1+ week, 6+ day ago (673+ words) The EU's continued support for Kyiv is "just crazy," Hungarian prime minister says. Ukraine has "no chance" of winning against Russia's ongoing invasion, and the EU's continued financial support for the country is "just crazy," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb'n said. Orb'n's comments come as hopes fade for a ceasefire anytime soon and Europe scrambles to shore up Kyiv's finances ahead of a budget cliff-edge next year. In an interview with the CEO of German media group Axel Springer, which owns POLITICO, Orb'n said financial support for Ukraine "kills" the EU "economically, financially" and is "just crazy." Hungary has previously blocked the prolongation of EU sanctions against Russia and financial support for Ukraine, and has lobbied for an exemption from U.S. oil sanctions on Moscow. "We have burned already "185 billion, and " our intention is to to burn even more. So we…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (495+ words) Diplomats are looking at ways to move Kyiv's application forward despite Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb'n's veto. BRUSSELS " Top European ministers will travel to Ukraine next month in a show of support for the country's application to join the EU, a move that comes as allies work around delays caused by opposition from Hungary. The informal summit of ministers for European affairs will be held in the Western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Dec. 10 and 11, according to an invitation sent to capitals Monday. The letter was sent jointly on behalf of Denmark, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, and Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Taras Kachka. "The main focus of our discussions will be Ukraine's progress on its path to EU membership," the document reads. "The meeting will provide an opportunity to take stock of the…...

2+ day, 4+ hour ago (667+ words) The top aide's firing will fuel opposition calls for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to bring in a national unity government in Kyiv. Andriy Yermak's exit as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's all-powerful chief of staff is a tectonic shift for Ukraine that sets the stage for a fierce battle over how the country is governed. Nicknamed the "green cardinal" for wearing the military-inspired outfits his boss popularized, Yermak " a once little-known lawyer and B-movie producer " rose to wield immense influence as Zelenskyy's top aide and was seen by many as virtually a co-president. Opposition politicians will use his firing over a $100 million corruption scandal to press home their demand for a national unity government in Kyiv, something they've urged ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago, and Yermak's exit will embolden those factions. And there can be little doubt…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (854+ words) The European Commission will try on Friday to assuage Belgium's concerns over the legal and financial risks of repurposing Russian assets. The European Commission is intensifying talks with the Belgian government to secure a crucial "140 billion reparations loan to Kyiv as the clock ticks down to Ukraine running out of money in spring. But with Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever focused on a budget crisis at home and the European Parliament likely to get a say in the reparations loan, which would slow down approval, time is looking tight. The latest round of negotiations on the mooted loan, which would be backed by frozen Russian state assets held on Belgian soil, comes to a head Friday morning when senior officials from the Commission's economic and budgetary departments will try to reassure the Belgian leadership that any financial and legal…...

4+ hour, 51+ min ago (524+ words) The U.S. is keen to finalize Ukraine's position on territorial issues and security guarantees in ongoing talks in Florida. KYIV " Ukrainian and American delegations traded warm words Sunday before heading into a key meeting on how to end Russia's war in Europe, but beneath the surface Kyiv remains concerned the U.S. only has ears for Vladimir Putin. The talks are Ukraine's best chance to lobby Special Representative Steve Witkoff before he heads to Moscow next week for talks with Russian officials including the country's president. "In general, Ukrainians have the impression that the Americans want to bypass[President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy in their consultations with Putin now, agree on something with Putin, and then return to talking with Ukraine," a senior official familiar with the negotiations told POLITICO. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details. The American side wants to…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (873+ words) Running fleets of incompatible aircraft creates problems with logistics and pilot training, and Kyiv also faces cash issues. PARIS " Serious complications await Ukraine's plan to build a massive new air force comprising large numbers of French and Swedish warplanes. While the deals "which are not yet contracts "send a positive signal about Ukraine's future air force and Europe's backing as Kyiv fights off continued Russian attacks in the east of the country, there are financial, logistical and industrial hurdles ahead. The Ukrainian air force is still largely dependent on Soviet-era aircraft like the MiG-29, the Su-25 and the Su-27, but also operates Lockheed Martin F-16s as well as a limited number of French Mirage 2000-5 jet fighters. If Kyiv succeeds in building a modern air force with more than 200 new Western warplanes, it would wind up operating a mixed fighter jet fleet…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (356+ words) German government officials worry that news of corruption in Ukraine will undermine public support for the embattled country. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a call Thursday to sort out the country's corruption problems as Kyiv faces the fallout of a massive scandal involving kickbacks. "The chancellor emphasized the German government's expectation that Ukraine will vigorously advance the fight against corruption and continue reforms, particularly in the area of the rule of law," the chancellor's spokesman said. The government in Kyiv has been rocked by a corruption scandal this week involving allegations of kickbacks at a state nuclear energy company adding up to roughly $100 million. Zelenskyy wasn't directly implicated, but the scandal strikes close to his inner circle and has led to the resignation of two ministers. German government officials worry news of corruption in Ukraine…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (362+ words) Jolie's humanitarian trip to Kherson, Ukraine interrupted by military recruiters at checkpoint. A surprise visit to Ukraine by actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie drew scrutiny of her companions, with multiple sources claiming a member of her entourage was unexpectedly drafted into to the Ukrainian military. The Tomb Raider star, traveling in her role as a UNICEF ambassador, visited the city of Kherson on the front line of Ukraine's defense against Russia on Tuesday. It was her second time in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. She previously visited the city of Lviv. A top Ukrainian official told POLITICO that a member of Jolie's traveling party had an incident with local military recruiters at a checkpoint, but that the Ukrainian authorities are still trying to figure out what has exactly happened. The official also told POLITICO that Jolie had not informed the…...

2+ week, 1+ hour ago (364+ words) Technical talks to finalize details of the exchange "will be held in the near future," top Ukrainian official Rustem Umerov said. Ukraine is working on a prisoner exchange with Russia that could see the return of 1,200 Ukrainians from captivity, as Kyiv also seeks to resume negotiations on ending Russia's invasion. "We are working to ensure another start to negotiations, so that after all there is a prospect to end this war," Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Sunday. "We are also counting on the resumption of POW exchanges " many meetings, negotiations, and calls are currently taking place to ensure this," Zelenskyy added. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary, Rustem Umerov, said on Telegram that he had "held consultations with the mediation of partners in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on the resumption of the exchange…...

1+ day, 15+ hour ago (368+ words) Andriy Yermak, who was abruptly fired on Friday in a blockbuster corruption scandal, told the New York Post that he was going to fight for his country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's former chief of staff said that he would go to the frontline and fight for Ukraine after being embroiled in a corruption scandal. Andriy Yermak, who was abruptly fired on Friday hours after his home was raided by the national anti-corruption watchdog, told the New York Post that he was going to fight for his country, the U.S. tabloid reported late Friday. "I've been desecrated, and my dignity hasn't been protected," Yermak told the outlet. "Therefore, I don't want to create problems for Zelenskyy; I'm going to the front." Yermak's ouster came after Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies revealed that people close to Zelenskyy were involved in a plot to skim around…...