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.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (R) met Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren on June 10, 2024, in Kyiv to discuss further cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands. (Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal/Facebook)
Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren arrived in Kyiv in an unannounced visit on June 10.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Facebookthathe had met with Ollongren on June 10 and thanked the Netherlands for assistance in boosting Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression.
Shmyhal and Ollongren discussed Ukraine-Netherlands joint defense production, the exchange of technologies, the upcoming global peace summit in Switzerland, and Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration.
"We rely on the active advocacy of the Netherlands in further work with key partners of the alliance (NATO) to provide comprehensive support to our country," Shmyhal said.
Shmyhal also highlighted the Dutch joint initiative to supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems and expressed hope for receiving F-16 fighter jets "as soon as possible to protect people and infrastructure."
Denmark, the Netherlands, and the U.S. have led an international coalition established last year to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets and train Ukrainian pilots.
The Netherlands plans to start delivering its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this autumn after Denmark begins transferring its aircraft in the summer, Ollongren said in early May.
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.
Chris York
