Politics

Judges of the Supreme Court of Ukraine during a session in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 16, 2023.
Politics

Ukraine hits another roadblock in its fight to reform the courts

by Oleg Sukhov

Ukraine has tried, repeatedly, to clean up its courts — each attempt, however, has run into the same roadblocks. A handful of controversial judges have been dismissed, and some changes have been enacted. But beneath the surface, a powerful clique is digging in its heels, making sure attempts at changing the system are stalled. The latest reform cycle began in 2022, when the judiciary's two highest bodies — the High Council of Justice and the High Qualification Commission — were re-launched. O

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'Land for security' in Ukraine negotiations must be rejected

Even as the world is understandably distracted by war in the Middle East, talks to end the Ukraine-Russia war have just resumed in the United States, albeit without Russian representatives. Since Ukraine has repeatedly signaled its resistance to even consider ceding territory, Putin’s negotiators have so far refused to join discussions. That said, my concern is that, with or without Russian participation, U.S. President Donald Trump and his highly inexperienced negotiators will continue to pre

Exclusive: US-Belarus 'big deal' would normalize relations between Washington and Minsk, envoy says

A potential "big deal" between Belarus and the United States would effectively normalize relations between Washington and Minsk, U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale told the Kyiv Independent in a phone interview. The remarks follow growing outreach from Washington to Minsk and come days after Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko said that the U.S. had proposed a "big deal," claiming the initiative came from U.S. President Donald Trump. Coale confirmed that normalization is part of the b

'We want justice and his body' — Months after Brazilian recruit's death in Kyiv, his mother pleads body to be returned home

The mother of Bruno Gabriel Leal da Silva, a 23-year-old Brazilian recruit whose death at a Kyiv military base in December 2025 is being investigated by police, is pleading for his body to be returned home to Brazil. Leal da Silva died overnight on Dec. 28-29, 2025, after a group of soldiers in positions of authority took him from the sleeping area to a small room and began beating him, former fellow fighters told the Kyiv Independent in a February investigation. They reported hearing him screa

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