Politics & Economics

Ukraine will receive a Patriot air defense system deployed in Israel, and Western allies are discussing providing another system from Germany or Greece. Four current and former American officials told The New York Times on condition of anonymity, Ukrinform reports. According to two American officials, the Israeli Patriot is currently undergoing a major overhaul and is an older model. It is expected to be delivered to Ukraine this summer. Due to the sensitivity of the issue, officials declined to say how President Donald Trump feels about the decision to give Ukraine more Patriot systems, and did not comment on whether…

The new Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine will begin his duties in the fall. Ukrinform was informed of this by diplomatic sources. Luboš Veselý has been appointed as the Czech Republic’s Ambassador to Ukraine. He received the agrément (i.e., official approval to work in the host country) back in April. He is set to take up his post in September. Luboš Veselý currently serves as the Czech Foreign Ministry’s envoy for coordinating policy toward the Russian Federation (since 2022). He previously worked at Czech embassies in Ukraine (2010–2014), South Africa, and Russia, where he was Deputy Ambassador from…

President Volodymyr Zelensky says certain politicians in Europe are blocking Ukraine's European integration process in order “to get a better spot” in Moscow’s Red Square, referring to the upcoming military parade where some foreign leaders have been invited. The head of state said this at a joint press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel following the talks in Prague, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "We appreciate the Czech Republic's support for our movement toward the European Union. This year, we are ready to open the first cluster in the negotiation process. It’s a shame that some figures in Europe are blocking…

U.S. President Donald Trump said that, despite ongoing negotiations on a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, it may not be possible to reach one. He said this in an interview with NBC News, Ukrinform reports. When asked whether Trump was close to a peace agreement in the Russian-Ukrainian war, he replied: “I hope so.” “I do believe we are closer with one part and maybe not as close with the other. I’d like to not say which one we are closer to. But we did do a deal for the American people that was good, on rear earths,” Trump…

Czech President Petr Pavel says it is impossible to negotiate the deployment of international military forces in Ukraine until a peace agreement is reached. He said this at a press conference following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Prague, answering a question from an Ukrinform correspondent. "Regarding the deployment of international forces on the territory of Ukraine, we cannot talk about it until a peace agreement is reached," the president said. He said that there are currently no specific talks on what military forces and formations could be deployed on the territory of Ukraine. Read also: Czech President:…

Ukraine's partners should continue to help Kyiv with all their might and thus bring a just peace closer. This was stated by President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky following the talks in Prague, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “If anyone should be tired of the war, it should be the country that was attacked, not those who help it,” Pavel emphasized. To those who say that the war has been going on for too long and that it is time to talk about peace, the Czech president replied that…

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that this year Ukraine expects to receive 1.8 million artillery shells as part of the Czech initiative. The head of state said this during a joint press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel following a meeting in Prague, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “The Czech artillery initiative is working brilliantly, as Mr. President has already said. Last year you really helped us a lot with artillery shells. And we expect that this year's cooperation will be equally effective. We talked about 1.8 million shells, maybe this year. This is a very strong decision,” Zelensky said. Read also:…

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a ceasefire is possible at any time and should last at least 30 days, while Russian dictator Vladimir Putin thinks only about showing off his tanks at a parade. The Head of State said this during a joint press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel following a meeting in Prague, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “We believe that a ceasefire is possible at any time, even from today, and should last at least 30 days to give diplomacy a real chance. And I am grateful to the Czech Republic for supporting our position. I am also…

The delegation of the European political party Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) visited the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv region, where MEPs could see the consequences of Russian aggression with their own eyes and learn about the torture suffered by local residents from Russian invaders. This was reported by Olena Shuliak, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, in a commentary to Ukrinform following the delegation's visit. “On Saturday, the international delegation visited the village of Yahidne. It was very important for us that the European…