Politics
Scandal involving the TCC in Lviv: MP calls on Fedorov to resign
MP Roman Kaptyelov has called on Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov to resign following a clash with staff at the Territorial Recruitment Centre in Lviv. The incident took place on the evening of 8 July in Sykhiv during mobilisation awareness events, when a crowd damaged and overturned a military service vehicle.
Nine European countries are calling for biometric checks on tourists to be relaxed
Nine European countries have called on the European Commission to extend the option to temporarily relax the new biometric border checks. This refers to the Entry/Exit System, which applies to nationals of non-EU countries, including Ukrainians on short trips to the Schengen Area.
Italy expels two Russian military attachés over a spying scandal
Italy has decided to expel two military attachés from the Russian Embassy in Rome following an investigation into the alleged passing of classified information to a Russian agent. The Russian diplomats must leave the country within three days.
Russians are flocking to buy petrol: Kazakhstan has restricted cross-border traffic for cars
Kazakhstan has restricted border crossings for passenger cars and lorries from neighbouring countries to once a day. The government attributes this to efforts to combat the ‘grey market’ export of fuel, against the backdrop of a sharp rise in consumption in regions bordering Russia.
Shabunina has been accused of giving false evidence to the Temporary Investigation Commission regarding documents classified as ‘DSK’
Vladimir Boiko, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, claimed that Vitaliy Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, had allegedly passed on a document marked ‘For official use only’, even though he had denied access to such documents during a meeting of the parliamentary Temporary Investigation Commission. No official conclusions from the TSK or law enforcement agencies regarding this statement have yet been made public.
The NATO summit in Ankara cemented the new role of Europe and Ukraine within the Alliance’s security framework
During the NATO summit in Ankara, the allies focused on strengthening the Alliance’s defence capabilities, developing the defence industry and increasing European states’ responsibility for their own security. For the first time, Ukraine was explicitly recognised in the final declaration as a country contributing to the security of the Euro-Atlantic area.
Germany has reached an agreement with the US on the purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that Berlin has reached an agreement with the US on the purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles and their deployment on German territory. The parties reached this agreement during the NATO summit in Ankara.
NATO is to expand its air patrol mission in the Baltic states to include air defence
NATO has agreed to change the format of the Baltic Air Policing mission in the Baltic states, expanding it into an air defence mission. This will allow Alliance aircraft to operate under broader rules for responding to air threats.
Navrotsky stated that it had not been possible to resolve the historical issues during his meeting with Zelenskyy
Polish President Karol Nawrocki stated that, during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Ankara, the two sides were unable to resolve historical issues. At the same time, the two presidents discussed further Polish-Ukrainian cooperation and the situation regarding Russian aggression.
The Czech President has called for the next two months to be used to launch negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
Czech President Petr Pavel believes that the next two months could prove decisive for the launch of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. According to him, following the parliamentary elections in Russia, Vladimir Putin may declare a general mobilisation.
Trump intends to step up military support for Ukraine
US President Donald Trump is considering stepping up military support for Ukraine to help Ukrainian troops achieve a breakthrough on the battlefield. The Financial Times reported this, citing officials familiar with the course of negotiations during the NATO summit.
The Czech Republic will not contribute to the €70 billion NATO package for Ukraine: Babiš cited an exception
The Czech Republic will not be taking part in the new €70 billion military aid package for Ukraine, which was agreed by NATO countries at the summit in Ankara. At the same time, Prague has stated that it will make a small one-off contribution as part of the mechanism for procuring US weapons for Ukraine.
