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.
Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov at the Diia Summit in Kyiv, Dec. 19, 2023. (Mykhailo Fedorov / X)
The European Innovation Council's (EIC) Seeds of Bravery program will distribute 20 million euros ($21.9 million) to support Ukrainian tech startups, the Digital Transformation Ministry reported Dec. 20.
Under the current call, Ukrainian tech startups can apply for grants of €10,000 to put towards consultancy services that will help them upgrade their business model or growth strategy.
Additionally, Seeds of Bravery will launch five programs over the next two years aimed at integrating Ukrainian tech initiatives into the EU innovation ecosystem. Grants through these programs will range from €10,000 to €50,000.
About 200 Ukrainian deep-tech ventures will each receive €60,000 developmental grants. These companies will also receive non-financial support, such as advisory services and business mentoring.
There will also be €25k grants available through the program's Entrepreneurship, Deep Tech Incubation, and Rebuilding Ukraine initiatives.
At least 20% of the startups participating in the program must be founded or led by women.
"In the past years, the Ukrainian start-up scene has been growing steadily and increasing its contribution to the Ukrainian economic growth," the EIC announcement reads.
"This action should strengthen the Ukrainian tech innovators and ecosystems, supporting innovative solutions for rebuilding the Ukrainian economy and infrastructure after the war."
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Dominic Culverwell
