Politics & Economics

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has supported draft law No. 9378 to increase the length of vacations for military personnel. Some 270 MPs voted for the document, MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak posted on Telegram. "Military personnel are granted a vacation of 30 days + 10 days for family reasons and for other valid reasons," he wrote. Zhelezniak added that a vacation could be granted in parts three times a year, provided that no more than 30% of the total number of military personnel are absent at the same time. On May 30, the Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 9342 at…

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda will discuss Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and further support for the Ukrainian people at a meeting in the format of the Weimar Triangle in Paris on June 12. According to Ukrinform, the planned meeting has been announced on the website of the German government. "Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz will leave for Paris on June 12, 2023, where he will meet with the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, in the format of the Weimar…

The joint declaration, signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada contains the firmest wording of support for the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Ukrainians among the G7 nations and for the first time publicly records support for the creation of the Ukraine-NATO Council. Deputy Head of the President’s Office Ihor Zhovkva reported the news on Facebook, Ukrinform saw. "The joint declaration clearly records Canada’s support for Ukraine's acquisition of NATO membership as soon as conditions allow. This is the strongest wording among all the G7 countries that are NATO members. Canada also supports the creation of the…

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi about the consequences of delivering drones to Russia. That’s according to Reuters citing Macron's office, Ukrinform reports. In a phone call, Macron urged Iran to "immediately cease" the support it is giving Russia in the war against Ukraine. Read also: Russia receives hundreds of Iranian drones to attack Ukraine - White House Macron also expressed concerns about the trajectory of the Iranian nuclear programme, the statement read. As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russia is deepening cooperation with Iran in the field of defense and has received hundreds of lethal one-way attack…

  Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal of Ukraine has discussed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Canada's participation in the reconstruction of Ukraine. The prime minister reported the meeting on Telegram, Ukrinform saw. "I am happy to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv. First of all, I thanked him for the additional $400 million in military aid," Shmyhal said. According to the government head, the two countries are facing huge challenges today. As Shmyhal noted, Russia's yet another act of terror, this time at the Kakhovka HPP, led to the biggest man-made disaster in Europe in recent decades.…

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has delivered a speech in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak reported this on his Telegram channel, according to Ukrinform. According to him, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and all Ukrainian ministers were also present in the session hall. Zhelezniak outlined the main points from Trudeau's speech. In particular, Trudeau noted that Ukrainians are fighting "not only for their survival, but for everything": "For democracy and freedom. The world cannot underestimate the importance of the moment and your struggle. You are fighting for yourself, for your language, for your homes, and…

Canada officially joins a "fighter jet coalition" for Ukraine, particularly in terms of training Ukrainian pilots and aircraft maintenance. Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said this in a post on Facebook, reporting on the agreements reached during the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. "A number of important agreements for Ukraine were reached during bilateral negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Among the main ones is that Canada officially joins a coalition of combat aircraft, particularly in terms of training Ukrainian pilots…

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday as President Volodymyr Zelensky's government struggled to assess the damage and mount further downstream evacuations following the destruction of the giant Nova Kakhovka dam. That's according to CBC, Ukrinform reports. Trudeau's trip to Ukraine was planned under a strict news blackout. In Kyiv, Trudeau started his visit by attending a somber wreath-laying at the Wall of Remembrance, a unique, deeply personal collection of photos and inscriptions marking those who've fallen in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Read also: Canada, Poland to jointly support…

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken have discussed the United States' steadfast support to Ukraine, as well as humanitarian needs in connection with the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. That's according to a statement issued by U.S. Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "The two discussed the latest situation on the battlefield and the United States' steadfast support to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's brutal attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure," the statement reads. Read also: Ukraine can anticipate strong package of support at NATO summit…

Today, the NATO-Ukraine Commission held a meeting with online participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, which was convened at the initiative of the Ukrainian side to consider the situation that arose after the Kakhovka HPP dam destruction by the Russian occupiers. The relevant information was published on the website of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Ukrinform reports. “Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg chaired a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission on Thursday (8 June 2023), bringing together Allied ambassadors with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Participating virtually, Minister Kuleba briefed Allies on the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka…