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.
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.
Illustrative purposes: Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump speak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017. (Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik / AFP via Getty Images)
Arrangements for an in-person meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are already underway, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov claimed on Feb. 22.
Trump previously said he would "probably" meet Putin before the end of February.
The two leaders could discuss a broad range of global topics in addition to the war in Ukraine, Ryabkov told Russian state media.
"The question is about starting to move toward normalizing relations between our countries, finding ways to resolve the most acute and potentially very, very dangerous situations, of which there are many, Ukraine among them," he said.
Preparations for the meeting are still in the early stages, Ryabkov said, and organizing the summit will require "the most intensive preparatory work."
U.S. and Russian delegates may hold meetings over the next two weeks in preparation for the Trump-Putin talks, he added.
The U.S. and Russia have already held their first direct talks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, signaling and end to Moscow's political isolation from the West. Representatives met in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 to discuss preliminary steps towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Trump announced that U.S. and Russian envoys will hold another round of talks in Riyadh on Feb. 25.
Ryabkov did not provide any details as to a potential date or location for the meeting between Trump and Putin. Trump has said that the leaders' first meeting will take place in Saudi Arabia.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibilities of a Trump-Putin meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, during the Saudi Arabia talks. Rubio said on Feb. 20 that a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders would depend on whether "we can make any progress" towards a peace agreement.
Ukraine and European leaders have objected to Ukraine's exclusion from the U.S.-Russia talks. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would not accept the outcome of any negotiations that did not involve Kyiv's participation.
Trump has already spoken to Putin regarding his goal to broker a quick ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump spoke to Putin for nearly 90 minutes in a phone call on Feb. 12, holding a separate call with Zelensky later that day.
Following the Riyadh talks, Putin announced that he would "gladly" meet with Trump and said he hoped Washington and Moscow would work out the war in Ukraine in advance of their meeting.
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.
Francis Farrell
