The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.
Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories. Moscow admitted she was in Russian detention the following year.
European foreign ministers approved the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine during a meeting in Lviv on May 9. The tribunal, which will operate under the auspices of the Council of Europe, aims to prosecute Russia's top political and military leadership, including President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine expects the tribunal to start work in 2026. The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Hodunova spoke with Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel about the future tribunal and its role in bringing justice for Ukraine.
Turkish officials told Bloomberg that while they don't expect Trump to visit Istanbul, they are not ruling it out, and preparations for any scenario are underway.
Melkonyants was arrested in August 2023 in connection with the activities of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which was co-founded by Golos's legal predecessor, the Golos association.
Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump listens to speakers on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. on July 18, 2024. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Former U.S. President and current Republican candidate Donald Trump is reportedly planning a joint appearance with Polish President Andrzej Duda and believes he will "probably" meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky next week, Trump and sources close to him said on Sept. 18.
Foreign leaders, including Zelensky and Duda, are convening in New York City over the next few days for the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations.
"Probably, yes," Trump answered when asked by a reporter if he plans to meet Zelensky during his visit to the U.S. He did not provide additional details on any planned meeting.
Trump is also planning a joint appearance with Duda at a monument at a Polish-American Roman Catholic shrine near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sources familiar with the arrangements told Reuters on Sept. 18.
The plans are not yet finalized, the sources said.
If the joint appearance goes forward, "there will definitely be an opportunity to exchange a few words and talk about the most important topics," the source said.
Malgorzata Paprocka, an aide to Duda, said that Duda's office did not initiate a meeting with Trump. Organizers invited both Duda and Trump to the unveiling of the monument, and it was not clear if Trump would in fact attend, she said.
Pennsylvania is a battleground state in the U.S. presidential election and boasts a large Polish-American population. Vice President Kamala Harris leveraged the Polish-American community in a critique of Trump during the Sept. 10 debate, also held in Pennsylvania.
"Why don't you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch," she said.
Duda, a nationalist politician, has expressed staunch support for Ukraine's defense against Russia while maintaining that Poland's interests come first and forging close ties with Trump and other U.S. Republicans.
Trump and Duda met in New York City in April to discuss a range of foreign policy issues, including Russia's war against Ukraine.
During the debate against Harris, Trump refused to say outright that he hopes Ukraine will defeat Russia.
Trump and Zelensky have not met in person since Trump's first term in office. Zelensky spoke with Trump via phone on July 19.
Zelensky said in August that during his September visit to the U.S., he intends to present the details of his Victory Plan for Ukraine to U.S. President Joe Biden as well as to presidential candidates Harris and Trump.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Chris York
