Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
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.
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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud, on Sept. 8, 2023. (Photo via President's Office)
Russia is preparing for a new offensive in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts this spring, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Le Figaro published on March 26.
"We must look at the situation with our eyes wide open. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is preparing a new offensive, particularly in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts," Zelensky said.
"I can confirm that Putin is trying to get time and is preparing for a spring offensive. We see preparations for this upcoming operation," he added.
Zelensky added that Putin initially planned to launch this operation eight months ago but was forced to delay it due to the Ukrainian military's Kursk operation.
Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, both located in northeastern Ukraine and bordering Russia, have played a key role in Ukraine's defense since the start of the full-scale invasion. Moscow launched a two-pronged offensive on Kharkiv Oblast last May. By June 8, Zelensky declared that Russia had "failed" in its offensive.
In August 2024, Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Kursk Oblast, seizing 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory.
In early March, Russian troops, reinforced by North Korean units, launched a counteroffensive and recaptured significant ground, which Zelensky's administration had hoped to use as leverage in negotiations.
On March 15, Zelensky had already warned of Russian forces amassing along Ukraine's northeastern border.
"We understand this and will take countermeasures," he wrote on Telegram.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
