European Union

Somali pirates have released the seized Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Abdullah after receiving a $5 million ransom from the ship's owners.

Iran fired about 300 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles toward Israel, which intercepted about 99% of them, in response to an alleged Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria that killed senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, prompting G7 leaders to condemn Iran's actions and warn of the risk of uncontrolled regional escalation.

The G7 countries reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in restoring and developing its transport infrastructure, including the integration of the Ukrainian railway network with the European rail system, creating new cross-border connections and ensuring sustainable and reliable global supply chains.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over Iran's massive attack on Israel using about 300 drones and missiles, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and resolve the issue through political and diplomatic means.

Ukraine and Slovakia signed a memorandum on deepening cooperation in the nuclear industry, including the exchange of experience in operating nuclear facilities, fuel diversification, and the development of small modular reactors.

Iran launched a massive attack on Israel, using about 300 drones and missiles. This provoked strong condemnation from the EU and European countries.

On the Day of the Defense Industry Worker, President Zelenskyy inspected the latest military equipment and weapons, and heard a report on their production and use at the front.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions as Israel warned of consequences and called for sanctions against Iran.

The European Commission plans to disburse €1. 5 billion to Ukraine in April and is expected to disburse another €1.9 billion in May, subject to certain conditions, as part of a €50 billion program for Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is preparing a comprehensive strategy and action plan for interaction with Ukrainians living abroad, aimed at preserving their Ukrainian identity.

President Zelenskyy said that all of Ukraine's international partners agree to participate in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, which is estimated to cost about $700 billion, although the final amount cannot be determined until the war is over.

The government is working in three areas to address energy problems: rapid repair and restoration of facilities, decentralization of the energy system through small cogeneration plants and cooperation with partners, and strengthening air defense of critical infrastructure.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is growing increasingly frustrated with delays in funding aid to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.

The European Union has approved criminal penalties, including imprisonment and fines, for helping to circumvent EU sanctions, such as travel bans, trade in sanctioned goods, or prohibited financial activities.

The Cannes Film Festival has announced its competition program, which includes a film by russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov and a special screening of Sergei Loznitsa's film about the russian invasion of Ukraine.

Belgian authorities have launched an investigation into a Moscow-funded influence network in the European Parliament that paid MEPs to promote the Russian agenda. The network was uncovered by Czech and Polish intelligence agencies on the eve of the European Parliament elections.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Kroo said that Belgium supports the training of Ukrainian pilots for F-16s and hopes that the first delivery will take place in May, but Belgium still needs the F-16s themselves until they are replaced by F-35s.

EU leaders will discuss the supply of air defense systems, including Patriot batteries, to Ukraine at the upcoming summit in Brussels on April 17-18.

The EU should provide more military aid, including air defense systems and surface-to-air missiles, to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's barbaric attacks on its population and infrastructure.

The NBU devalues the hryvnia against the US dollar and the euro.

President Zelenskyy believes that June should be an important month for the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

russian citizens can once again take pilot training in Finland after an EU court lifted sanctions restricting their flights in Europe, but they cannot fly russian-owned aircraft.

Zelenskyy and Duda discussed a bilateral security agreement, Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the situation in Kharkiv, and Ukraine's future membership in the EU and NATO.

Last year, russia allocated about half a billion dollars to fund domestic propaganda through so-called "non-profit" organizaгыtions to shape public opinion loyal to the Putin regime.

The Three Seas Initiative summit adopted a joint declaration expressing a commitment to a more resilient Europe, a stronger transatlantic partnership, and unwavering support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

The EU has agreed to extend duty-free and quota-free trade with Ukraine for a year for most goods, which will have a positive impact on Ukrainian exports in various areas, such as bioethanol, and grain and oilseed products.

Slovakia provided Ukraine with two mechanized demining machines and other engineering equipment to assist in humanitarian demining, particularly in the de-occupied settlements of Kherson region.

The European Parliament approved the reform of the EU electricity market aimed at reducing the dependence of electricity prices on fossil fuel prices, accelerating the introduction of renewable energy sources and protecting consumers from price spikes.

Turkey has prepared a draft peace treaty that proposes a "freeze" on the front line and a non-aligned status for Ukraine to resolve the Ukrainian-russian war.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico assured that Slovakia supports Ukraine's accession to the EU and will not impede this process and will even share its experience of joining the EU.