Contents tagged with Kyiv

  • Kyiv urges NATO to consider Ukraine’s request to join Enhanced Opportunity Program

    Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk is convinced that Ukraine meets the criteria for joining NATO’s Enhanced Opportunities Partnership program, and has urged NATO to consider and endorse this decision.

    “Our NATO partners know that joining the Enhanced Opportunity Partnership Program is an absolute priority for Ukraine. Ukraine has made significant progress implementing alliance standards and already meets the military criteria for joining the program. We are ready, and there is now a …

  • Ukraine will not send ambassador to Moscow because of Russian aggression

    Kyiv does not intend to raise its level of diplomatic relations with Russia, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, excerpts of which were cited by the UNIAN news agency.

    “There is no reason to raise the status of diplomatic relations by appointing a Ukrainian ambassador,” the ministry remarked, adding that its stance on the matter is based on the “continued Russian aggression” and “Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories”.

    On February 10, the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta …

  • Moscow open to possibility of exchanging ambassadors with Kyiv

    In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia is not opposed to the idea of sending an ambassador to Kyiv.

    In December 2015, Kyiv recalled its ambassador from Moscow, with no plans to reassign him.

    “Ukraine recalled its ambassador and threatened to break off diplomatic relations. Now, however, it seems that someone there mentioned the possibility that Zelensky will decide to send the ambassadors back. We would not be opposed to that,” said …

  • Tehran refuses to cooperate with Kyiv on airliner crash investigation

    The Iranian government has announced that it will no longer be cooperating with Ukraine in the case concerning the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) passenger plane that was shot down in Tehran on January 8.

    This was announced by Hassan Rezaeifar, leader of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization’s investigation team, as cited by the Ukrainian TV channel TSN.

    According to Rezaeifar, the break in relations was caused by an information leak which Kyiv allowed, an audio clip which Iran gave …

  • Zelensky: Ukraine working on dual citizenship reform

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the American news outlet Newsweek in an interview that Ukraine is working on a dual citizenship reform, Ukrainski Novyny News Agency reports.

    “We are happy that people are going [abroad] and gaining experience, but we also want our diaspora in the US to be able to return, and so we are working on a dual citizenship reform,” Zelensky said.

    In the president’s opinion, in order to encourage Ukrainians to remain in the country or to return, Ukraine …

  • Kyiv prepares for complete ceasefire in Donbas from January 1

    Ukraine is preparing for a complete ceasefire in the Donbas, starting on January 1, said Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk in a press conference, as cited by Interfax-Ukraine.

    “We are preparing for a full ceasefire from January 1. That is, we are currently preparing for it, and will be working on it,” he said.

    The minister also said that Ukraine and the militants have identified new sections for the disengagement of armed forces and heavy weaponry.

    “Yes, we have identified our …

  • International Monetary Fund to continue discussing Ukraine's new assistance program

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission in Ukraine, led by Ron von Roden, stated that the IMF will continue to discuss the new program for Ukraine next week, reports Ukrinform.

    "The mission has made notable progress in discussions on reforms that could form the basis of a new IMF-supported program. Such steps include measures in the monetary, fiscal, and financial sectors, as well as reforms aimed at improving the business environment, strengthening the rule of law, and boosting economic …

  • Kyiv: War with Russia will end after reparation has been paid and Crimea returned

    The Russian-Ukrainian war will end once the aggressor-state returns all of the occupied territories, including Crimea, and pays reparation, said Dmitry Kuleba, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, as cited by RBC-Ukraine.

    The vice prime minister said that the full extent of the damage caused by Russia’s invasion of the Donbas has not yet been determined.

    “Factories there have been ripped apart and taken away, mines there have been flooded, and if there is …

  • Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summons French Ambassador after Macron's words about 'Ukrainian gangs'

    The Spokesperson of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kateryna Zelenko reported that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador Etienne de Poncins to explain the words of French President Emmanuel Macron against Ukrainians.

    "In connection with the appearance in the media of the words attributed to French President Macron, the French ambassador to Ukraine was invited to the Foreign Ministry to provide clarifications," reads the statement.

    The French Ambassador noted that the …

  • Kyiv: Russia strengthens troops in Donbas

    Russia continues to reinforce its troops in the Donbas by supplying weapons, which is prohibited by the Minsk agreements, reports the press service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, citing Ukrainian Intelligence Service.

    "The Russian command continues to strengthen the occupation troops on the frontline with weapons, which are prohibited by the Minsk agreements. So, under the guise of preparation for large-scale joint military exercises, the opponent carries out the deployment of tanks and 122 …