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.
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.
Flags of European Union member states fly outside the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, on July 15, 2019. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is in talks to invest in defense companies amid heightened urgency to scale up Europe's defense industry, Bloomberg reported on March 13.
The colossal output of the Russian military-industrial complex since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine has put the performance of the European defense industry into sharp relief.
The EU failed on its promise to deliver 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine between March 2023 and 2024, while Russia is reportedly set to produce nearly three times as many artillery munitions as the West this year.
According to Bloomberg, the move would require the EIB to extend its definition of dual-use goods, which are categorized as items, software, and technology that have both civilian and military uses.
The EIB launched its Strategic European Security Initiative in 2022, paving the way for investments in technology, civilian security, and drones. This made funding available "for dual-use projects with a chiefly civilian purpose," Bloomberg said.
Weapons and ammunition "are currently on a list of excluded activities and aren't eligible for financing," Bloomberg said, like other items that are defined as "dedicated to military or police use."
The EIB is the lending arm of the European Union and typically provides finance to initiatives in the spheres of sustainability, innovation, urban development, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and renewable energy.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EIB has disbursed over 1.7 billion euros ($1.86 billion) to help finance emergency repairs to the country’s ravaged infrastructure.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Alexander Query
