Politics

The Vatican is prepared to host a summit that could help bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The date of the talks and the list of participants have not yet been agreed.

NATO countries are facing an acute shortage of cotton, which is needed to manufacture explosives for artillery munitions.

The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption will be able to monitor not only how anti-corruption work is organised within institutions, but also compliance with previously issued directives and recommendations. If an institution fails to report the results in response to a request from the Agency, this may constitute grounds for an unscheduled inspection.

The European Union is set to discuss at least three possible scenarios for breaking the deadlock over its latest package of sanctions against Russia.

The Office of the President has acknowledged that only a small number of people have signed new military contracts, but any decision on whether to review the mobilisation reform will be made after the staff reshuffle.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed Law No. 4921-IX, which brings the Ukrainian market for organic products into line with rules that are as close as possible to European Union standards. The new regulations will come into force in three years’ time to allow producers and retailers time to prepare.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham, has appointed Ed Miliband as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. Previously, Mr Miliband was responsible within the government for energy security and achieving climate neutrality.

Laura Lumer, an American blogger and supporter of US President Donald Trump, travelled to Ukraine to verify for herself the claims she had previously made about the country and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She admitted that she had been misled by Russian propaganda.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may replace the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, according to Western media reports citing sources. There is no official decree regarding his dismissal, and the General Staff states that Syrskyi continues to carry out his duties.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi has, for the first time, responded in detail to claims of a conflict with former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. He explained the division of powers between the General Staff and the Ministry, and commented on the development of unmanned systems, new military contracts, mobilisation and the funding of payments to service personnel.

Yevhen Khmara has officially been acting as Ukraine’s Minister of Defence since 20 July. Prior to this, the government had appointed him Deputy Head of the Ministry of Defence.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, chaired a special meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Headquarters, at which commanders of combat corps engaged in direct dialogue with manufacturers of weapons and equipment for the first time. The main topics of the meeting were the needs of the front line, the supply of troops and the modernisation of defence production.