Brussels

Serbian President Vucic welcomed President Xi with unprecedented enthusiasm, deploying more than 6,500 police and raising Chinese flags throughout Belgrade, demonstrating Serbia's close ties to China as a counterweight to the West.

The EU has started negotiations on the 14th package of sanctions against Russia, which includes restrictions on Russian gas, including a ban on transshipment of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and restrictions on three Russian LNG projects.

Brussels is considering allowing neutral EU countries to opt out of using frozen Russian assets to purchase weapons for Ukraine, while G7 members such as Germany, France and Italy remain cautious due to legal and financial risks.

The European Union is hesitant to attend Vladimir Putin's inauguration ceremony, but EU High Representative Josep Borrell opposes the EU's participation in the event.

During the Ukrainian Defense Industry Forum in Brussels, Ukraine discussed the creation of joint ventures with European defense companies and financing the production of priority weapons for the Armed Forces at Ukrainian defense companies.

Some members of the European Parliament earn extra money by working part-time for private companies, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and influence on EU policy-making.

The Ministry of Strategic Industries says that $10 billion is the funding that can be covered by partners to use the full production capacity of the defense industry, which is $20 billion a year.

On May 6, the EU-Ukraine Defense Industry Forum will take place in Brussels to strengthen cooperation between the European and Ukrainian defense industries and help Ukraine build capacity in priority sectors such as air defense, ammunition, missiles and drones.

Armenia and NATO agreed on a military cooperation program for 2024 and outlined areas of cooperation during consultations at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

Ukraine and the EU have begun consultative meetings in Brussels to conduct an official inspection of food security, veterinary and phytosanitary policies as part of Ukraine's accession negotiations with the EU.

The EU and the US have expressed concern over Iraq's new law criminalizing LGBTQ+ relationships with up to 15 years in prison, criticizing it as a threat to human rights and freedoms.

Ukraine and the European Commission have started explanatory meetings on agriculture and rural development in Brussels, aimed at bringing Ukraine's legislation in line with the requirements of the EU accession negotiations.

The U. S. State Department considers the suspension of consular services abroad for Ukrainian men of mobilization age to be a "complex issue" and respects Ukraine's right to determine its own policy, but has not yet decided whether to assist Ukraine in bringing the men home.

In response to the prosecutor's statement, the Ministry of Agriculture explained that Markiyan Dmytrasevych was on a business trip to Brussels from April 22 to 28 to participate in explanatory meetings between the European Commission and Ukraine as part of the negotiation process on Ukraine's accession to the EU.

The Ministry of Economy has submitted a draft National Energy and Climate Plan to the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management. This is a key strategic document expected by the EU from Ukraine.

Ukraine's NATO and EU partners are pressuring Greece and Spain to provide Ukraine with more air defense systems, such as Patriot, to protect vulnerable regions from Russian attacks.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk calls on protesting Polish farmers to stop blocking the Ukrainian border.

According to EU diplomat Josep Borrell, in the coming days, concrete decisions are to be made on sending more air defense systems to Ukraine.

Germany has launched a global initiative called Immediate Action on Air Defense (IAAD) to address Ukraine's air defense gaps, calling on allies and partners to provide air defense systems to protect Ukrainian cities, troops and critical infrastructure.

Ukraine expects the European Union to approve a framework for negotiations on its accession to the EU in June, paving the way for the start of the negotiation process, according to Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna.

The Minister of Energy of Ukraine discussed with the EU Commissioner the consequences of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities, the need for equipment to restore and strengthen the resilience of the energy system, and the importance of Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities for European energy security.

Poland has received its first major disbursement of €6. 3 billion from an EU fund previously blocked due to a dispute over the rule of law, after the new coalition government began to resolve a dispute over strengthening the independence of the Polish judiciary.

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 European Parliament voted against the appointment of Marcus Pieper as a special envoy of the European Commission due to suspicions of nepotism, which could damage the reputation of EU institutions.

Ukraine and the EU are working at all levels to strengthen Ukraine's air defense by seeking additional Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine.

The EU has temporarily agreed to duty-free trade for Ukraine until June 2025, but with the possibility of imposing restrictions on sensitive agricultural products such as poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, cereals, corn, and honey if imports exceed the average level from July 2021 to December 2023.

Lukashenko claims that the Western-backed opposition is seeking to seize part of Belarus in order to invite foreign troops and provoke an armed confrontation.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has established an Audit Committee composed of certified internal auditors from NATO and Ukraine to strengthen internal audit functions, maintain public trust and implement the highest international standards in the ministry.

Portugal's new government, led by Prime Minister Luiz Montenegro, supports Ukraine's accession to the European Union, having put aside previous hesitations.