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.
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.
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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine’s pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow.
LUBMIN, GERMANY - JULY 11: Pipes stand at the receiving station for the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline on July 11, 2022 near Lubmin, Germany. The pipeline, which transports natural gas from Russia to Germany, is undergoing maintenance for ten days as of today, meaning that gas deliveries have halted. German authorities are unsure whether gas flows will resume after July 21, when the maintenance work is scheduled to end, given current tensions between Germany and Russia over Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Germany is seeking to ween itself off Russian gas and oil imports, though it will remain dependent for the near future. Concerns have grown whether Germany will face natural gas shortages this coming winter. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions of the Kyiv Independent.
Bullied by Russia, Germany intensely negotiated with Canada a sanctions exemption pertaining to Nord Stream 1 gas turbines included in Canada’s sanctions regime that is governed by its Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations adopted in response to Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. Nord Stream 1 is a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, operated by a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant Gazprom, a company sanctioned by Canada.
To force this issue, Gazprom reduced the flow of natural gas from Russia to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline by 60 per cent. This shortage in energy supply was used to sow fear of a possible collapse of industries in Germany. The New York Times reported that when these gas cuts were announced by Gazprom, Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck told the press on 15 June 2022 that this was a strategy to unsettle and drive up the price of gas.
Prior to these events, Reuters reported that in April 2022, Ukraine was urging Western allies to shift the shipments of natural gas from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Ukraine's pipeline. This would force Russia to pay more transit fees to Ukraine, which would help Ukraine defend its territorial integrity and shield EU countries from Russian aggression. It would also dissuade the Kremlin from damaging Ukraine's gas pipelines.
In addition, such a shift would somewhat reduce the huge amounts that EU countries are paying Russia for energy which finance Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine. For the record, on 6 April 2022, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and VicePresident of the European Commission, Josep Borrell Fontelles, told the European Parliament:
“We've given Ukraine nearly €1 billion. That might seem like a lot but €1 billion is what we're paying Putin every day for the energy he provides us with. Since the start of the war, we've given him €35 billion, compared to the €1 billion we've given Ukraine to arm itself.”
Instead of taking up Ukraine on its strategically advantageous proposal for both the EU and Ukraine, Germany has succumbed to Russia’s energy bullying and convinced Canada to carve-out an exemption to its sanctions regime regarding Nord Stream 1 gas turbines while Russia continues its relentless atrocities in Ukraine.
In a unanimous Motion of the House of Commons adopted on 27 April 2022, Canada qualified these atrocities by recognizing that “the Russian Federation is committing acts of genocide against the Ukrainian people.”
70 years earlier, namely on 3 September 1952, Canada ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, also known as the Genocide Convention, that was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1948 to ensure that the atrocities committed during the Second World War would never again be repeated.
Canada’s sanctions exemption for Nord Stream 1 gas turbines during Russia’s ongoing genocidal war against Ukraine is contrary to Article I of this Genocide Convention, which stipulates that:
“The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish.”
Canada’s sanctions exemption also creates a dangerous precedent that will embolden the Kremlin to bully the West into lifting additional sanctions, particularly regarding the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. This would enable Russia to fully bypass Ukraine’s pipeline for the flow of gas to Europe, and dangerously increase the energy dependency of EU countries on the Kremlin’s weaponized gas supply. Moreover, as soon as it is successful in bypassing Ukraine’s gas pipeline, Russia will be able to significantly widen its missile strikes against Ukraine.
On 13 July 2022, Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion and well-known Russian political activist, correctly stated that “unity and perseverance are required against Putin’s attempt to send the world into an economic crisis with energy and food blackmail. The only way to real peace is not to give in, but to help Ukraine win as quickly as possible.”
Therefore, while Russia continues its genocidal war against Ukraine, the West must actively help Ukraine to stop it as quicky as possible and successfully defend its territorial integrity as this is not only the moral thing to do, but the only real guarantee of re-establishing peace, security and stability in Europe.
Eugene Czolij is president of the Ukraine-2050 nongovernmental organization and served as president of the Ukrainian World Congress from 2008-2018. Ukraine-2050 was established to help implement within one generation – by 2050 – strategies for the sustainable development of Ukraine as a fully independent, territorially integral, democratic, reformed and economically competitive European state.
