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.
The logo of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is pictured above the entrance of the bank's headquarters building on Feb. 1, 2023, in Vienna, Austria. (Heinz-Peter Bader/Getty Images)
Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) was warned by the U.S. Treasury that its access to the U.S. financial system could be curbed due to its continued presence in the Russian market, Reuters reported on May 15.
The Vienna-based banking group is the largest remaining Western bank in Russia since Western companies exited the Russian market en masse after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Amid increasing pressure to scale down its activities in Russia, Johann Strobl, the CEO of RBI, said at the start of May that the bank is making plans to begin its exit from the country in the summer of 2024 in order to comply with European regulators.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo sent a letter on May 6 to RBI to express "concern about RBI's presence in Russia as well as a $1.5 billion deal with a sanctioned Russian tycoon that the bank has since scrapped," Reuters said, citing a person who had seen the correspondence.
Reuters was referring to reports that Raiffeisen was interested in buying a 1.5 billion euro ($1.6 billion) stake in the construction company Strabag, which is linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
The deal "was ditched by Raiffeisen days after the letter arrived," Reuters said, but there is still "deep frustration in Washington with the lender."
The bank has also frustrated Brussels, with the European Parliament sending Austrian officials a letter about RBI in April.
The European Parliament urged Austrian officials to compel Raiffeisen to cease its activities in Russia in compliance with EU sanctions after reports emerged that Raiffeisen was planning to continue and expand its operations in Russia.
Raiffeisen's activities "contribute to Russia's economy and budget, and provide financial resources for continued military aggression against Ukraine," the letter said.
Chris York
