Politics
Ten hectares of woodland that had been unlawfully held by Medvedchuk’s organisations have been returned to state ownership
The Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office has returned 10 hectares of forest land in the Obukhiv district to the state; this land had been illegally used for over 20 years by entities linked to former MP Viktor Medvedchuk.
"We hope to establish a European anti-ballistic missile system in collaboration with the UK," - said Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russian political influence has waned in a number of countries and outlined the conditions which, in his view, could bring the war to an end.
The EU has authorised the detention and inspection of vessels linked to Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’
European Union countries have granted military vessels in the Mediterranean the right to detain and inspect foreign ships they consider to be part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’. These new powers have been granted to Operation IRINI.
The military were promised pay rises, but there is no money in the budget
MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak stated that the amendments to the state budget do not include funding for a comprehensive reform of military pay. According to him, the Ministry of Defence is working on a mechanism for supplementary payments for those receiving the minimum pay, but the overall shortfall in military pay remains.
Zelensky discussed steps to advance diplomacy with Witkoff and Kushner
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, held talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, special representatives of US President Donald Trump. The parties discussed ending the war, security challenges and international meetings scheduled for June.
China has announced a naval operation off the coast of Taiwan, passing through Japanese and Philippine waters
China has announced the launch of a special maritime law enforcement operation in the waters east of Taiwan. Beijing has described this as a response to plans by Japan and the Philippines to hold talks on the delimitation of maritime zones in the region.
Hungarian MPs have cut their own salaries following their victory over Orbán
The Hungarian Parliament has passed a law significantly reducing MPs’ salaries and state funding for political parties. This was one of the first legislative measures taken by Péter Magyar’s new government following the victory of the Tisa party over Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz.
Ukraine could lose some of its EU aid due to unfulfilled reforms
Ukraine risks losing part of its funding under the Ukraine Facility for the first time due to delays in implementing reforms. This relates to unmet conditions linked to the fourth and fifth tranches of EU aid.
Trump warned Netanyahu against further strikes on Iran and threatened to withdraw US support
US President Donald Trump has stated that he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the consequences of a possible escalation of the conflict with Iran. Following talks with Washington, the Israeli side agreed to call off the planned strikes on condition that Tehran ceased its attacks.
The government is preparing tougher penalties for repeated breaches of the highway code
The government has announced a package of measures designed to reduce the number of road accidents and improve driver discipline. Stricter penalties are planned for drivers who regularly flout the rules of the road, particularly those who exceed the speed limit.
The European Commission promises to finalise the 21st package of sanctions against Russia: what is the deadline?
The European Commission is set to finalise the EU’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia this week and submit it to the Council of the European Union for approval.
“This is the IPSO gaining momentum.” Ukraine’s Minister for the Economy comments on anti-immigration sentiment
Oleksiy Sobolev, Minister for the Economy, the Environment and Agriculture, emphasised that Ukraine issued 9,500 work permits last year, so there are no issues whatsoever regarding migrants in Ukraine.
