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EU ministers call for new sanctions against Russia

By WTOP Staff

JUERGEN BAETZ
Associated Press

MILAN (AP) — Several European Union foreign ministers on Friday accused Russia of invading eastern Ukraine and said Moscow should be punished with additional economic sanctions.

The meeting of the 28-nation bloc’s top diplomats in Milan came one day after NATO said Moscow slipped at least 1,000 Russian soldiers and much heavy weaponry into Ukraine.

“We have to be aware of what we are facing: We are now in the midst of the second Russian invasion of Ukraine within a year,” said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, referring to Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in March.

“We see regular Russian army units operating offensively on the Ukrainian territory against the Ukrainian army,” Bildt said. “We must call a spade a spade.”

Russia has rejected accusations that it invaded Ukraine.

The foreign ministers were set to propose new sanctions against Russia for consideration at a summit of the bloc’s 28 heads of state on Saturday in Brussels.

All options except military action will be considered to punish Russia for pursuing “the wrong path,” Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said.

“The European Union should be ready to move forward with possible new measures against Russia because the situation is still getting worse,” Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said.

In an apparent bid for more support and tougher action against Russia, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will address the summit on Saturday. He will also meet with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, and summit Chairman Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels a few hours before the summit.

Fighting between Ukrainian military forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has already claimed at least 2,200 lives, according to U.N. figures.

No foreign minister elaborated on what additional sanctions are being considered. The United States and the EU have so far imposed sanctions against dozens of Russian officials, several companies and the country’s financial industry. Moscow has retaliated by banning food imports.

EU food exports to Russia are worth about 10 billion euros ($13 billion) annually. Nations boasting strong agricultural sectors such as Poland, the Netherlands and Germany were hit hardest during the summer harvesting season.

“These are Polish apples; Mr. Putin says they’re poisonous,” Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said in Milan, handing out juicy surplus apples to journalists at the beginning of the meeting.

Barroso called Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday and firmly condemned the “significant incursions into and operations on Ukrainian soil by Russian military units,” his office said. Barroso warned Putin further destabilization of Ukraine by Russia “will carry high costs.”

New EU sanctions against Russia would have to be agreed unanimously — a requirement that has in the past blocked or softened decisions since some nations fear the economic fallout. Russia is the EU’s third-largest trading partner and one of its biggest oil and gas suppliers.

President Barack Obama said Thursday that Russia’s support for rebel combatants in eastern Ukraine must incur “more costs and consequences.”

In the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, the EU must reconsider its long-term security policies and investments, said Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmerans. “We need to rethink the logic of ever-decreasing defense spending.”

The U.S. has long complained that its European NATO allies have neglected investing in its military capabilities, effectively free-riding on the security provided by America’s much higher defense spending.

In Bucharest on Friday, Romanian President Traian Basescu said that in addition to new sanctions, NATO members should arm Ukraine’s army.

“If NATO members don’t help the army with equipment to face Russia, it is an illusion that Ukraine’s government has any chances,” said Basescu, whose country is a NATO member and a staunch U.S. ally.

Since Russia annexed Crimea, NATO has put AWACS surveillance planes in the skies over Poland and Romania, dispatched warships to the Baltic and Black seas, and sent U.S. Army troops to Poland, Romania and the Baltic states. The U.S. has a base in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta.

EU leaders at their summit on Saturday will also weigh Ukrainian requests for military assistance.

The two-day foreign ministers’ meeting, which began in Milan on Friday, also planned to discuss the situation in Gaza and the crises engulfing Syria and Iraq.

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Alison Mutler in Bucharest, Romania, contributed to this report.

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Follow Juergen Baetz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jbaetz

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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