Politics & Economics

Romania and Germany, together with their partners, can help Ukraine now and after the war ends. This was announced by Romanian President Nicușor Dan at a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday in Berlin, according to a Ukrinform correspondent. According to the president, the parties discussed the war in Ukraine and joint opportunities to help Ukraine “through economic pressure and military assistance to force Russia to the negotiating table.” In terms of military assistance, one of the opportunities is the development of cooperation between Germany and Romania in the defense industry. Dan said that negotiations between ROMARM…

Special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine conducted operations during which they entered 600 km deep into Russian territory. In particular, they entered the Novgorod region, where a Tu-22M3 bomber was destroyed. This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to the former deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Major General Ilia Pavlenko. "In 2022, the community of democratic partners, in particular the United States, was very concerned that we would not enter Russian territory. But when it came to the transfer of weapons, the leaders of the countries always said that these…

Russia is trying to make the most of Trump's 50-day “ultimatum” to increase pressure on the front. However, its potential is gradually weakening, and this is already evident in all areas. This was stated by Ukrainian politician and diplomat Roman Bezsmertny in an interview with Ukrinform. “Russia will act as long and as much as its own potential allows. But this potential is gradually diminishing. And this is already evident in all areas,” Bezsmertny noted. According to the diplomat, despite the alarming figures regarding the scale of attacks, in particular massive drone strikes, it is necessary to carefully analyze not…

A new perspective is gradually taking shape in Washington: that Ukraine’s victory is not an abstraction, but an achievable goal. This opinion was expressed by Ukrainian politician and diplomat Roman Bezsmertnyi in an interview with Ukrinform. “Keith Kellogg spent several days in Kyiv. I wouldn’t rule out that concrete courses of action may have been discussed during the visit. But, just like with the strikes on strategic aviation or other targeted operations, no one will know in advance. The principle here is: everyone knows only their own segment, and only one or two individuals see the full picture,” Bezsmertnyi noted.…

On Friday, July 18, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin. According to Ukrinform, this was reported by Daily Sabah citing the Turkish president’s press office. Erdoğan emphasized the importance of resuming a third round of peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv and proposed that future talks be held in Istanbul, provided both sides agree on suitable dates for the meeting. In addition, the Turkish president expressed concern over recent clashes in the southern Syrian province of Suwayda, warning that the violence threatens regional stability. He stressed the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty…

The UK government has decided to lower the price cap on Russian crude oil, following an agreement reached earlier today within the EU as part of the 18th sanctions package against Moscow. This was announced in the UK government press release, Ukrinform reports. Today’s decision reduces the price cap on Russian crude oil from $60 per barrel to $47.60. The measure is expected to directly impact Russia’s oil revenues, which have already declined by 35% compared to last year. The move is aimed at further restricting Putin’s oil industry, lowering the market value of Russian crude, and targeting a key…

Ukraine continues to expand its domestic weapons production, but international support remains essential to fully meet the needs of Ukrainian forces. Olesia Horiainova, co-founder of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, said this in a comment to Al Jazeera, Ukrinform reports. "According to Deputy Head of the President's Office Pavlo Palisa, about 50% of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' needs are currently covered by domestic production. However, foreign assistance remains just as crucial as before," the analyst said. Horyainova also called for tougher sanctions against Russia, which she said "is showing no signs of being interested" in "stopping the war." In…

President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed Ukraine's newly appointed Defense Minister, Denys Shmyhal, to urgently finalize all necessary contracts for drones required by the country's Defense Forces. The head of state made the announcement on Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "I received a report from Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Denys Shmyhal. An audit is already effectively underway regarding the agreements that require expedited contracting, particularly concerning drones, and especially interceptor drones. I have instructed that all relevant contracts for the drones needed by our Ukrainian Defense Forces be urgently concluded," Zelensky said. Read also: President Zelensky names three priorities for new Cabinet…

The next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as the Ramstein format, will take place on Monday, July 21. The United Kingdom's Joint Delegation to NATO announced this via the social media platform X, according to Ukrinform. "On Monday, the UK and Germany will host another meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group," the post stated. The meeting will be attended by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher Cavoli, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, as well as dozens of allied and partner nations. Read also: Germany does not confirm Patriot delivery to…

On Friday, July 18, the British government imposed new sanctions on the Russian Federation in response to its prolonged campaign of malicious cyber activity over several years, including operations conducted in the United Kingdom. According to a government press release seen by Ukrinform, the latest restrictive measures target three units of the Russian military intelligence agency (GRU) and 18 military intelligence officers who are responsible for conducting a sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity over many years, including in the UK. The UK government noted that in 2022, Unit 26165, sanctioned today, conducted online reconnaissance to help target missile strikes…