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.
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.
Samantha Power, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18, 2024. (Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Programs for Ukraine funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are at risk while Congress delays the approval of additional security assistance for Ukraine, agency chief Samantha Power told reporters in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 24.
An aid packageworth $61 billion has been tied up in Congress for months due to obstruction from Republican legislators.
Power told Voice of America that the funding delay threatens USAID projects aimed at integrating Ukraine's railways into the European rail network and protecting Ukrainian farmers, among other humanitarian programs.
"I would say that all of our programs are at risk," she said.
Power said that USAID has provided assistance to 32% of farmers in Ukraine, helping them continue their work amid constant Russian attacks. She said this was a long-term investment that served the interests of both the U.S. and Ukraine, leading to "less direct budget support" in the future.
"There are many parts of the world that are starving," Power said.
"But Ukrainian farmers have continued to work, they are ready to overcome the problems with unexploded ordnance, to rebuild their farm or their small business after the destruction. And we want to make sure that they continue to have access to low-interest loans, to resources."
Power also mentioned USAID programs that address Ukraine's most vulnerable populations, including people who lost their homes in Russian strikes and those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) brought on by the war.
"The idea that we won't be able to support them in their hour of greatest need is a very dark thought indeed," she said.
USAID has provided $9.88 billion in development and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the agency.
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.
Kate Tsurkan
