Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
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.
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.
Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak attends a joint briefing with co-head of the Yermak-McFaul Expert Group on Russian Sanctions, Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Michael McFaul in Kyiv on Sept. 8, 2023. (Kaniuka Ruslan / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Presidential Office, will visit the United States on Dec. 4 to lead a Ukrainian delegation in meetings with members of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inner circle, the Ukrainian outlet New Voice reported, citing diplomatic sources.
The delegation will reportedly include Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, according to the source.
Trump will return to the White House next month, instigating a dramatic change in U.S. policy toward Ukraine. While Trump has pledged to get the U.S. "out" of Russia's war and negotiate a quick peace deal, Ukrainian officials have urged the president-elect to maintain support aand adopt a "peace through strength" approach in dealings with Russia.
The Ukrainian delegation will meet with a number of U.S. officials on their visit, sources told NV.
"But the main purpose of this trip is to meet with Trumpists, people from the entourage of US President-elect Donald Trump," one source said.
Yermak is expected to meet with Keith Kellogg, Trump's nominee for special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, another source said.
As special envoy, Kellogg will play a key role in shaping future negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. Yermak will discuss Trump's policy toward Ukraine and their vision for a peace plan with Kellogg during the visit, the source said.
Kellogg previously co-authored a peace plan that would freeze the front line in Ukraine, take NATO's accession off the table for an extended period, and partially lift sanctionsagainst Russia.
According to his proposals, the U.S. will continue sending military aid to Ukraine and provide security guarantees to Kyiv to prevent further Russian aggression.
Oleg Sukhov
