The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
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.
Kurt Volker said that now "there is more alignment" between Ukraine and the U.S. under the Trump Administration than at the beginning of 2025.
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.
Orban says he supports the Chinese peace plan
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he supports the "Chinese peace plan" during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Budapest on May 9.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry published a 12-point statement in Feb. 2023 outlining Beijing’s position on the “political settlement” of Russia’s full-scale war. Many Western leaders dismissed the proposal, noting that it would likely only work in Russia’s favor.
"Today, Europe is on the side of war," Orban said during a joint press conference with President Xi. "The only exception is Hungary, which calls for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations and supports all international efforts that point towards peace...We also support the Chinese peace initiative presented by Xi Jinping.”
The Chinese President is currently on a tour of Europe. Over the last week, President Xi has met with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Hungary is the only EU country to have maintained close ties with the Kremlin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In stark contrast to other Western leaders, the Hungarian leader recently congratulated Vladimir Putin on his presidential election "win."
Beijing has similarly maintained close ties with Moscow during the war, tightening economic cooperation and disrupting Western attempts at isolating Russia.
"Twenty years ago, we lived in a single-centered world order, and now in a multi-centered one, and one of the pillars of this new world order is the People's Republic of China, which is now decisive in world economic and world political processes," Orban added.
Ukraine is keeping diplomatic channels with China open, even though Beijing has maintained close ties with Moscow. European officials have urged Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to help end the war.
Following the release of the Chinese peace plan last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to consider the proposal but said that the plan would not likely move forward because it did not require Russian troops to leave Ukrainian territory or promise a return of Russian-occupied Ukraine to the Ukrainian government.
Kateryna Denisova
Zelensky introduced his 10-point peace plan in Fall 2022, which included a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands. The Swiss government will host a peace summit next month to discuss this plan, with some 160 national delegations invited to the talks.
President Zelensky announced earlier this week that he had invited Orban to the summit but did not confirm that the Hungarian leader agreed to attend.
Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak confirmed this month that the Ukrainian government strongly encourages Chinese participation in the summit.
“With respect to China, we are doing everything for China to be present there. China is very important, and consultations are continuously ongoing at various levels with the participation of our partners,” Yermak said.
American officials, however, said that they did not believe that China would be open to agreeing to Ukraine's 10-point peace formula.
Kateryna Denisova
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