Ukraine readies to start 1st cluster of EU accession talks in early 2025, Zelensky says
Ukraine is preparing to begin the first cluster of accession talks with the EU in early 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky told Ukrainian lawmakers on Nov. 19.
Boldizsar Gyori
Articles
Russian attack against Kharkiv injures 9
Russia launched an attack against the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv on Nov. 19, injuring nine people, officials reported.
Russia claims to capture village near Kurakhove, Kyiv hasn't confirmed
If confirmed, this will be the latest village that the Russian forces took in their attempt to encircle Kurakhove by driving their forces towards Konstiantynopil with a north-south pincer movement.
Severed internet cables raise suspicion of sabotage in Baltic Sea
Telecom cables linking two Nordic countries with Germany and Lithuania were cut on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, raising suspicion of sabotage, various media outlets reported on Nov. 18.
Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 25, injure 79 over past day
Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack against the port city of Odesa on Nov. 18, killing at least 10 people and injuring 55.
Updated: Georgian police disperse protesters in Tbilisi, 16 detained
Georgian police dispersed a protest in Tbilisi demanding new elections on the eve of Nov. 18, but organizers promised a quick resumption elsewhere.
Ukraine's GDP grows by 4.2% in 10 months of 2024
The transportation and construction industries remain the drivers of the growth, as well as the manufacturing sector, said First Deputy Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev in a statement.
Zelensky visits key front-line town of Pokrovsk
"A tense sector. It is only thanks to the strength of the soldiers that the east (of Ukraine) is not completely occupied by Russia. The enemy receives an answer every day," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky to present 'resilience plan' to Ukrainian MPs on Nov. 19
The 10-point plan will address the front-line situation, the military-industrial complex, the economy and finance, regional development, and other strategic sectors.
Turkish president to propose freezing Ukraine front line, Bloomberg reports
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will propose his own peace plan for Ukraine during the G20 talks commencing on Nov. 18, Bloomberg reported, citing undisclosed sources.
'Step toward World War III' — Russian MPs react to long-range strike permission reports
"This is a very big step towards the start of World War III," lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov said, according to Russia’s state-owned TASS state news agency.
Russian drones, missiles violate Moldova's airspace during strike on Ukraine, Chisinau says
"We strongly condemn the violation of Moldova’s airspace by Russia’s missiles and drones targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure today," Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi said.
Ukraine's sovereign bonds surge after Trump victory as investors expect peace talks, FT reports
Ukraine’s sovereign bonds rose in price after Donald Trump’s win in the U.S. presidential elections as investors expect a quicker end to the war, the Financial Times reported on Nov. 14.
Russian soldiers murdered civilian in Donetsk Oblast village, prosecutors say
Pictures shared on the prosecutor's office's Telegram channel show a woman in a pink jacket walking on the outskirts of the village, with a subsequent picture showing her lying on the ground with her face in the mud.
Trump's nominee for UN envoy dodges question on earlier support for Ukraine's NATO accession
When asked about the matter again by CNN after Trump tapped her for the U.N. job, Stefanik's office said the Congresswoman's views fully align with those of the president-elect, without going into details.
Trump's victory offers chance for renewed dialogue with US, Russia's UN envoy says
"Regardless of domestic political shifts, (Washington) consistently pursues a sense of containing Moscow...the change of administration does little to alter it," Ambassador Gennady Gatilov said.
Abandoning Ukraine would be worse for US than Afghanistan withdrawal, ex-UK chief diplomat says
"(Donald) Trump highlighted (Joe) Biden's humiliation over Afghanistan… but if he ends up with the collapse of Ukraine, that’ll be a far bigger humiliation for the U.S. and the power of the U.S. in the world," former U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague said at the Daily T podcast.
Ukraine repels Russian attempt to enter Kupiansk, military says
"The city is under the control of Ukraine's Armed Forces," General Staff spokesperson Andrii Kovalev told Ukrinform.
Marco Rubio confirmed as Trump's secretary of state pick
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 13 officially confirmed Republican Senator Marco Rubio as his nominee for the secretary of state, the U.S.'s top diplomacy job.
I can't imagine Trump abandoning Ukraine, Polish president says
"President Donald Trump — I cannot imagine that he would allow Russia to destroy Ukraine, a Ukraine in which the United States, in which the American taxpayer, for whose money President Donald Trump will soon be held accountable when he takes office, has invested such huge amounts,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said.
Ukrainian FM meets Blinken in Brussels as new US administration looms
The topic of the discussions was not made public, but the officials meet as the U.S. administration pledges to ramp up support before President Joe Biden leaves the White House on Jan. 20, 2025.
Biden invites Trump to White House to talk over transition
"He (President Joe Biden) believes in the norms, he believes in our institution, he believes in the peaceful transfer of power," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told journalists on Nov. 12.
Russian attacks against Ukraine injure 15 over past day
Russia reportedly launched 90 Shahed and other drone types overnight, as well as two S-300 missiles, two Kh-101 missiles, and two Iskander-M/KN-23 missiles.
Trump picks Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to lead new government efficiency body
While Musk has repeatedly echoed pro-Russian talking points on Ukraine, including proposals to cede territory to Moscow, Ramaswamy was among the most vocal opponents of military aid for Kyiv.
Orban's hold on Hungary weakens as opposition unites behind unlikely challenger
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, on Nov. 7, looked confident. Budapest was hosting the European Political Community gathering, with Orban hugging it out with the continent's leaders whose standing at home leaves them little leeway to challenge the Russian-friendly prime minister. Orban's standing at home, practically unchallenged since 2010, has
Ukrainian drone strikes oil depot in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, local official claims
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry, whose profits fuel Moscow's war efforts.
Trump's plan for Russia's war in Ukraine needs to be taken seriously, Finnish president says
After a call with Trump on Nov. 11, Alexander Stubb said his intentions after taking office in January 2025 are clear.
Russian state TV airs explicit photos of Melania Trump as they congratulate her husband on election victory
It's not immediately clear why the government-controlled TV and its prime-time news program chose this particular angle. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin suppressed freedom of speech in the country in the early 2000s and placed a tight grip on all mainstream TV networks, little has been allowed to be aired in Russia without the government's permission.
British PM Starmer to press Biden to release $20 billion aid for Ukraine before Trump takes office, Telegraph reports
The U.K. prime minister will also press for a one-on-one discussion with Joe Biden during the G20 summit.
Marco Rubio likely to be Trump’s secretary of state, Reuters reports
If appointed, Marco Rubio will replace Antony Blinken.
Trump’s Ukraine policy should not be prejudged, French foreign minister cautions
Jean-Noel Barrot said Kyiv’s Western allies needed to do everything they could to ensure Ukraine entered any future peace negotiations in the strongest position possible.
Polish PM to hold talks with leaders of UK, France, NATO on protecting Ukraine after Trump victory
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he intends to hold talks with his British counterpart Sir Keir Starmer in the coming days.
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