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.
Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov smiles during a military parade to mark Navy Day, on July 28 2024, in Saint Petersburg, Russia (Contributor/Getty Images)
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in Pyongyang for an official visit on Nov. 29, amid deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
After arriving in Pyongyang, Belousov was greeted by his North Korean counterpart No Kwang-chol, and members of North Korea's military, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Belousov will participate in meetings with "the military and political leadership of the DPRK," it added.
Belousov's visit to Pyongyang comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to the hermit country in June, where Russia formally deepened it military and economic cooperation with Pyongyang.
Pyongyang is believed to have dispatched over 10,000 troops to aid Russia's war, with the first clashes with Ukrainian forces reported in Kursk Oblast. North Korea has also become Moscow's leading supplier of artillery shells and ballistic missiles.
A source with Ukraine's General Staff also indicated to Reuters on Nov. 23 that the majority of North Korean soldiers were finalizing training.
In recent months, Russia has focused on regaining territory lost in the country's Kursk Oblast following a surprise Ukrainian incursion into the region in August. According to the source in Ukraine's General Staff, Ukraine has lost over 40 percent of the territory it previously gained in Kursk Oblast due to Russian counterattacks.
NATO allies believe that Putin is aiming to recapture territory lost in Kursk Oblast before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the Telegraph reported, hoping to gain leverage in future peace negotiations.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Oleg Sukhov
