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.
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.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi (L) and Republican presidential candidate former US President Donald Trump (R) meet in New York during the President of Ukraine's visit to the United States in New York City, US on Sep.27, 2024. (Uliana Boichuk/Novyny LIVE/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sept. 27 at Trump Tower in New York City.
Zelensky has been in the U.S. since Sept. 22, engaging in a series of high-level meetings with foreign leaders, visiting the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania, and addressing the U.N. General Assembly.
Zelensky met with U.S. President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris the day prior to present them with a "victory plan."
Prior to their first joint meeting in five years, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is currently facing numerous challenges he wishes to discuss with Trump.
"I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped. (Vladimir) Putin can't win, and Ukraine has to prevail. And I want to discuss with you the details of our plan of victory," Zelensky said.
He noted that Ukraine would be unable to “stop Putin until November,” coinciding with the U.S. presidential election. As a result, the Ukrainian president chose to meet with both candidates to present a plan aimed at strengthening Ukraine's position against Russia.
Trump acknowledged that Ukraine is “going through hell” and described the situation as “terrible.”
The former U.S. president also noted that he has good relations with both Zelensky and Putin.
"I think if we win (the presidential election), we're going to get it (the war) resolved very quickly," Trump said, without specifying how he plans to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
The former president also recalled Zelensky's actions during the impeachment inquiry in 2019, when Trump was accused of pressuring him to investigate political rival Joe Biden and Biden's son, Hunter.
Recently, Trump's rhetoric toward Zelensky and U.S. support for Ukraine has become more critical. He has claimed that Zelensky wants Democrats to win the upcoming presidential election, referring to him as “the greatest salesman on earth.”
Republican leaders on Sept. 25 also accused Zelensky of interfering in the election by visiting an ammunition factory in U.S. President Joe Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pennyslvania, a hotly contested battleground state.
House Speaker Mike Johnson demanded that Zelensky fire Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Makarovka, for her role in arranging the tour.
The Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee also announced he was opening an investigation into the Biden-Harris administration's alleged misuse of government funds.
Zelensky criticized Trump's plans for an end to the war in an interview with the New Yorker earlier this week. He called Trump's running mate, Republican Senator J.D. Vance, "too radical" and said the war should not end at Ukraine's expense.
Asami Terajima
