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.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine’s pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow.
As of Dec. 3, Ukrainians have voluntarily declared assets worth $9.25 million under the ongoing tax amnesty, according to the head of the parliamentary finance and tax committee Danylo Hetmantsev. (Courtesy)
Danylo Hetmantsev, the head of the parliament's finance and tax committee, wrote on Dec. 3 that Ukrainians have voluntarily declared assets worth $9.25 million (Hr 250 million) under the ongoing tax amnesty.
The state budget received $385,000 (Hr 10.4 million) from this sum, according to Hetmantsev. The lawmaker, who represents the ruling 243-member Servant of the People faction, added that in the past 12 days there was a 20% increase in the number of assets declared under the amnesty.
First launched on Sept. 1, the tax amnesty allows Ukrainians to declare previously hidden assets. In exchange, the Ukrainian government doesn't prosecute citizens for tax evasion, offering a preferential tax rate on declared assets.
For declaring their assets, Ukrainians pay a one-time 5% fee on assets held in Ukrainian bank accounts, 9% for those held abroad, and 2.5% of the value of government bonds that they hold.
Declaring less than $14,800 (Hr 400,000) can be done tax-free.
The tax amnesty ends on Sept. 1, 2022.
A 2020 study of Ukraine's economy, conducted by Ernst & Young and Mastercard, found that the country's cash-based shadow economy is worth $31 billion (Hr 846 billion), roughly 20% of Ukraine’s GDP.
The Ministry of Economy now estimates that nearly a third of Ukraine’s economy operates independently of Ukrainian tax legislation.
Now, the government intends to crack down on the shadow economy. On Sept. 20, then-Economy Minister Oleksiy Lyubchenko said that the “de-shadowing of the economy” was an urgent issue and integral to Ukraine’s economic transformation.
Yet not all Ukrainians enjoy the tax amnesty.
Those who worked in civil service after 2005 or other politically exposed positions are denied amnesty. However, the program allows relatives of former civil servants to use the tax amnesty, providing an opportunity for former civil servants to circumvent these restrictions.
Most Ukrainian oligarchs, such as Rinat Akhmetov, Viktor Pinchuk, Kostyantyn Zhevago, and Ihor Kolomoisky - worked in civil service in the past, which excludes them from the amnesty.
The amnesty program has been criticized by the International Monetary Fund. According to U.S. financial publication Bloomberg, the IMF is concerned that the program wouldn’t hamper revenue collection and would create an incentive to receive money in cash and later legalize them by using the smaller tax rate.
In 2020, the Ukrainian government raised $44 billion (Hr 1.2 trillion) in taxes towards the state budget.
Dylan Carter is a staff writer at the Kyiv Independent. He studied modern languages at the University College of London and Paris Sorbonne IV. He worked as an assistant lecturer at the Kyiv School of Economics and at Ukrinform before joining the Kyiv Post in June 2021.
