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.
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.
A photo alledging to show the Crocus City Hall on fire in Moscow, Russia, on March 22, 2024. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the veracity of the claim. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images)
The U.S. has said there is “no indication at this time” that Ukraine was behind the mass shooting at a concert hall in northwest Moscow on March 22 that has left at least 60 people dead and more than 140 injured.
Speaking at the White House, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said: “The images are just horrible and just hard to watch and our thoughts obviously are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack."
He added there was "no indication at this time that Ukraine, or Ukrainians were involved in the shooting."
His comments drew an immediate response from the Kremlin, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova demanding the U.S. hand over any information it had on the attack.
"On what basis do officials in Washington draw any conclusions in the midst of a tragedy about someone's innocence?" she said.
The terrorist group Islamic State (IS)later claimed responsibility for the attack in a Telegram post, and U.S. intelligence officials confirmed the claim.
The attack saw several gunmen opening fire at the Crocus City Hall ahead of a concert.
Images posted to social media showed them walking unchallenged through the venue and firing indiscriminately at those inside.
According to various estimates, several dozen or hundreds of people may remain in the concert building.
Just hours after the attacks began, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned of retaliation against Ukraine if "terrorists of the Kyiv regime" were found to be behind them.
"If it is established that these are terrorists of the Kyiv regime, it is impossible to deal with them and their ideological inspirers differently," he wrote in a post on Telegram.
"All of them must be found and mercilessly destroyed as terrorists. Including officials of the state that committed such atrocity. Death for death."
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) said the attack was a "deliberate provocation by Putin's special services."
"This is a deliberate provocation by Putin's special services, about which the international community warned," a HUR spokesperson Andrii source told Ukrainska Pravda.
In a post on its Telegram channel, HUR claimed the shooting is intended to justify "even tougher" attacks on Ukraine and total mobilization in Russia.
"The public execution of people in Moscow should be understood as Putin's threat of an even greater escalation and expansion of the war," HUR wrote.
Kateryna Denisova
