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.
A portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on a page of a new schoolbook for high school students on general world history and Russian history, mentioning the country's ongoing military action in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in 2014, during its presentation in Moscow on Aug. 7, 2023. (Yuri Kadobnov /AFP via Getty Images)
Russia's book union has created an advisory body to check books' compliance with national legislation, namely recent laws targeting the LGBT community in Russia, the Russian state-controlled media outlet Vedomosti reported on April 23.
The advisory body includes representatives from Roskomnadzor, Russia's internet services and mass media regulator, the Russian Historical Society, and the Russian Orthodox Church, among others.
If any discrepancies with national legislation for publishing are identified in individual books, the body will recommend it be pulled from shelves. The final decision is up to the publisher, according to Vedomosti.
The body's recommendations have pushed one of the leading Russian publishers, AST, to suspend sales of three books by U.S. authors James Baldwin and Michael Cunningham, as well as Russian Vladimir Sorokin, for allegedly containing "LGBTpropaganda."
The AST also withdrew "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara and "The Song of Achilles" by Madeleine Miller, as they contained "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships," Russian independent media outlet Meduza reported on April 23, citing Russian book critic Maxim Mamlyga.
Mamlyga published a letter he received from AST in which the publisher said it had decided to withdraw the books due to the "risks related to (their) further distribution."
Russia passed a law in late December 2022 banning "LGBT propaganda," under which any activity that can be considered as promoting homosexuality was effectively outlawed.
Russia's Supreme Court further tightened the crackdown on LGBT rights in November 2023, officially declaring that the "international LGBT movement" was an "extremist organization" and prohibiting its activities.
In January, Roskomnadzor issued 50 million rubles ($566,000) in fines to television providers and streaming services for violating government restrictions on showing LGBT content.
Anna-Maria Tesfaye
