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.
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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Lawmakers urged the EU and its member states to step up efforts to hold Moscow accountable through international courts and support for Ukraine’s campaign to bring its children home.
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with author, historian, and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland Andrej Lushnycky who sheds some light on the things Putin would rather you didn’t know about World War II.
Washington’s involvement may also help mitigate political opposition in Europe, while giving the U.S. strategic visibility over future Russian energy flows, sources told Reuters.
Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, UK, on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (Photo credit: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Ukraine will need at least $42 billion in foreign financial aid in 2024 due to high defense and security expenditures, Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in an interview on Aug. 9.
"Now (in this year), we have $42 billion in...external financing. For the next year, we are planning no smaller amount than that," Marchenko said.
"Why? Because we plan the budget of the security and defense sector at the level of 2023."
According to the minister, Ukraine secured financing for 2023, but it has not been yet confirmed that it will also receive the necessary aid in the following year.
As of today, the future financial aid includes $55 billion in a four-year aid package from the EU, Marchenko commented. He added that the International Monetary Fund will also provide support and voiced hope that the U.S. will contribute as well.
The EU proposed a four-year financial assistance package for Ukraine worth $55 billion on June 20, a sum to be covered by individual member states. The plan encountered opposition from Hungary, however.
Marchenko noted that for successful negotiations, Ukraine must also demonstrate its ability to fill the budget using internal resources. This includes an estimated Hr 1.3 trillion ($35 billion) in tax revenues.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Aug. 3 that Ukraine plans to spend Hr 1.8 trillion (about $48 billion) from the state budget on the defense and security forces in 2023.
Ukraine faces not only growing defense expenditures due to the full-scale Russian invasion but also reconstruction and recovery costs. The World Bank's assessment in March said that Ukraine will need at least $411 billion for its future recovery, amounting to 2.6 times Ukraine's projected gross domestic product in 2022.
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.
Alexander Khrebet
