Politics & Economics

The Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of seven European parliaments are calling upon the United States to demonstrate true leadership in confronting Russian aggression. This is stated in their joint statement, the text of which was provided to Ukrinform by Oleksandr Merezhko, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation. "We, the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the European parliaments, call upon President Trump and the U.S. Congress to demonstrate true leadership in confronting the global threat posed by Russia as an aggressor state. We urge an end to the policy of appeasement…

Ukraine is working on further contacts with the United States at various levels and expects them to take place in the near future. This was stated by the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heorhii Tykhyi, during a briefing on Friday, April 25, according to a Ukrinform correspondent. The MFA Spokesperson noted that a meeting had taken place in London between the Ukrainian delegation and U.S. Special Envoy, General Keith Kellogg. “As of now, we are working on further contacts between Ukraine and the United States at various levels. We expect these contacts to happen, because it is important…

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, April 25. This was announced by Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, according to Ukrinform citing Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. “Russian President Vladimir Putin is receiving President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff in the Kremlin. This is their fourth personal meeting since February of this year,” the statement reads. Peskov did not provide any further details about the meeting. Witkoff arrived in Moscow earlier this morning. The White House had previously confirmed that he would travel to Russia this week, without specifying the exact date. Their previous…

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine views signals from Washington regarding a possible withdrawal from the peace process as part of a communication strategy and an attempt to stimulate negotiations. This was stated by MFA Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi at a briefing, according to a correspondent from Ukrinform. “We have seen public comments and signals, including those from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We believe this is part of a communication strategy — that is, by publicly sending such signals, the American side is trying to stimulate the peace process and accelerate it in this way,” Tykhyi said. The Spokesperson…

Foreign military personnel considering participation in the May 9 parade in Moscow should be aware that they might be marching alongside individuals responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine. Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said this at a briefing on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. According to Tykhyi, the ministry considers that the Russian troops marching on Red Square this year have no genuine connection to the victory over Nazism - and, in fact, many of them are likely complicit in war crimes committed during Russia's aggression against Ukraine. "Any foreign military planning…

U.S. President Donald Trump believes that the temporarily occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea "will stay with Russia." He shared this opinion in an exclusive interview with Time magazine, reflecting on his first 100 days following his return to the White House, according to Ukrinform. "Crimea will stay with Russia," Trump said. In the same interview, Trump also blamed Kyiv for initiating the Russia-Ukraine war. "I think what caused the war to start was when they started talking about joining NATO," he said. Read also: Boris Johnson slams Trump's 'peace plan' for Ukraine Among other points, Trump expressed pride in having…

Ukraine and South Africa have agreed to prepare mutual recognition protocols aimed at lifting restrictions on the export of Ukrainian products. According to Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, this agreement was reached during Minister Vitalii Koval's official visit to South Africa, held as part of President Volodymyr Zelensky's broader diplomatic trip. During the visit, Minister Koval and First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko held productive talks with John Steenhuisen, South Africa's Minister of Agriculture, and Mpho Franklyn Parks Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. Read also: Center for Global Ukrainian Studies to be established in South Africa…

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's proposals to end Russia's war against Ukraine. Johnson voiced his criticism on social media platform X, according to Ukrinform. He wrote that Putin indiscriminately butchers more Ukrainian civilians, killing and injuring 100 in Kyiv, including children. Yet, in return, the Russian dictator is being offered right to keep sovereign Ukrainian territory he has taken by violence and in breach of international law, to control Ukraine’s destiny by forbidding NATO membership, the lifting of sanctions against Russia, an economic partnership with the United States, and the chance to rebuild…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has returned to Ukraine, with his further schedule depending on how the situation develops. The presidential press secretary, Sergii Nykyforov, said this in comments to Ukrinform. "The president has returned to Ukraine. His upcoming schedule will depend on how the situation unfolds," he said. Read also: Zelensky hands over list of 400 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia to South African leader It had been planned that President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska would travel to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, scheduled for this Saturday, April 26. The president had also expressed his…

During the Spring Meetings in Washington, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held discussions on joint weapons production.  Shmyhal shared details of the meeting in a Telegram post, Ukrinform reports. “We deeply appreciate the $8 billion allocated by Norway for Ukraine this year, with the majority of these funds directed toward military needs,” Shmyhal stated. He highlighted that over the past two weeks, $1.4 billion has been allocated for artillery ammunition and military training, alongside two smaller packages aimed at strengthening Ukraine's healthcare system and supporting reconstruction efforts. According to Shmyhal, the discussions also…