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.
Ukraine has approved booster shots for all citizens over the age of 18. Ukraine has just under 14 million fully vaccinated people or 37% of the total population. (pxhere.com)
Health Minister Viktor Lyashko announced the approval of booster shots for all fully vaccinated Ukrainian adults. The Ministry of Health has also eased the rules for mixing Covid-19 vaccines for the first, second, and booster doses.
Lyashko published the announcement on social media, citing the record-breaking numbers of infections in the U.S., France, Italy, UK, and Spain. On Jan. 4, the number of new daily infections worldwide exceeded 2.5 million, the highest number to date.
Initially Ukraine approved booster shots for citizens over 60. However, due to the growing concern over the Omicron coronavirus variant those restrictions have been lifted.
Upon receiving the booster shot, Ukrainians will get a new Covid certificate valid for 270 days starting from the day of re-vaccination.
Lyashko stated that the booster shot should ideally be administered between 6-9 months after receiving the second vaccine shot. Individuals with a compromised immune system are recommended to get a booster shot 3-6 months after a full course of vaccination.
The booster shot certificate will be available in the government Diia app starting in late January, according to Lyashko.
The minister also added that no matter what vaccine the person received prior, the main vaccines used for booster shots will be the mRNA vaccines - Pfizer and Moderna.
Earlier, Ukraine changed its protocol for mixing different Covid-19 vaccines during the main course of vaccination. Now, Coronavac can be mixed with AstraZeneca, Moderna or Pfizer.
The government also authorized the use of AstraZeneca as the second dose after an mRNA vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer). In this case, a minimum of 28 days must pass between the doses.
As of Jan. 6, Ukraine has fully vaccinated over 13.9 million people, or 37% of its total population and 45% of its adult population. Ukraine's vaccination rate remains one of the lowest in Europe.
All adult Ukrainians and foreigners with residence permits can get vaccinated for free at one of the mass vaccination centers or a local clinic. See the list here.
Sergiy Slipchenko is a staff writer at the Kyiv Independent. He studied at York University in Toronto, Canada and worked as a reporter at the Kyiv Post.
