Political news from Kyiv region, government decisions and Ukraine politics
Lubinets and Lantratova met during an exchange on June 26 and agreed to verify the fate of military personnel from both sides. However, there is a gap between the list and the response with no enforcement mechanism in place.
920 dead, $6.7 billion in losses — and not a single piece of heavy equipment in the most affected areas in the first 24 hours. The earthquake revealed not only the fragility of buildings but also the fragility of the state.
Ombudsman Lubinets cites a figure of 16,000 peaceful Ukrainian civilians in Russian prisons — but fewer than 6% of them have been internationally verified. The reason lies not only in Russia.
Ukrainian drones attacked the Titan-Barrikady plant in Volgograd, an enterprise involved in the production of Iskander missile systems. Zelenskyy confirmed the operation, while the OSINT community documents the consequences.
# Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda Offers to Mediate Between Poland and Ukraine Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda announced his readiness to act as a mediator between Poland and Ukraine. Behind this gesture lies genuine geopolitical logic rather than mere diplomatic courtesy.
The European Commission has proposed extending temporary protection until March 4, 2028 — but for the first time, it has incorporated a criterion related to Ukrainian mobilization legislation into this status. Now the right to protection depends not only on the fact of fleeing the war, but also on whether a person had the legal right to leave.
# European Commission Develops New Integration Model for Candidate Countries: Real Economic Benefits in Exchange for Reforms, but Without Clear Accession Timeline. What This Means for Ukraine. The European Commission is developing a new integration framework for candidate countries that offers tangible economic advantages in exchange for reforms, though without establishing a definitive timeline for EU membership. This approach represents a shift in the bloc's enlargement strategy, potentially affecting Ukraine's path toward full accession. The model aims to deepen ties and encourage democratic and economic reforms while maintaining flexibility on membership deadlines, presenting both opportunities and challenges for Kyiv's European integration efforts.
# Renunciation of WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO titles — not a gesture of altruism, but, by all accounts, preparation for a contract with new promoter Zuffa Boxing, where traditional belts simply don't exist.
A former energy minister had 105 million hryvnias paid out of 150 million required. 46 million from this amount came from a company that, by all indications, is a shell company.
French diplomacy in the best traditions of the Sun King: at the G7 summit, Macron reminded Trump that it was France that saved American independence 250 years ago — and he did it majestically, in the golden halls of Versailles.
# After Mar-a-Lago Meeting, Both Leaders Speak of Progress Following their meeting at Mar-a-Lago, both leaders are reporting progress in negotiations. Zelenskyy reports "100% agreed" security guarantees, while Trump offers a more modest assessment. Two key points of the plan remain unresolved, and Moscow has not yet come to the negotiating table.
# Translation On the sidelines of the Evian summit, Zelensky named specific countries for a meeting with Putin and admitted that US mediation is not working at the moment. Russia, meanwhile, denied the very fact of an invitation being extended.
Six military conscription officials and three activists from a local civic organization held men in custody, tortured them, and committed sexual violence against them — to boost recruitment numbers. The Odesa case is not an anomaly: complaints against conscription centers have increased 333-fold over three years.
At the G7-Ukraine meeting in Evian, partners made specific commitments to restore two iconic sites. However, neither the timelines nor the funding amounts have been publicly agreed upon.
Kherson City Court has sentenced in absentia Vladimir Saldo, the occupation "governor" of Kherson region, for organizing the transportation of Ukrainian grain by three barges to the left bank of the Dnipro River. The total sentence amounts to 45 years in prison, which he is serving in Russia.
After 17 months of Hungarian veto, Ukraine finally sat down for negotiations with the EU — but the document contains a condition under which Hungary can automatically suspend the entire process.
# After White House Meeting, Trump Announces Plans for Putin-Zelenskyy Bilateral, to be Followed by Three-Way Talks with US Following his August 18 White House meeting, Trump announced preparations for a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, which would then transition into three-way talks involving the United States. Moscow neither rejected nor accepted the proposal.
# Summit Ends Without Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting and Without G7 Joint Statement on Ukraine — US Blocks Strong Language The summit concluded without a meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy and without a joint G7 document on Ukraine — the United States blocked tough language. Canada and Britain announced their own support packages, but the key question remains: whether bilateral decisions will carry as much weight as a consensus among the seven would have.
Annual U.S. exercises have become quadrilateral — and this is not a technical detail, but a marker of how far Yerevan has moved away from Moscow over the past two years.
CIA Director Kraklieff warned Trump: Iranians tell intermediaries one thing, but say another among themselves. The deal is signed, but all nuclear issues are postponed for 60 days — that's exactly where the real problem lies.
While Washington has shifted focus to Iran, the European Union is losing influence over the peace process — and the biggest fear is not that Trump will forget about Ukraine, but that he will remember it.
On the night of June 15, a Russian "Shahed" drone set fire to the roof of the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. UNESCO condemned the strike without naming Russia as the perpetrator — and received a sharp response from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
# EU Expands Sanctions List Against 34 Individuals and 47 Organizations, Targeting Russia's Shadow Fleet, Defense Sector, and Oil Revenues The European Union has broadened its sanctions list to include 34 individuals and 47 organizations, striking at Moscow's shadow fleet, defense-industrial complex, and oil revenues. However, the critical question remains: can sanctions keep pace with the speed at which Russia constructs new circumvention schemes.
The Ministry of Defense launches market-based recruitment of foreigners and admits: some volunteers simply didn't know where they were going. But the legal vacuum regarding discharge from the Armed Forces remains a vulnerable point.
The commander of the drone systems platoon of the Third Army Corps described how medium-range strikes have changed the dynamics in the sector from Borova to Lyman — not only stopping the enemy, but also making it possible to recapture lost positions.
An organization issued a statement about damage to a UNESCO World Heritage site, but avoided naming Russia. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called this a lack of leadership.
On June 14, mediators announced a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. The document opens the Strait of Hormuz and extends a 60-day ceasefire — but the nuclear control issue has been postponed, and the IAEA still lacks access to Iranian facilities.
# Moscow Claims "Achievement of Objectives" After Missile Strikes Assumption Cathedral — Site Under Enhanced Hague Convention Protection. This Is Not a Rhetorical Error: It's a Documented Pattern. Moscow claimed it had "achieved its objectives" after its missile struck the Assumption Cathedral, a site under enhanced protection under the Hague Convention. This is not merely a rhetorical slip: it represents a documented pattern of conduct.
Russia has struck the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the oldest shrines in the Orthodox world and a UNESCO-protected site with enhanced protection status. Kyiv is initiating international procedures and expects action, not just words.
On June 15 in Luxembourg, the first cluster of negotiations officially begins regarding Ukraine and Moldova's accession to the EU. The breakthrough became possible following an agreement with Hungary's new Prime Minister Peter Magyar — but five of the six clusters remain scheduled for July.