Chris Powers

"Illegal oil sales from shadow fleet ships are a critical lifeline for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and we’ll continue to cut them off," Kallas said.

"The threat posed by Russia and possible provocations against NATO must be taken seriously, and that is precisely what the allies are doing," Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told the Kyiv Independent. "We must remain vigilant, but Estonia's threat assessment has not changed."

"An intensive accession process still lies ahead in which Ukraine will have to implement an extensive reform agenda, not least when it comes to the rule of law and the fight against corruption," said Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen.

"We believe now is the time to revert to the issue of how we can make further use of Russia's immobilized assets for the benefit of Ukraine," reads a draft letter seen by the Kyiv Independent.

"Our contribution plays a major role in getting funds to Ukraine, but it is not sufficient on its own," a European Commission spokesperson said, adding that other partners must "follow suit."

"We recall that rule of law and the fight against corruption is an essential element for any country to join the European Union," European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 25.

At the center of Berlin's Pariser Platz, home to the Brandenburg Gate and meters away from the German Parliament, stands a large anti-drone net, there to highlight just how fragile Ukraine's air defenses can be.

"On Ukraine's Independence Day, Europe shows our support is unfaltering and concrete," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the press release.

A parliamentary committee on Aug. 21 defended its earlier decision to block five bills intended to strengthen the country's fight against corruption. The bills are requirements of the European Union, both to receive an estimated 2.1 billion euros ($2.45 billion) at the end of 2026, as well as to advance Kyiv's EU accession talks. The reforms seek to expand anti-corruption agencies' authority, reform the Prosecutor General's Office and the State Investigation Bureau, and repeal legislation that

"The Australian government (should) consider legislation to seize Russian sanctioned entity assets and consider legislation to disburse these assets to Ukraine," recommends a Senate report.

Four years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian House has been allowed to continue operating at its location on Friedrichstrasse, one of Berlin's most famous streets.

The meeting will take place on Ukraine's Independence Day and be the third time the grouping has met in Kyiv since it was established by France and the U.K. in March 2025, with the aim of agreeing on security guarantees for a post-ceasefire Ukraine.

The solid rocket fuel plant in Denmark is expected to start operations by late 2027.

"Of course, there are no critical consequences from such attacks, there never have been, and there never can be," Russian leader Vladimir Putin said.

The man arrested was a Ukrainian identified by German authorities only as "Vladimir Z.," who the German public prosecutor's office describes as a trained diver who "participated in the necessary dives."