News & Events

A landmark EU decision this week to send Ukraine the interest earned by hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian central bank accounts on its territory is adding urgency to a debate over what will happen to those accounts.

While his approval ratings have inevitably waned, President Volodymyr Zelensky has been able to use his enduring appeal, along with a desire for stability, to extend his term in office.

President Vladimir Putin has signalled approval of China’s plan as a “genuine desire” to end the war in Ukraine as he travels to Beijing to shore up support from his vital international partner.

Ambassadors from EU member states have agreed in principle to seize windfall profits from frozen Russian assets to finance arms supplies to Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that the island state of Cape Verde had become the first African country to agree to attend a world “peace summit” aimed at finding a solution to Ukraine’s more than two-year-old war against Russia.

But Major-General Vadym Skibitsky, deputy chief of Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence directorate, told the Economist magazine that talks would eventually be needed, as would be the case with any war.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he has not ruled out sending ground troops to Ukraine if Russia breaks through Ukrainian front lines and the government in Kyiv made such a request.

The US Senate has approved a $95bn (£76bn) foreign aid package that includes military support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.