The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.
Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories. Moscow admitted she was in Russian detention the following year.
European foreign ministers approved the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine during a meeting in Lviv on May 9. The tribunal, which will operate under the auspices of the Council of Europe, aims to prosecute Russia's top political and military leadership, including President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine expects the tribunal to start work in 2026. The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Hodunova spoke with Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel about the future tribunal and its role in bringing justice for Ukraine.
Turkish officials told Bloomberg that while they don't expect Trump to visit Istanbul, they are not ruling it out, and preparations for any scenario are underway.
Melkonyants was arrested in August 2023 in connection with the activities of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which was co-founded by Golos's legal predecessor, the Golos association.
Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
A flag of Austria is seen in Warsaw, Poland on Sept. 13, 2022. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Austria is open to hosting Ukraine peace talks, Austrian Ambassador to Ukraine Arad Benko said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine on Feb. 21.
With U.S.-led peace talks to stop Russia's war against Ukraine looming, various countries have put themselves forward as potential hosts for negotiations.
"(Austrian) Chancellor (Karl) Nehammer emphasized that as the capital of a neutral country, Vienna is always ready to host future peace talks," Benko said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine on Feb. 21.
Austria has a history of hosting opposing sides for talks. The country hosted leaders of the U.S. and Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, Benko said.
"Austria, as a neutral country, has offered its good services as a host of negotiations between parties involved. It's important to point out that Austria is also a seat of 52 international organizations including 18 UN organizations," he said.
Austria, a permanently neutral nation under its constitution, hosts various international agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Ukraine and the EU must be involved in the peace talks alongside Russia and the U.S., Benko added, echoing sentiment in Europe that the U.S. should not exclude Europe and Ukraine from peace talks.
Europe must participate in potential peace talks "not only because we are the biggest donors but because Ukraine is a European country fighting for our values and freedom," Benko said.
Nehammer previously proposed Vienna as a site of talks between Kyiv and Moscow in September 2024. The Austrian chancellor reiterated the offer in a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in December.
Nehammer also became the first EU leader to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin following the full-scale invasion in February 2022. He visited Moscow in April 2022, claiming it was his duty to open "humanitarian corridors" as a step towards ending the war.
Other countries that have volunteered to host future peace talks include Turkey, China, and Saudi Arabia.
U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 for preliminary talks without the participation of Ukraine or Europe. Kyiv continues to insist that no talks about ending Russia's all-out war should be held without Ukraine.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Oleg Sukhov
