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Budapest had initially planned to veto the sanctions renewal, citing U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House and the possibility of a shift in U.S. policy toward Russia.
With this disbursement, Ukraine will have received nearly 20 billion euros ($21,7 billion) under the Ukraine Facility since the program was launched in early 2024.
The legislation permits Ukrainian military formations, units, and subdivisions to be deployed to other countries for national security purposes, including repelling armed aggression, protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, and exercising the right to self-defense.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stressed that Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty are non-negotiable, reaffirming that Kyiv will never recognize Russian-occupied territories as part of Russia.
The latest ruling follows a nine-year prison sentence issued last week over Saakashvili's alleged large-scale embezzlement of state funds, adding up to almost 12 additional years in prison.
"We won't be dragged into this; we will not allow Hungarian taxpayers' money to be used to finance arms shipments to Ukraine," Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
Western sanctions against Russia could be eventually eased if the step ensures security and justice for Ukraine, top Ukrainian sanctions official Vladyslav Vlasiuk told Politico in an interview published on March 17.
"A peace treaty may provide for unarmed observers in Ukraine, a civilian mission to monitor the implementation of certain aspects of the agreement, or guarantee mechanisms," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 90 of the 174 attack and decoy drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Seventy other decoy drones reportedly disappeared from radars without causing damage.
"Overnight, the Ukrainian Armed Forces again attempted a massive drone attack on facilities located in the region, including a fuel and energy complex," Astrakhan Oblast Igor Babushkin claimed on March 17.
The Hague-based International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is a judicial hub supporting national investigations into the crime of aggression committed by the Russian leadership, including President Vladimir Putin, and Moscow's allies against Ukraine.
"There is a nuclear reactor that supplies quite a bit of electricity to the country of Ukraine. That’s got to be dealt with," Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, said on March 16.
Turkey has positioned itself as a potential mediator in Russia's war against Ukraine, now in its fourth year, by maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with both nations while supporting Ukraine's sovereignty.
Speaking on CBS’s "Face the Nation" on March 16, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the primary goal is to secure a ceasefire before moving forward with broader negotiations for a permanent resolution.
"The Russian army is advancing on all fronts, and under these circumstances, the ceasefire could be viewed as a way to allow Ukraine to strengthen its position," Yuri Ushakov, a close adviser to Vladimir Putin, told media on March 16.
"We are preparing for Brussels," Zelensky said. According to the president, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is currently organizing the next meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group (UDCG).
Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed increasing pressure on Moscow, particularly by imposing additional sanctions against Russia's banking sector and its so-called "shadow fleet" of oil tankers.
"It is not reasonable to demand that, for example, Zaporizhzhia or Kherson be fully handed over — that sounds like a f*** off to us," a high-level Ukrainian official said.
"Ukraine is sovereign – if it requests allied forces to be on its territory, it is not up to Russia to accept or reject it," French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with Le Parisien.