Politics & Economics

At the request of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in Ukraine, John Ginkel, was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Wednesday, July 2. The meeting focused on U.S. military assistance and defense cooperation amid Russia’s escalating aggression and acts of terror against Ukraine, Ukrinform reports, referring to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. According to the MFA, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Mariana Betsa expressed gratitude to the United States for the support provided since Russia's full-scale invasion began and emphasized the importance of continuing the delivery of previously allocated defense…

Poland’s President-elect Karol Nawrocki met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Tuesday. Nawrocki reported this via X, Ukrinform saw. “In response to the invitation, I met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Tuesday. We spoke about cooperation within NATO. Ensuring security and mutual understanding of needs are the basis of strong and responsible international relations,” Nawrocki wrote. He thanked the NATO Secretary General for a good conversation in a friendly atmosphere. Read also: Nawrocki could change tone on Ukraine after assuming presidential powers - Duda Marcin Przydacz, a member of the Polish Sejm who…

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly confirmed that shipments of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine have been suspended due to the depletion of U.S. stockpiles in recent years. That’s according to NBC News, as reported by Ukrinform. “This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” she stated. The Defense Department did not respond to a request for comment. According to the publication’s sources in Congress and the Department of…

The end of June saw a number of significant highest-level international events. The NATO summit took place in The Hague, the Netherlands, on June 24-25, resulting in the shortest communiqué in the history of such gatherings. It contains only five paragraphs, including particularly on Ukraine's security interests. On top of that, EU leaders, excepting Hungary, gathered at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, on June 26 to endorse the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession (the opening of the first cluster), but the 18th package of sanctions against Russia has not yet been approved. On the previous day, President of…

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and President of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga have discussed joint projects. The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. At a meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the UN Conference on Financing for Development, Shmyhal thanked Banga for supporting Ukraine. As emphasized by the Prime Minister of Ukraine, since the Russian full-scale invasion started, the World Bank has already mobilized more than USD 77 billion in support of Ukraine. According to Shmyhal, Ukraine and the World Bank are jointly implementing 18 projects at…

Ukraine has clear evidence, verified by partners, that sanctions are truly painful for Russia. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who spoke in an evening video address to the nation, Ukrinform reports. “We are getting ready for upcoming meetings in Europe, particularly in Denmark, as well as meetings with other partners of ours. One of the key topics will be weapons production – our joint investments, our joint projects,” Zelensky noted. At the same time, the president noted the beginning of Denmark's presidency of the EU Council. Read also: Zelensky welcomes Denmark’s EU Presidency, eyes key decisions…

On July 1, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin — their first direct conversation in nearly three years. The call was reported by Bloomberg, citing a statement from the Élysée Palace, according to Ukrinform. The two presidents reportedly agreed to coordinate their actions on Iran, with the call lasting over two hours. “The two presidents decided to coordinate their approaches and to speak to each other in the near future in order to follow up on this issue together,” said the French presidential administration. According to The Moscow Times, citing the Kremlin press…

The Kremlin has recently shifted its rhetoric regarding military expenditures, publicly announcing intentions to cut defense spending. That is according to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (FISU), Ukrinform reports. It is noted that lately, Russia has been actively promoting a new narrative about reducing defense spending. During his visit to Kyrgyzstan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that "peace-loving" Russia, unlike NATO, intends to reduce defense spending — echoing a message delivered just a day earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This abrupt shift in economic messaging comes in the wake of statements by Russia’s Minister of Economic Development…

Poland’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Czesław Siekierski, has expressed dissatisfaction with how the European Commission communicated with EU member states regarding negotiations with Ukraine on new terms for importing Ukrainian agricultural products into the EU. This was stated in an official statement by the Polish minister, issued in response to the European Commission’s announcement that negotiations with Ukraine on revising the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) had concluded, Ukrinform reports. According to Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture, the European Commission provided EU member states with a general outline of the agreement with Ukraine, but did not disclose…

Ukrainian and German Foreign Ministers Andrii Sybiha and Johann Wadephul visited Odesa to witness the aftermath of Russian attacks and discuss ways to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense. Sybiha shared the news on X, as reported by Ukrinform. “Visited Odesa together with my German colleague Johann Wadephul. We paid tribute to the fallen Ukrainian defenders and went to the sea port, where we saw the damage caused by Russian strikes and received a security briefing,” Sybiha wrote. He emphasized that the destruction in Odesa highlights the urgent need to reinforce Ukraine’s air shield to protect people, the economy, and global food…