This week U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a "substantial proposal" regarding the release of two U.S. citizens illegally detained by Russia, Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner. The top diplomats will also speak about the UN-backed grain deal signed by both Ukraine and Russia. Blinken, however, said that the two will not discuss Ukraine without Ukraine.
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Wednesday, July 16
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"Today, I have already signed documents to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding Denys Shmyhal as the new defense minister," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
German-Ukrainian defense technology company Quantum Systems has acquired a 10% stake in Frontline, a Ukrainian defense robotics firm, Quantum Systems announced in a press release on July 16.
The proposed package doubles the current Ukraine Facility budget of 50 billion euros, which was approved in February 2024 and runs through 2027.
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In a statement, the local affiliate — known as White Phoenix — praised its "comrades" for the July 10 killing of the colonel. Sources in the counter-terrorism field consider the group's claim credible, the Guardian reported.
Ukraine's parliament approved a Hr 412.4 billion ($9.8 billion) increase in defense spending in the first reading, Ukraine’s Finance Ministry announced in a press release on July 16.
The Kyiv Independent's Deputy Chief Editor Oleksiy Sorokin spoke with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa during her visit to Kyiv on July 15, following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of his deal with NATO to arm Ukraine and his threat to impose severe sanctions on Russia if it doesn't reach a peace deal with Ukraine within the next 50 days.
"Many statements have been made, many words of disappointment have been spoken, but we want to hope that pressure is being exerted on the Ukrainian side," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
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Lilia Averianova, the mother of late MiG-29 pilot Andrii "Juice" Pilshchykov, told Suspilne that investigators came to the Kharkiv apartment on July 11 and demanded entry, threatening to break down the door.
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The move comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky tapped First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to replace Shmyhal after he had held the office for more than five years.
The mayor of the Latvian town of Ogre, Egils Helmanis was injured while delivering vehicles and other support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The new restrictive measures target actors involved in what the EU described as "Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference" (FIMI), a term encompassing activities such as cyberattacks, disinformation, and manipulation of infrastructure and public opinion.
Ukraine entered the top ten countries by the number of billionaire immigrants, with four Ukrainians securing spots on Forbes' ranking of America's wealthiest immigrants and their combined fortunes totaling $25.3 billion, Forbes Ukraine reported on July 15.
"If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and others are wondering what happens on day 51, I would suggest they call the Ayatollah," Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X.
It remains unclear how many analysts of the department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) were fired, and the arm retains employees who specialize in Russia and Ukraine, the NYT reported.
