"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.
Kurt Volker said that now "there is more alignment" between Ukraine and the U.S. under the Trump Administration than at the beginning of 2025.
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.
NATO affirms Ukraine's 'irreversible' path toward membership, $43 billion in funding for next year
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg clarified Ukraine's "irreversible" path toward NATO by emphasizing the alliance's ongoing commitments to Kyiv "constitute a bridge to Ukraine's membership."
"There is a strong message from NATO allies that we really want Ukraine to join, and we are working with Ukraine to make that happen," Stoltenberg said. "The full package we have with Ukraine, the long-term pledge, the delivery of more weapons, including more F-16s, the bilateral security agreements, and the package of interoperability. All of this constitutes, as we call it, a bridge towards membership. These are concrete actions that will bring Ukraine closer to membership."
Over the previous days of the summit, NATO allies have announced plans to provide Ukraine with a minimum baseline funding of 40 billion euros ($43 billion), a new military command in Germany to train and equip Ukrainian troops, and further air defense commitments.
In a longer statement published on July 10, the alliance affirmed Ukraine's "irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership." NATO allies also emphasized that decisions made during the summit and the NATO-Ukraine Council, as well as the Allies’ ongoing work, constitute a bridge to Ukraine’s membership in NATO.
"Ukraine’s future is in NATO," the statement reads. "Ukraine has become increasingly interoperable and politically integrated with the Alliance. We welcome the concrete progress Ukraine has made since the (2023) Vilnius Summit on its required democratic, economic, and security reforms. As Ukraine continues this vital work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. We reaffirm that we will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when the Allies agree and conditions are met."
During a panel with U.S. Congressmen, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said that Ukraine's membership in NATO cannot happen while the country is in "open conflict with Russia."
"I think the goal is to provide a bridge to NATO membership," Shaheen said. "That's part of what our security agreements have been about, with the U.S. and Ukraine."
U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan also said that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will appoint a new senior NATO representative in Kyiv to "deepen Ukraine's institutional relationship with the alliance and serve as the focal point for NATO's engagement with senior Ukrainian officials."
Kyiv had voiced hope that this year's NATO summit would bring a more definite signal about Ukraine's future membership in the alliance. American officials made it clear that the country is unlikely to receive an invitation.
Partners assured Kyiv that the event would define a specific position for Ukraine's membership in the alliance, namely its irreversibility and the roadmap toward it, said Olha Stefanishyna, the deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
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