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.
Soldiers of the 58th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian army wait for a lift to position in LAV M113 as Russian attacks on the city of Vuhledar continue in Donetsk Oblast on Dec. 1, 2023. (Photo by Andre Alves/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The recent military mobilization draft legislation in Ukraine will not involve the conscription of women or implement a lottery system, Yehor Cherniev, deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, said on air. This announcement comes a day before the security committee's scheduled vote on the bill.
"I can say for sure that there will be no lottery (for conscription), there will be no mobilization of women, there will be no property census. In fact it is unconstitutional, there should be no such thing," Cherniev said. "There will be no unconstitutional positions."
Following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, tens of thousands of men volunteered to join the fight for Ukraine in the initial months. However, enthusiasm has diminished over the 22 months since, leading President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to contemplate the introduction of a new draft law.
Proposed changes on tightening restrictions on draft evaders and outlining plans for further conscription and have faced public criticism. The Ukrainian parliament's Anti-Corruption Policy Committee also noted on Jan. 8possible corruption risks in the government's mobilization bill.
The officials did not specify what were the exact flaws of the bill but promised to provide the information at a later date.
The Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence has been examining the suggested modifications to the bill since last week. On Jan. 9, it will either endorse the proposed alterations or return the bill to the government for further revisions.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Elsa Court
