The European Union must stay committed to its policy that any discussions about ending the war in Ukraine should be led by the government in Kyiv, according to Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.
Editor’s note: This is issue 65 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly “Ukrainian Economy in Brief” newsletter, covering events from July 8-14, 2024. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission. Benchmarks
Responding to a question about Kyiv's plans for a second peace summit, Borrell said he is certain that President Volodymyr Zelensky's "will to continue advancing on peace talks and to have another conference with Russia's attendance is real."
The Council of the European Union for the first time approved assistance under the European Peace Facility (EPF) to support the Armenian Armed Forces with 10 million euros ($10.8 million), according to the council's July 22 statement.
"At this critical moment in history, it is imperative that we collectively take swift and robust action to strengthen the transatlantic relations through strategic communication about the E.U. in the U.S."
During an interview on state radio, Orban said that the EU needs to join China and the U.S. in light of potential Trump's return to power to press Russia and Ukraine to start peace negotiations, Bloomberg reported.
Representatives of Ukraine's state energy grid operator, Ukrenergo, and the KfW Development Bank signed an agreement worth 100 million euros (nearly $110 million) for energy projects, Ukrenergo announced on July 19.
"The European Union reiterates its call on the Russian Federation to accept its responsibility in this tragedy and to cooperate fully in serving justice."
"I'm not going to preempt what may happen in the elections later this year, other than to say that industrial strategy is a very important component of the package that we need to put together," Keir Starmer said.
First elected in 2019, von der Leyen led the EU's executive time during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, positioning herself as a staunch supporter of Kyiv.
The European Commission has approved the first regular payment of about 4.2 billion euros ($4.59 billion) under the Ukraine Facility, aiming to support Ukraine's macro-financial stability and public administration functions.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the EU should restore diplomatic relations with Russia, listing it as one of the conclusions of his supposed "peace mission," Bild reported on July 16, citing Orban's letter it had obtained.
"In light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian Presidency, the President (Ursula von der Leyen) has decided that the European Commission will be represented at senior civil servant level only during informal meetings of the Council," said von der Leyen's spokesperson Eric Mamer.
An "unspecified number" of governments are expected to approve the plan on July 18, during a meeting of the European Political Community hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the U.K., according to a draft statement.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban presented Budapest's proposal on how achieve peace in Ukraine in a letter sent to European leaders, a Hungarian government official said in an interview published on July 15.
Kaja Kallas, known for her resolute support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, is stepping down after being appointed as the EU's next chief diplomat, replacing Josep Borrell.
"If there's a formal foreign affairs council, organized by the high representative (Borrell) the same day, the ministers won't be able to go to Budapest," one diplomat told Politico.
Foreign partners have so far pledged to invest around $675 million in the Ukrainian defense industry to arm Kyiv's forces, Ukrainska Pravda reported on July 11, citing data from the Strategic Industries Ministry.
EU ambassadors lambasted Hungary during a meeting in Brussels over the Hungarian prime minister's so-called "peace mission" in Russia and China, undisclosed European diplomats told the media.
Brussels has frozen 30 million euros ($32 million) in defense sector funding for Georgia after halting its EU accession process in June, EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski said on July 9.
The EU's promises to deliver 155 mm artillery shells to Ukraine were not met due to "wishful thinking" and the fact that existing stocks may be "at least twice as modest as stated by high-ranking EU officials," RFE/RL Schemes investigative project reported on July 8.
The following is the July 4, 2024 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. This version is condensed as the author was out of the office. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. EU accession talks begin Ukraine and
Viktor Orban's steps show that he is "playing a different game and using the vacuum while the compositions of these (EU) institutions are changing" after the European elections, said Pavel Havlicek, a research fellow at the Association for International Affairs.
Czechia no longer recognizes non-biometric Russian passports, and Russians without biometric passports will be considered to be illegally residing in Czechia, Czech media outlet Idnes reported on July 4, citing the Foreign Ministry.
Editor’s note: This is issue 62 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly “Ukrainian Economy in Brief” newsletter, covering events from June 24–June 30, 2024. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with
"The Netherlands remains committed to supporting Ukraine as much as we can, for as long as needed. We and our allies stand united in our resolve to return peace and security to Ukraine," Ruben Brekelmans wrote on X.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Kyiv on July 2, in what became his first visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. The visit came two days into Hungary's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, also known as the Council of Ministers. The
Germany and Poland have reaffirmed their security cooperation in a joint action plan, Reuters reported on July 2.
According to the newly implemented rules, an emergency brake can be applied to imports of eggs, poultry, sugar, oats, maize, groats, and honey. The measure will be automatically triggered if import volumes reach the average yearly imports recorded between July 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2023.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico last addressed the public in early June via a video posted on his Facebook page. Fico thanked doctors for their care and said he could return to work "in late June and early July."
The 2024 European Parliament elections nearly slipped off Ukraine's radar. At the time, Ukraine's primary focus was on preparing for the Ukraine Recovery Conference and the peace summit in Switzerland. However, the resultant compositions of the European Parliament and the European Commission will play crucial roles in the organization’s
Ursula von der Leyen has secured the nomination for a second term as President of the European Commission following an agreement between EU leaders at a Brussels summit on June 27.
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