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.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
A Russian law enforcement officer patrols near the Crocus City Hall concert hall outside Moscow, Russia, on March 23, 2024, after the terrorist attack that killed at least 144 people. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
The Foreign Ministry of Tajikistan recommended its citizens refrain from traveling to Russia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on April 27.
Racial discrimination, particularly targeting Central Asians living in Russia, have been on the rise since the March 22 terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow that killed at least 137 people. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier this week, Russia detained a 12th suspect in connection with the attack. The court claimed that the man, Dzhumakhon Kurbonov, a Tajik citizen, is suspected of providing others involved in the attack with money and "telecommunications means" and ruled that he should remain in detention until at least May 22.
More than half of the suspects who have been detained are from Tajikistan, four of whom are accused of personally carrying out the attack. They appeared in court showing clear signs of abuse at the hands of the Russian authorities.
Xenophobic incidents were reported en masse after the attack.
Within a week of the shooting, authorities in Turkmenistan began working to repatriate Turkmen students living in Russia for fear of reprisals. Exactly how many Turkmen students currently study at Russian universities is not known but 2022 figures put the number at 30,600.
Kyrgyzstan also advised its citizens not to travel to Russia in the wake of the attack.
The Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin said this month that an "ill-conceived information campaign" in Russia was creating a "negative perception of citizens of Tajikistan and Tajiks."
The Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reported mass refusals of citizens to enter Russia, largely discriminating against young men, according to eyewitnesses at Russian border crossings.
Millions of Tajiks and other Central Asians either live permanently in Russia or work there seasonally. The World Bank estimated in 2022 that remittances from migrant workers comprised as much as 50% of Tajikistan's GDP.
Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.
Anna-Maria Tesfaye
