Ukraine

The European Commission may approve the extension of preferential trade with Ukraine until 2025, taking into account Poland's proposals to restrict imports of certain Ukrainian goods.

Hungary will not supply weapons to Ukraine, but will continue to provide humanitarian aid, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has said. He reiterated Hungary's position not to supply weapons to Ukraine either now or in the future.

Hungarian far-right politicians said they would "claim" Ukraine's Zakarpattia region if Ukraine loses the war with Russia. In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba said that these politicians would "break their teeth" in Ukraine, just as Putin did.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Valeriy Zaluzhnyy from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is noted that the "chair" of the Kyrylo Budanov, who has previously headed the Main Directorate of Ukrainian Intelligence, will now take over the post of Commander-in-Chief.

Ukraine will sign bilateral agreements to regulate many citizenship issues rather than create a unified formula, according to MP Maria Mezentseva. She said that Ukraine will take into account the experience of other countries, but will bring some aspects closer to itself even before joining the EU.

Hungary is asking Ukraine to restore the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, which were restricted in 2015, including the status of Hungarian national schools, the ability to take exams in Hungarian, and the free use of the Hungarian language in higher education and culture. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary during a meeting with Ukrainian officials.

The head of the Canadian delegation, the Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada, emphasized Canada's steadfastness and readiness to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine to overcome russian aggression.

Ukraine and Hungary have agreed to set up a commission to finally resolve issues related to national minority rights. The commission will have 10 days to present an understanding of how to resolve the issues raised by Hungary regarding the protection of minority rights.

The Ukrainian military destroyed more than 15 pieces of Russian military equipment on the left bank of the Dnipro River. These include tanks, artillery systems, armored vehicles and a boat.

A 22-year-old Ukrainian man from Kryvyi Rih was detained by border guards while trying to illegally cross from Ukraine to Romania through the Carpathians. He hid his passport in a food container so that he could pretend to be a lost tourist in case of detention.

The russians sent additional russian guard forces to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to ensure the safety of collaborators during the so-called "elections.

In December 2023 and January 2024, the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine implemented 18 more NATO standards, bringing the total number to 315. Another 50 standards are planned to be implemented in 2024.

The IAEA Director General is planning to visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Kyiv, and the head of the russian nuclear corporation.

Since the beginning of 2023, the State Emergency Service (SES) has responded to 3,513 fires in Ukraine, resulting in 215 deaths and 144 injuries. Over the weekend alone, 13 people died in fires, 90% of which were caused by non-compliance with basic fire safety rules.

The High Anti-Corruption Court has ruled to partially satisfy the claim of the Ministry of Justice against russian businessman Eduard Khudainatov to recover part of his assets worth over UAH 400 million.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has disqualified russian figure skater Kamila Valiyeva for four years and stripped her of all her awards from December 25, 2021, due to a positive doping test.

On Friday, the UN top court will rule on whether it has jurisdiction to hear the case filed by Ukraine.

The majority of Ukrainians prefer meeting friends, watching TV and social media in their free time. Young people are more likely to communicate and use social media, while older people watch TV and read more.

The European Council has extended economic sanctions against Russia for another 6 months until July 31, 2024 in response to Russia's actions to destabilize the situation in Ukraine. The sanctions, first introduced in 2014, have been significantly expanded since February 2022 and include restrictions on trade, finance, technology, industry, transportation and luxury goods.

The EU denies reports that it plans to impose financial sanctions on Hungary to force it to agree to fund aid to Ukraine.

Rheinmetall is building a new ammunition plant in Germany to ensure stable supplies to Ukraine. The plant will be built in record time over the next few months.

The Polish minister answered the question whether the government is considering imposing unilateral restrictions on imports from Ukraine if the decision of the European Commission, which may decide to extend the rules of trade liberalization with Ukraine this week, is not enough.

The Cabinet of Ministers has proposed changes to improve the Bureau of Economic Security, including clarifying the grounds for dismissal of the BES director, requiring polygraphs for appointments, and mandatory certification of deputies one year after the end of martial law. The draft law also aims to expand the BES's investigative powers in relation to certain financial crimes and limit inspections of private enterprises.

The Hungarian and Romanian politicians who have made statements about the annexation of parts of Ukraine are not representatives of the official authorities of their countries. Both governments support the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis preparations for the second Ukraine-Balkans summit, invited Greece to organize the Global Peace Summit, and informed him of Ukraine's defense needs, particularly in air defense and artillery. They also discussed unblocking €50 billion in EU aid to Ukraine.

South Korea will help Ukraine rebuild the Kozarovitsky Dam, which was damaged during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The $14 million project is part of South Korea's Peace and Solidarity Initiative for Ukraine.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto paid tribute to the fallen soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

A platoon commander in Odesa region demanded 4,000 hryvnias from soldiers for a day off. If they refused, he threatened them with problems with their service and physical violence.

Three men from Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhya and Sumy regions were detained by border guards in Chernivtsi region while trying to illegally cross the border with Romania on foot, hundreds of metres from the border. The men paid €6,000 each to a guide who remotely accompanied them.

On February 2, Ukrposhta will celebrate its 30th birthday. In honor of this event, the company will issue a new stamp dedicated to the exploits of postal workers during the war.