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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Rescuers inspect damaged of Safe Confinement of Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant after Russian drone attack on Feb. 14, 2025 in Prypiat, Ukraine. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The reconstruction of the confinement that covers the fourth reactor of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant will require more financial investments than are currently available in the special fund of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Guardian reported on May 7, citing its sources.
Russian forces struck the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant with a drone on Feb. 14, breaking through the confinement and creating a 15-meter hole in it. The attack also led to a fire, which took nearly three weeks to extinguish.
"Not fixing it is not an option," Eric Schmieman, an American engineer who worked on the design and structure of the Chornobyl shelter for 15 years, told the Guardian.
A complete repair would "cost a minimum of tens of millions of dollars and it could easily go to hundreds of millions,"with the repairs taking "months to years," according to Schmieman.
Other sources familiar with the assessment echoed Schmieman's stance, adding that while the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has 25 million euros ($28 million) in funds for emergency work at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, "significantly more funding is required" to address the problems caused by the attack.
According to the Guardian, the confinement will be restored by the governments of Western countries, including the U.K.
The nearly $2.3 billion New Safe Confinement (NSC), consisting of two double arches, was completed in 2017. The structure covered the Soviet-era sarcophagus installed over the fourth reactor of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where the accident occurred in 1986.
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.
Kateryna Hodunova
