Moscow and Washington discuss the potential resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, among other issues related to the peaceful settlement of Russia's war in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed to the Russian state-run Interfax news agency.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Denys Shmyhal said.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov during their meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria, on July 6, 2023. Illustrative purposes only. (Ukraine's Presidential Office)
The Bulgarian parliament ratified on Nov. 22 the agreement to provide armored transport vehicles to Ukraine, together with corresponding armament and spare parts, the Bulgarian News Agency reported.
The agreement between the Bulgarian Interior Ministry and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry was supported by 131 Bulgarian lawmakers, with 49 voting against and one abstaining.
The deal was signed in Sofia on Aug. 8 and in Kyiv on Nov. 13.
The vehicles in question are no longer needed by the country's Interior Ministry, the news agency reported, without specifying the type or the number of the vehicles.
Deputy Defense Minister Ivelina Dundakova said that the agreement is implementing the parliament's decision in July to provide Ukraine with additional military-technical support to Ukraine.
This support was reportedly meant to include 100 older armored vehicles from the Bulgarian Interior Ministry's stocks.
The Bulgarian parliament approved in September a military aid package for Ukraine including small-caliber ammunition and S-300 anti-air missiles.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Asami Terajima
