
Ukraine: EU concerned about Kyiv's anti-corruption bodies – DW – 07/22/2025
Marta Kos stressed that the independence of he National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and an anti-graft prosecutor's office were "essential for Ukraine's EU path."
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in an interview that she is likely to discuss a fresh loan program with the IMF next month.
Ukraine and Russia are scheduled to hold the third round of peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday.The European Union's enlargement commissioner criticised a vote in the Ukrainian parliament to strip two anti-corruption bodies of independence.
"Seriously concerned over today's vote in the Rada. The dismantling of key safeguards protecting NABU's independence is a serious step back," Marta Kos wrote on X, in reference to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.
Kos stressed that the independence of the agency and an anti-graft prosecutor's office were "essential for Ukraine's EU path."
Kyiv has been adamant to accelerate its membership in the bloc, especially since the 2022 Russian invasion.
Ukraine's lawmakers voted in favor of amendments that would remove the independence of two anti-corruption bodies in the country.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) is the entity investigating corruption allegations within state institutions. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) prosecutes corruption cases.
Both NABU and SAPO were placed under the direct supervision of the Prosecutor General, who is appointed by the president.
This comes a day after a NABU employee was arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia.
The move triggered criticism both at home and internationally, with the EU saying it was "concerned" with the decision.
Ukrainian NGO The Anti-Corruption Action Center said the amendments made the two agencies meaningless, adding the country's Prosecutor General "will stop investigations into" President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's "friends."
France's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, visited the Ukrainian border region of Kharkiv in the northeastern part of the country on Tuesday.
While walking through Kharkiv's city center, Barrot witnessed the current situation in the city, which is regularly being targeted by Russia, whose forces are some 30 kilometers away.
Speaking during his visit, Barrot accused Russia of "deliberately" targeting civilians and residential areas, in a bid to "undermine Ukrainian morale."
1.4 million people lived in Kharkiv before Russia's full-scale invasion into Ukraine in 2022.
As Russia steps up its attacks on Ukraine, the Kremlin is once again seeking help from North Korea.
South Korean intelligence reports that the country has already sent Russia 28,000 containers filled with weapons and artillery shells.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Ukraine's delegation for the peace talks with Russia will be headed by the country's ex-Defense Minister and current secretary of the security council Rustem Umerov, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The talks are scheduled to take place on Wednesday in Istanbul, in the same venue where previous talks between the two sides took place, with the Kremlin saying that there is no reason to expect a "miraculous breakthrough" in the talks.
This comes after US President Donald Trump's threat to impose "severe" sanctions on Russia should a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine not be reached in 50 days.
A 10-year-old boy was killed in Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, the authorities in the city of Kramatorsk say.
According to city mayor Alexander Goncharenko, guided glide bombs launched by Russia hit a residential building in Kramatorsk, located in eastern Ukraine.
The city is located in the area of Donetsk that remains under Ukrainian control three years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Glide bombs have a range of up to 40 kilometers (25 miles), and their use by the Russian army is made possible by the front moving closer and closer to Kramatorsk.
Ukraine's new Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said she will likely seek fresh financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cushion the country's fiscal needs in its defense against Russia's war, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The report outlined that global donors have so far only earmarked half of the estimated $75 billion (€64.2 billion) budget that the war-strained country requires over the next two years.
With the IMF's roughly $16 billion loan program set to expire in 2027, new discussions will likely be held at a lender's review planned for August, especially since the end to the war is not in sight, she told the media house.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defense Minister took to messaging app Telegram, saying the country will need at least $120 billion for defense spending next year and that negotiations were ongoing with NATO and the EU over $60 billion in funding from partners.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
On Monday, the UK and Germany led a virtual meeting on how to help Ukraine acquire the weapons it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he will "contribute to providing" five Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine, DW's Teri Schultz reported from Brussels. This includes two systems Berlin had previously discussed, with an additional one expected to be financed by Norway.
It is not clear whether Germany would pay for the remaining two defense systems itself, or if it will seek contributions from other NATO members.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's former prime minister and newly appointed Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, who was also part of the meeting, said Kyiv needs more than $6 billion (€5.1 billion) worth of additional military spending to increase its own weapons production.
The UK imposed new sanctions on Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" which will target 135 oil tankers and two Russian companies involved in circumventing oil sanctions on Moscow.
Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine and Russia will hold another round of talks on Wednesday.
Two previous rounds held in Istanbul failed to yield any meaningful progress on a ceasefire.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine.
Both Ukraine and Russia continue to exchange drones and missiles, aiming at each other's capital cities.
Overnight Monday, Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial assaults on Kyiv, just hours before the UK and Germany chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the US' plans for NATO allies to provide Ukraine with weapons it needs.
Stay tuned for the latest news and analysis from the ongoing war.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
EU Turns Up Pressure With Trump Trade Deal 'In Reach'
With the contours of a hard-fought EU-US trade deal taking shape, the European Union is flexing its muscles in a bid to squeeze concessions from US President Donald Trump in the run-up to his deadline of August 1. Brussels and Washington appear to be inching towards a deal with a baseline 15-percent US levy on EU goods, and potential carve-outs for critical sectors, multiple diplomats told AFP. The EU's 27 countries have largely let the European Commission focus on seeking a deal to avoid hefty US tariffs -- as Trump repeatedly upped the stakes, finally threatening them with 30-percent levies without an accord by month's end. But since the US leader's latest ultimatum, the tone has hardened from key EU capitals Paris and Berlin: they say it is time for Brussels to show its mettle and willingness to respond forcefully if needed. Reflecting the toughened stance, EU states Thursday backed a package of retaliation on 93 billion euros ($109 billion) of US goods -- to kick in from August 7 if talks fall short. The counter-tariffs are "intended to support negotiations, not escalate tensions", an EU diplomat emphasised. Economist Eric Dor said the EU would be "capitulating" by accepting a 15-percent baseline. He warned it would harm businesses with profit margins too small to absorb the tariff hike, and drive relocations to the United States. Most states prefer a deal to no deal -- even with undesirable levies of 15 percent -- but exemptions are key, with aircraft, steel, lumber, pharmaceutical products and agricultural goods under discussion, diplomats said. The approaching deadline comes with a sense of deja-vu: before Trump's 30-percent threat on July 12, EU officials also believed they were on the cusp of a deal following months of difficult talks. "The final decision is in the hands of President Trump," stressed another EU diplomat -- even if Japan securing an agreement with 15-percent flat levies has boosted expectations of a European deal. The mood music seems different this time, however. Trump Wednesday said Washington and Brussels were in "serious negotiations". "If they agree to open up the union to American businesses, then we will let them pay a lower tariff," the US leader added. EU trade spokesman Olof Gill Thursday reiterated the "twin tracks" approach: "Negotiation, and preparation for the event that the negotiations don't lead to the outcome we want." The thought now in many European capitals is that if the EU does not get a deal, "retaliation must be significant", Alberto Rizzi of the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank told AFP. Trump takes umbrage at the EU's surplus in goods trade, but in fact, for services, the bloc had a trade deficit of 109 billion euros with the United States in 2023. Brussels is already drawing up a list of services to potentially target. Beyond that, France has been most vocal in calling for the EU to bring out the "bazooka" known as the anti-coercion instrument. Paris says it has Berlin's support, following talks this week between President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Under the instrument, the EU can curb imports and exports of US goods and services as well as intellectual property rights, and impose restrictions on access to the EU market, including public procurement. But it's an open question whether the bloc would have the stomach to escalate the fight by deploying the potent tool, described by Gill as the EU's "most powerful deterrent". And even if it did, retaliation would not be swift. Under the rules, the commission would usually have four months to investigate the third country it accuses of detrimental trade policies -- then EU states would have eight to 10 weeks to back any action. Only then would the commission have a green light to prepare measures within six months. Experts seem unconvinced the EU would opt for this "nuclear" option, especially when Europe wants to keep Trump's support for Ukraine and the US security umbrella intact. "It is questionable whether all EU members would ever agree to such drastic action against their principal security provider," wrote Daniel S Hamilton of Brookings Institution in a paper published this week.


Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
ICC Convicts Pair Over Central Africa War Crimes
The International Criminal Court Thursday convicted a former top Central African Republic football official and a militiaman nicknamed Rambo for multiple war crimes committed during the country's civil war in 2013 and 2014. Ex-sports minister Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona was a senior leader of mainly Christian militias as the country slid into civil war, while Alfred Yekatom, a former MP, commanded them on the ground. The ICC sentenced Yekatom to 15 years behind bars for 20 war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder and torture. Ngaissona received a sentence of 12 years for 28 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Their militia, known as anti-Balaka or "anti-machete", were formed as vigilante self-defence groups after mainly Muslim rebels called the Seleka stormed the capital Bangui and removed then-president Francois Bozize, a Christian. Presiding judge Bertram Schmitt read harrowing details of the violence committed by the militia against suspected Seleka Muslims. Yekatom's men tortured one suspect by cutting off his fingers, toes, and one ear. This man's body was never found. Others were killed and then mutilated. Appearing in court dressed in a light brown suit and waistcoat, white shirt, and dark tie, Yekatom listened impassively as the judge read out the verdict. Dressed in a bright blue jacket, Ngaissona nodded to the judge as his sentence was delivered. The court found Yekatom not guilty of conscripting child soldiers and acquitted Ngaissona of the charge of rape. Both men had pleaded not guilty to all charges. Yekatom was extradited to The Hague in late 2018, after being arrested in the CAR for firing his gun in parliament. Ngaissona was arrested in France in December 2018 and extradited to The Hague. At the time he was head of the CAR football association and a board member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The Central African Republic is among the poorest nations in the world and has endured a succession of civil wars and authoritarian governments since independence in 1960. Violence has subsided in recent years but fighting occasionally erupts in remote regions between rebels and the national army, which is backed by Russian mercenaries and Rwandan troops. Set up in 2002, the ICC is the world's only independent tribunal capable of prosecuting those accused of the world's worst crimes.


DW
3 hours ago
- DW
No survivors as passenger plane crashes in eastern Russia – DW – 07/24/2025
An Antonov An-24 plane carrying almost 50 passengers and crew has crashed near Russia's far east, near the Chinese border. Authorities say there is no sign of any survivors. A passenger plane flying from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda in Russia's far east crashed on Thursday, Russian authorities said. None of the 48 passengers and crew on board have survived, the head of the country's Amur region said in a statement Thursday. The burning fuselage of the Angara Airlines Antonov An-24, one of the oldest passenger planes still in operation, was found on a hillside south of its intended destination, about 15 km (9 miles) from Tynda, more than 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) east of the capital Moscow, the Emergency Situations Ministry said. Rescue work was initially hampered by difficult terrain and bad weather, but local authorities said they were able to reach the crash site later in the afternoon. The Russian federal government said 42 passengers, including five children, and six crew were on board the plane. An earlier statement from the regional governor, Vasily Orlov, had put the death toll at 49. The reason for the discrepancy was unclear. In a statement, Orlov sent his condolences to the families of the crash victims, and declared three days of mourning. The aircraft reportedly vanished from radar during its second approach to Tynda. According to the Emergency Situations Ministry, the crew had not reported any problems prior to the crash. Media reports suggested that rough weather might have led to misjudgements of altitude, leading to the plane brushing the tops of trees as it approached the airport. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been notified of the crash, the Kremlin said. There was at least one Chinese citizen on board, according to reports. China's President Xi Jinping has conveyed his "deep condolences" to Putin and the families of the crash victims, according to Chinese state media outlet Xinhua. The plane, which had reportedly been inspected before takeoff without any shortcomings detected, had begun its flight in Khabarovsk before stopping over at Blagoveshchensk, authorities said. The Soviet-designed aircraft was nearly 50 years old, having been built in 1976, according to Russian media citing data from the aircraft's tail number. Russia's aviation sector has faced growing problems as Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine affect the availability of spare parts, among other things. Russian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the Siberia-based airline runnng the flight.