"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.
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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on a screen set at Red Square as he addresses a rally marking the illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine Russian troops partly occupy – Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia – in central Moscow on Sept. 30, 2022. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)
A poll released on Feb. 6 by the Russian independent polling organization, The Levada Center, found that 77% of Russians support the full-scale war against Ukraine, with only 16% of respondents saying they were opposed to the war.
The figures have stayed remarkably consistent throughout the war, polling data has shown. A poll released in November 2023 found that 75% of respondents supported the war.
An overwhelming majority (77%) believe Russia will ultimately be victorious in the war, a 6% increase from January 2023.
At the same time, more than 50% of respondents said they favored peace talks, a figure that has declined slightly over recent months.
Around 66% of respondents also believed that "Russia is paying too high of a price for participating in the war," down from 82% who agreed with the statement in July 2023.
Only 31% of those polled said they bore moral responsibility for civilian deaths and destruction in Ukraine.
A minority of respondents (22%) said that starting the full-scale war in Ukraine was a mistake, a decrease from a high of 28% in September 2023.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
