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.
Illustrative purposes only: The logo of the association Doctors without Borders. (Wolfgang Kumm/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian organization that focuses on providing medical aid in conflict zones, announced on Sept. 16 that its programs in Russia will be closed.
Doctors Without Borders has been working in Russia since 1992. For 32 years, the organization has been engaged in the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis and HIV, assistance to the homeless, and humanitarian aid in Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan.
The organization said that throughout the full-scale invasion, it was providing assistance to Russian citizens affected by Moscow's war in Ukraine and to Ukrainian citizens "who crossed into Russia from Ukraine."
Nearly 1.3 million displaced Ukrainians have been registered in Russia as of December 2023, with the U.N. expressing "concerns regarding their legal status, rights, and access to services within the country." Research by Amnesty International showed that "many displaced Ukrainians end up inside Russia or Russia-occupied territories involuntarily, even if they are not physically forced to move."
Doctors Without Borders said it was carrying out this work "in partnership with local NGOs in the Belgorod and Rostov regions in the south of Russia."
The reason for the closure was that in August, the organization received a letter from the Russian Justice Ministry with a decision to exclude the affiliate office of the non-profit association "Doctors Without Borders"(Netherlands) in Russia from the register of affiliate and representative offices of foreign NGOs, the statement read.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have to close our activities in Russia. Our organization's work is guided by independence, impartiality, neutrality, and medical ethics. We provide assistance based on the needs," said Yashovardhan, head of the Russian programs.
The reason for the Justice Ministry's decision to exclude the organization's branch was not specified.
The register shows only two branches of the organization as of Sept. 15, 2024: "Doctors Without Borders" (Belgium) and "Doctors Without Borders" (France). The first was removed from the register in 2009, while the second one, listed in 2006, has no removal date. The affiliate "Doctors Without Borders"(Netherlands) was de-registered in July 2024.
"We are very sad to conclude our programs in the country as many people in need of medical and humanitarian assistance will now be left without the support we could have provided them. Doctors Without Borders would like to still work in Russia again, if and when possible," Norman Sitali, operations manager responsible for programs in Russia, said.
Doctors Without Borders was founded in 1971 by a group of French doctors and journalists to help people in war zones, epidemics, and natural disasters. Since then, the organization has been present in more than 70 countries.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Dinara Khalilova
