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.
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Friday, May 9
"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.
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.
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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.
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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.
(Updated: )Victory Day
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.
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Reuters: Wagner Group allegedly purchased North Korean weapons for war against Ukraine
• 1 min read
Russian state-controlled mercenary Wagner Group has received a shipment of arms from North Korea to assist its forces in their war in Ukraine, according to Reuters, citing a senior U.S. official.
The U.S. intelligence assessment, which will be released publicly on Dec. 22, is that the arms delivered by North Korea will not significantly alter the dynamics of the war. The unnamed official nonetheless expressed concern that North Korea may be planning to provide more military equipment to Wagner in the future.
“Last month, North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner,” the unnamed official said. He confirmed that North Korea completed an initial arms delivery to Wagner and that it paid for the equipment.
The U.S. views arms delivery by North Korea as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and plans to raise the issue with the UN Security Council, according to the article.
The Wagner Group is a private military formation run by Evgenii Prigozhin, close confidant of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. A shadowy organization composed of contractors who are paid to fight wars outside of the official military, Wagner is infamous for its brutal tactics and has been linked to evidence of war crimes in conflicts around the globe.
Russia deployed the mercenaries to eastern Ukraine to help make up for its own military’s heavy losses, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported in late March.
On Dec. 20, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the world to recognize Wagner as “a terrorist organization.” Ukraine suffers the most from its “criminal activities,” but it is “a significant security threat” in Africa and across the globe, he said.
“We must immediately recognize them as a terrorist organization,” Kuleba said.
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