Sementara itu, Kementerian Luar Rusia berharap bahawa Washington mungkin akhirnya menyedari ketidakberkesanan tekanan sekatan di negara-negara lain, kerana ia akhirnya lakukan dalam hal Cuba.

"Ia menunjukkan bahawa Presiden Amerika Syarikat yg telah mengiktirafkan yg sia-sia tahun mencuba untuk 'mengasingkan' Cuba," kata Kementerian Luar Rusia. "Kami tidak boleh tetapi berharap bahawa Washington akan cepat menyedari yang sia-sia sekatan tekanan yang sama terhadap negara lain."

The bill will see some $350 million in assistance provided to Ukraine.

Besides the military and non-military assistance to Ukraine, the bill additionally allows further imposition of conditional sanctions on the Russian defense sector, such as penalties on state-owned arms dealer Rosoboronexport as well as connected individuals.

The bill also envisions $20 million in annual funding in order to support “Russian democracy and civil society organizations” including through increasing “US government-supported broadcasting activities.”Another priority is expanded broad-casting in countries of the former Soviet Union, which will cost another $10 million per year.

Although the bill does not make sanctions fully obligatory, it allows Obama to decide which parts of the bill to enforce.

‘Outdated approach’

The news comes the very same day President Obama made a historic announcement about a “policy change” towards Havana and US plans to lift the sales and exports embargo and establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.

READ MORE: Obama announces US will establish embassy in Cuba, lift sanctions

The decades of “outdated approach” brought no regime change in Cuba which is “still governed by the Castros and the Communist party,” the US president announced.

“No other nation joins us in these sanctions. And it has had little effect,” Obama said. “We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interest.”

In the case of Russia, US politicians including Obama have also admitted that restrictions imposed so far were not as effective as expected. However, “every country is hugely different,” Psaki said, apparently implying that the push for “isolation” of Russia may still somehow influence policies and processes within the country.

OP-EDGE: Sanctions’ goal is regime change, no matter Cuba or Russia

The Russian Foreign Ministry meanwhile expressed hope that Washington might finally realize the ineffectiveness of sanction pressure on other countries, as it eventually did in the case of Cuba.

“It is indicative that the US president has recognized the futility of years of trying to ‘isolate’ Cuba," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "We cannot but hope that Washington will be quick to realize the futility of similar sanctions pressure on other countries.”

READ MORE: http://on.rt.com/i59rde

2014 Q & A Marathon: UMUM menanti MENGAMBIL Putin PADA tahun LEGEH Bagi RUSIA . . .

iLMu2lautan – Q yang ditunggu-tunggu & maraton oleh Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin dijangka akan berat ekonomi & politik berikutan perubahan geopolitik utama tahun ini. RT adalah menyiarkannya secara langsung utk penonton antarabangsa.

Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin mengadakan sidang akhbar mengenai isu-isu men-desak hari, termasuk kegawatan ekonomi dan ketidakstabilan mata wang negara, di tengah hari pada 18 Disember ini adalah sidang akhbar tahunan ke-10 yang akan diadakan oleh Presiden Rusia. Format yang sama di dalam masa lalu biasanya berlangsung sehingga beberapa jam.

2014 Q&A MARATHON: Public AWAITS Putin’s TAKE 

On Watershed YEAR For RUSSIA . . .

The much-anticipated Q&A marathon by Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to be heavy on economics and politics following major geopolitical shifts this year. RT is broadcasting it live for international audiences.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding a press conference on the pressing issues of the day, including the economic turbulence and volatility of the national currency, at noon on December 18. This is the 10th annual press conference to be held by the Russian President. Similar formats in the past lasted normally up to several hours.

Keadaan ekonomi Rusia dan konfrontasi baru-baru ini dengan Barat adalah isu-isu yang sebahagian daripada 1,200 wartawan menghadiri acara tersebut mungkin akan berusaha untuk menangani pertama.

"Adalah yang jelas bahawa ekonomi akan menjadi perkara pertama yang akan ditanya," kata jurucakap Putin Dmitry Peskov kepada Rossiya 24 TV berita menje-lang acara yang besar. Beliau berkata bahawa Kremlin menjangka soalan "menge-nai keadaan di ekonomi, keadaan dengan ruble, harga, langkah2 yang kepimpinan Rusia ada di dalam fikiran untuk menangani ini."

Sejak awal 2014 ruble telah jatuh hampir 50 % peratus berbanding dolar Amerika Syarikat. Dalam usaha untuk menghentikan penurunan nilai mata wang negara Bank Negara telah menaikkan kadar faedah utama kepada 17 % peratus, langkah yang tidak mencukupi untuk berkesan berhenti turun naik.

Pada masa yang sama, harga produk makanan dalam rantaian runcit pada tahun lepas di Rusia telah meningkat sehingga 25 % peratus dan dikhuatiri pada bulan-bulan pertama 2015 harga boleh meningkat lebih tinggi.

The state of the Russian economy and recent confrontation with the West are the issues that some of the 1,200 journalists attending the event will likely seek to tackle first.

“It is clear that the economy will be the first thing that will be asked,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Rossiya 24 TV news ahead of the big event. He said that the Kremlin expects questions “on the situation in the economy, the situation with the ruble, prices, measures that the leadership of Russia have in mind to tackle these.”

Since the beginning of 2014 the ruble has fallen almost 50 percent against the US dollar. In an effort to halt the devaluation of the national currency the Central Bank has raised its key interest rate to 17 percent, a measure that was not enough to effectively stop the volatility.

At the same time, the price of food products in retail chains in the past year in Russia have risen by up to 25 percent and it is feared that in the first months of 2015 prices could rise even further.

Putin juga mungkin akan membincangkan keadaan geopolitik yang tegang yang telah dibentuk berikutan kegawatan Ukraine dan perang saudara dan referendum Crimea untuk menyertai Rusia. Peskov dipanggil 2014 yang "luar biasa" tahun dari segi "anjakan paradigma dalam sistem antarabangsa," sesuatu yang Presiden Rusia merancang untuk menghuraikan lebih jauh.

Persengketaan di Ukraine dijangka kekal salah satu topik utama perbincangan sebagai gencatan senjata di Donbass diumumkan oleh Kiev minggu lepas adalah hampir tidak bertahan. Sementara itu, menuduh Moscow dpd "pencerobohan" di Ukraine, negara-negara NATO bukan sahaja menampar Rusia dengan sekatan eko-nomi, tetapi juga meningkatkan kehadiran tentera di sempadan Rusia.

Persoalan paling besar adalah bagaimana Rusia akan bertindak balas jika sekatan lagi diperkenalkan oleh Amerika Syarikat dan Kesatuan Eropah.

BACA lebih lanjut: Ditandatangani atau tidak? White House bercanggah Negeri Jabatan pada rang undang-undang baru anti-Rusia READ MORE: Signed or not? White House contradicts State Dept. on new anti-Russian bill

Dalam persediaan untuk sesi soal jawab, Putin telah aktif mencari pendapat pakar daripada beberapa menteri kerajaan, penganalisis dan penasihat. Peskov berkata, bahawa pemimpin Rusia bersedia untuk apa-apa soalan mungkin.

"Sidang akhbar selalu tempat di mana presiden boleh ditanya apa2 soalan," kata-nya, menonjolkan bahwa presiden akan menjawab soalan ‘uncensored’, meru-muskan peristiwa-peristiwa tahun keluar.

Hidup Q & A sidang akhbar pertama kali diadakan pada tahun 2001 dan menjadi tuan rumah lebih 500 wartawan. Sejak itu ia terus setiap tahun sehingga 2008, apabila Putin menjadi Perdana Menteri Rusia. Ia telah diperkenalkan semula pd tahun 2012 selepas Presiden Putin telah dipilih semula.

BACA lebih lanjut: 'Ingat pelajaran kita diajar Hitler': Top 10 sebut harga daripada ucapan Negara Negara Putin READ MORE: ‘Remember lessons we taught Hitler’: Top 10 quotes from Putin’s State of Nation address

Dalam ucapan awam utama sebelum ini Putin membuat pendirian yang kuat ter-hadap percubaan-Amerika Syarikat yang diketuai oleh Barat untuk melemahkan Rusia semasa Negara tentang alamat Negara untuk Perhimpunan Persekutuan yang sebelum ini pada bulan Disember.

Pastikan untuk mendengar RT liputan secara langsung - pada RT.com dan You-Tube saluran, termasuk RT French - untuk tinggal di atas ucapan pemimpin Rusia kerana mereka akan dibawa ke anda tinggal di 09:00 GMT.

Putin will also likely discuss the tense geopolitical situation that has been shaped following the Ukrainian turmoil and civil war and Crimea’s referendum to join Russia. Peskov called 2014 an“unusual” year in terms of “a paradigm shift in the international system,” something that the Russian president plans to elaborate on even further.

The hostilities in Ukraine are expected to remain one of the main topics of discussions as a ceasefire in Donbass announced by Kiev last week is barely holding up. Meanwhile, accusing Moscow of“aggression” in Ukraine, NATO countries have not only slapped Russia with economic sanctions, but also stepped up the military presence on Russian borders.

The biggest question of all is how Russia will react if further sanctions are introduced by the US and the EU.

READ MORE: Signed or not? White House contradicts State Dept. on new anti-Russian bill

In preparation for the Q&A session, Putin has been actively seeking expert opinion from a number of government ministers, analysts and advisers. Peskov says, that the Russian leader is prepared for any possible question.

“The press conference is always a place where the president can be asked any questions,” he said, highlighting that the president will answer uncensored questions, summing up the events of the outgoing year.

The live Q&A press conference was first held in 2001 and hosted over 500 journalists. Since then it continued annually until 2008, when Putin became Russia’s prime minister. It was reintroduced in 2012 after Putin was re-elected president.

READ MORE: ‘Remember lessons we taught Hitler’: Top 10 quotes from Putin’s State of Nation address

In his previous key public address Putin made a strong stance against US-led attempts by the West to weaken Russia during his State of the Nation address to the Federal Assembly earlier in December.

Make sure to tune in to RT live coverage – on RT.com and YouTube channels, including RT French – to stay on top of the Russian leader’s remarks as they will be brought to you live at 09:00 GMT.

READ MORE: http://on.rt.com/yqywd7

RUSIA tidak SESUAI untuk MENJADI Sebahagian DARIPADA Sistem Kewangan ANTARABANGSA - Cameron

Perdana Menteri Britain, David Cameron (Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron (Reuters/UK Parliament via Reuters TV)

iLMu2lautan – Kesan gabungan yang dihasilkan oleh sekatan Barat dan harga minyak yang rendah membuktikan bahawa tidak ada tempat untuk Rusia dalam sistem kewangan antarabangsa, Perdana Menteri Britain, David Cameron, percaya mendesak untuk lebih banyak tekanan pada Moscow.

"Kita harus berdiri sangat tegas terhadap pencerobohan Rusia yang yang berlaku," kata Cameron sebelum Parlimen pada hari Rabu.

PM mengingatkan bahawa UK, yg "memimpin jalan di Eropah dlm memastikan terdapat sekatan" yang dikenakan terhadap Rusia lebih 'pengilhakan' di Crimea pada bulan Mac dan mendakwa penglibatan Moscow dalam krisis Ukraine.

"Dan apa kombinasi harga minyak yg lebih rendah dan sekatan menunjukkan yg saya fikir ia tidak mungkin bagi Rusia untuk menjadi sebahagian daripada sistem kewangan antarabangsa, tetapi cuba & memilih untuk keluar daripada peraturan berasaskan sistem undang-undang antarabangsa," Cameron berkata.

"Kami akan meneruskan tekanan," ketua kerajaan British menambah, bersetuju bahawa "dalam hal ini kepentingan United Kingdom dan demokrasi yang pergi bersama-sama."

RUSSIAN Not FIT to be PART Of INTERNATIONAL 

Financial System - CAMERON . . .

The combined effect produced by Western sanctions and low oil prices proves that there’s no place for Russia in the international financial system, believes British prime minister David Cameron, urging for more pressure on Moscow.

“We should stand up very firmly against the Russian aggression that’s taking place,” Cameron said before the Parliament on Wednesday.

The PM reminded that it’s the UK, which “led the way in Europe in making sure there were sanctions” imposed against Russia over its 'annexation' of Crimea in March and Moscow’s alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis.

“And what the combination of the lower oil price and the sanctions are showing that I think it isn’t possible for Russia to be part of the international financial system, but try and opt out of the rules-based international legal system,” Cameron said.

“We should keep up the pressure,” the head of the British government added, agreeing that “in this respect the interests of the United Kingdom and democracy do go together.”

EU dijangka mengumumkan pusingan baru sekatan terhadap Rusia pada hari Khamis, semasa mesyuarat Majlis Eropah di Brussels. Menurut Reuters, langkah-langkah yang ketat haramkan firma EU melabur dalam Crimea & melarang per-dagan-gan teknologi cari gali minyak dan gas Eropah dari EU untuk rantau ini.

BACA lebih lanjut: Obama telah ditandatangani baru 'Rusia sekatan rang undang-undang' - Jabatan Negara READ MORE: Obama already signed new ‘Russia sanctions bill’ – State Department

Sementara itu Presiden Amerika Syarikat Barack Obama telah menandatangani satu undang2 yang memberi kuasa kpd sekatan baru ke atas Moscow, menyasar-kan senjata syarikat2 & pelabur dlm projek2 Rusia minyak berteknologi tinggi. 

Sekatan, bagaimanapun, tidak akan berkesan dengan serta-merta sejak Obama telah teragak-agak untuk memperkenalkan apa2 sekatan baru tanpa "penyege-rakan" terlebih dahulu dengan rakan-rakan Eropah.

The EU is expected to announce a new round of sanctions against Russia on Thursday, during the European Council’s meeting in Brussels. According to Reuters, the restrictive measures will forbid EU firms from investing in the Crimea and prohibit the trade of European oil and gas exploration technologies from the EU to the region.

READ MORE: Obama already signed new ‘Russia sanctions bill’ – State Department

Meanwhile US President Barack Obama has already signed a legislation authorizing new sanctions on Moscow, targeting weapons companies and investors in Russian high-tech oil projects. The sanctions, however, will not be effective immediately since Obama has been hesitant to introduce any new restriction without prior “synchroni-zation” with European partners.

READ MORE: http://on.rt.com/ro52kc

OBAMA telah MENTANDATANGANI baru 'Rang Undang-undang sekatan RUSIA' - Jabatan NEGARA . . .

iLMu2lautan – Presiden Amerika Syarikat Barack Obama telah berjanji untuk mendalamkan sekatan ekonomi ke atas Rusia pada akhir minggu ini, dan ternyata beliau telah secara senyap-senyap menandatangani rang undang-undang yang membuka jalan untuk lebih banyak sekatan tanpa halangan undang2 selanjutnya, kata Jabatan Negara.

Rang undang2 itu dijangka ditandatangani "pd akhir minggu" walaupun beberapa kebimbangan mengenai kandungannya, menurut kenyataan Setia-usaha Akhbar White House Josh Earnest di Selasa. Walau bagaimanapun, rang undang2 itu sebe-narnya ditandatangani tanpa kelewatan lagi, seperti yg disahkan oleh juru-cakap Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat Jen Psaki.

"Beliau menandatanganinya semalam," beliau menyatakan apabila ditanya mengenai rang undang-undang sekatan yang digelar Ukraine Akta Kebebasan Sokongan 2014.

Rang undang-undang itu akan menyaksikan kira-kira $ 350 juta pada bantuan yang diberikan kepada Ukraine.

Selain bantuan tentera dan bukan tentera ke Ukraine, rang undang2 tambahan membolehkan pengenaan lagi sekatan bersyarat pada sektor pertahanan Rusia, seperti hukuman ke atas milik negara senjata Rosoboronexport peniaga dan orang perseorangan yang berkaitan.

Rang undang2 juga membayangkan $ 20 juta dana tahunan bagi menyokong "demokrasi Rusia & masyarakat sivil organisasi" termasuk melalui peningkatan "US aktiviti penyiaran kerajaan disokong." Satu lagi keutamaan berkembang penyiaran di negara-negara bekas Kesatuan Soviet, yang akan kos lain $ 10 juta setahun.

Walaupun rang undang-undang itu tidak membuat sekatan wajib sepenuhnya, ia membolehkan Obama untuk memutuskan bahagian mana rang undang2 untuk menguatkuasakan.

OBAMA Already SIGNED New ‘RUSSIAN Sanctions BILL’ - State Department . . .

US President Barack Obama has promised to deepen economic sanctions against Russia by the end of the week, and it turns out he already quietly signed the bill that opens way for more restrictions without further legal hurdle, State Department said.

The bill was expected to be signed “by the end of the week” despite some concerns about its contents, according to White House press secretary Josh Earnest’s statement in Tuesday. However, the bill was actually signed without further delay, as confirmed by US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki.

“He signed it yesterday,” she stated when asked about the sanctions bill dubbed Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014.

The bill will see some $350 million in assistance provided to Ukraine.

Besides the military and non-military assistance to Ukraine, the bill additionally allows further imposition of conditional sanctions on the Russian defense sector, such as penalties on state-owned arms dealer Rosoboronexport as well as connected individuals.

The bill also envisions $20 million in annual funding in order to support “Russian democracy and civil society organizations” including through increasing “US government-supported broadcasting activities.” Another priority is expanded broadcasting in countries of the former Soviet Union, which will cost another $10 million per year.

Although the bill does not make sanctions fully obligatory, it allows Obama to decide which parts of the bill to enforce.

READ MORE: http://on.rt.com/i59rde