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Russian aid convoy waiting for security guarantees

By WTOP Staff

ALEXANDER ROSLYAKOV
Associated Press

KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russia (AP) — Hundreds of trucks in a Russian aid convoy waited Saturday near the Ukrainian border as complicated procedures dragged on for allowing them into eastern Ukraine to help civilians suffering amid fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists.

The main holdup was a lack of security guarantees from all sides in the conflict, said the International Committee of the Red Cross, which would have responsibility for distributing the aid.

Ukrainian officials are concerned that the mission, including around 200 trucks, could be a guise for Russia to send in equipment for the rebels, whom Kiev and Western countries claim are backed by Moscow. But Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement under which the trucks could enter with Red Cross accompaniment if Ukrainian border guards and customs agents approve the cargo.

Pascal Cuttat, head of the ICRC delegation for Russia, said agreement on how the cargo would be inspected and cleared was reached on Saturday during several hours of talks between Russian and Ukrainian customs and border service officials.

“The challenge is we absolutely need security guarantees from all parties concerned before we can start moving,” Cuttat told reporters, adding that it was unclear how long this could take. He said they were also waiting for a reply from the Ukrainian government to a formal request for the cargo to be processed.

The Ukrainian officials met with their Russian counterparts in the Russian border town of Donetsk, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of the Ukrainian city with the same name. Cuttat said the cargo inspection would take place there. The trucks have been parked since Thursday in the town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, 28 kilometers (17 miles) from the border.

According to the White House, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Poroshenko on Saturday, hearing that safe passage had not been secured from the separatists for the delivery of Russian aid. The two agreed that Russia’s continued provision of advanced weapons to the separatists was inconsistent with any desire to improve the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine, it said.

Fighting continued in eastern Ukraine, where government troops have been steadily taking back rebel-held territory. Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s national security council, told reporters in Kiev that three servicemen had been killed in the past day.

Lysenko reiterated the claim made a day earlier by President Petro Poroshenko that Ukrainian forces had destroyed most of a column of Russian military vehicles that had entered eastern Ukraine on Thursday evening.

Russia sharply denied that any such incursion had taken place and the White House said it was looking into what it called unconfirmed reports that Russian military vehicles were destroyed. Nonetheless, the reports spooked global markets and overshadowed optimism about the aid convoy.

Fighting has escalated since the insurgency arose in April and conditions for countless civilians are deteriorating.

The city of Luhansk is encircled by Ukrainian forces and is reportedly suffering from severe electrical outages and shortages of food and medicine.

Donetsk, the largest rebel-held city, is also suffering through fighting including frequent shelling. Four people were killed in shelling that occurred Saturday afternoon, the mayor’s office said in a statement.

Lysenko said Ukrainian forces are not using artillery or air strikes against either Luhansk or Donetsk. Ukrainians have blamed rebels for the shelling, while the insurgents say Ukrainians are firing on civilian targets.

While the Russian aid convoy remained stalled near the border, Ukraine has mounted a smaller but substantial aid mission to parts of the east recently freed from rebel control.

Trucks sent from the eastern city of Kharkiv were unloaded Friday at warehouses in the town of Starobilsk, where the goods were to be sorted and transported further by the Red Cross. Starobilsk is 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Luhansk.

Other Ukrainian aid was taken to the town of Lysychansk, which was retaken by Ukrainian forces late last month but has seen sporadic clashes until earlier this week.

The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany are expected to meet Sunday in Berlin to discuss the crisis.

Poroshenko met Saturday with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, who had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier. Finland has close trade ties with Russia and Putin’s recent move to ban food imports from the European Union could hit its economy severely. But as a Western country that is not a NATO member, Finland could also carry weight as an intermediary in the crisis.

“We have had open discussions about the convoy,” Niinisto said after the meeting, but didn’t elaborate.

The fighting in eastern Ukraine has claimed nearly 2,100 lives, according to the United Nations, with half of those in the last few weeks as the Ukrainian troops regained more and more rebel-held territory. The unrest began in April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.

___

Heintz reported from Kiev, Ukraine. Lynn Berry in Moscow and Matti Huuhtanen in Helsinki contributed to the report.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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