Latest news with #CabinetofMinistersofUkraine
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine plans to tax income of Russian POWs
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (the Government of Ukraine) has approved a draft law proposing to tax the income of Russian prisoners of war. Source: Taras Melnychuk, government representative to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament), on Telegram Details: Melnychuk reported the approval of the relevant bill by the Cabinet on 9 May. According to the proposed law, prisoners of war will be required to pay personal income tax as well as the military levy. The bill defines prisoners of war as a separate category of non-resident individuals in Ukraine, in line with the 1949 Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War and the 1977 Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions. Tax agents – including prisoner of war camps, penal institutions and pre-trial detention centres – will be obliged to include in their tax reporting both the total amount of income accrued to prisoners of war and the total amount of tax withheld. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Straits Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Europe throws support behind Ukraine special tribunal to prosecute Russia
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal shake hands as they pose for a picture during a Ukraine-EU meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine May 9, 2025. Press service of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS LVIV, Ukraine - Europe threw its support on Friday behind a special tribunal to prosecute President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, a show of unity on a day when Moscow marks its "victory day". At a meeting in Ukraine's western city of Lviv, ministers from almost 20 European nations gave their political sign-off to the tribunal, welcoming the completion of the technical work required to set it up. The tribunal will be set up within the framework of the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog that was formed after World War Two to uphold rights and the rule of law. European nations have stepped up their efforts since U.S. President Donald Trump authorised sanctions in February against the International Criminal Court, created to prosecute war crimes when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. Russia denies its troops have committed atrocities in Ukraine since its forces launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukraine says Russian troops have committed many thousands of war crimes. Foreign ministers from the so-called 'core group' of at least 37 countries signed the "Lviv statement", a document marking the conclusion of work done to draft the necessary legal instruments for the tribunal. The tribunal could start operating next year. "This tribunal will ensure that those most responsible for the aggression against Ukraine are held accountable," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it was a moral duty for Europe to hold Russia accountable for the war. "A strong tribunal for the crime of aggression can - and must - make any potential aggressor think twice," he said in a video address to the meeting. 'GOOD STEP' An EU official said the tribunal would need to respect the immunity of Putin and his officials while in office but added a prosecutor would be able to investigate and prepare a proposed indictment for when that immunity dropped. Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel welcomed the move. "I think it is a good step because it fills a void that currently exists, which is how can you prosecute the leadership for the crime of aggression against another country," he told Reuters in Kyiv. Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal led ministers to a military cemetery in Lviv to honour some of the tens of thousands of Ukrainians killed during more than three years of war against Russia. The images were in stark contrast to the show of military might in Moscow, where Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the World War Two defeat of Nazi Germany. Drawing a parallel with the allied victory in World War Two, British foreign minister David Lammy said 80 years later "in Ukraine we are (again) on the frontlines of that fight for freedom ... sending a powerful message to Putin and his cronies and those that stand with him that freedom will prevail". European nations are trying to ramp up the pressure on Putin to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, as proposed by the United States. Separately, Britain on Friday announced a new package of sanctions on Russia's so-called shadow fleet. Ukraine has been pushing for the creation of a special tribunal since early in the conflict, accusing Russian troops of committing many thousands of war crimes, but is also intent on prosecuting Russians for orchestrating the 2022 invasion. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant against Putin over the deportation of Ukrainian children. Moscow says the warrant is meaningless, and "null and void". But the ICC cannot prosecute Russian officials for the crime of aggression in Ukraine because Russia is not a member of the Rome Statute, which created the court, and Ukraine was not a full member at the time of the invasion. For the ICC to prosecute the crime of aggression, members must also sign an additional amendment. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Associated Press
16-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Alona Lebedieva: Ukrzaliznytsia Doesn't Need New Tariffs, It Needs Smarter Asset Management
KYIV, UKRAINE, April 16, 2025 / / -- The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted Resolution No. 399, which allows JSC 'Ukrzaliznytsia' to independently sell decommissioned property if its book value does not exceed UAH 500 million. From now on, the company will be able to sell significant stocks of scrap metal, crushed stone, lubricants, and decommissioned equipment through Prozorro. 'This is not just an opportunity to clear the tracks of dead weight, but also to unlock billions of hryvnias. What has been lying idle for decades can now become a source of real cash,' commented Alona Lebedieva, owner of the Ukrainian multi-industry industrial and investment group 'Aurum Group,' on the government's decision. According to preliminary expert estimates, Ukrzaliznytsia could receive: up to UAH 1.8 billion from selling over 218,000 tons of ferrous metal scrap; over UAH 230 million from non-ferrous metal scrap; UAH 788 million from selling 7.5 million tons of crushed stone; more than UAH 5 million from used lubricants. In addition, the company is now allowed to sell decommissioned generators, furniture, office equipment, and other officially written-off assets. 'If these assets are sold quickly and transparently, Ukrzaliznytsia will be able to partially address its shortage of working capital without yet another increase in freight tariffs. Businesses are already operating under extremely difficult conditions, and every tariff hike hits those who keep the country's economy going,' Lebedieva emphasized. She stresses that this policy should improve Ukrzaliznytsia's financial health: 'The sale of decommissioned assets sends a clear message: instead of shifting its problems onto customers through tariff increases, the state-owned company should activate its internal reserves. This is no less important than fighting corruption or cyberattacks. Transparent inventory, public auctions, and regular sales of unnecessary assets – these are all steps Ukrzaliznytsia can take right now.' Ukrzaliznytsia has not sold scrap metal since autumn 2023, due to several factors. Initially, the company sought permission to export scrap metal but did not receive government approval. In spring 2024, it planned to resume sales, but was hindered by regulatory shortcomings. Alona Lebedieva Aurum Group email us here Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy: Deal with US will not be signed if it threatens Ukraine's accession to EU
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine will not sign an agreement on mineral resources with the United States if it poses a threat to the country's accession to the EU. Source: Zelenskyy at a press briefing on Friday 28 March, as reported by European Pravda. Details: The president stated that the Ukrainian side officially received a draft of the mineral resources agreement from the US today. Quote: "Officially, and this is important, the Ukrainian side – namely the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and my Office – officially received a note today with a draft or proposals from the US. Yuliia Svyrydenko [Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy] is in bilateral contact with US Treasury Secretary Bessent, but it is necessary to compare whether this is the same agreement. I asked her some questions. She said it is very difficult to comment because this is a completely different document, with many new provisions that were not previously discussed, as well as some aspects that had already been rejected by both sides." Details: Zelenskyy emphasised the need for "a concrete legal review at the highest level". "Let them compare all these agreements – there are already many – and I will consider the one that our side has officially received," he noted. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would not sign the agreement if it threatened the country's accession to the EU. "The Constitution of Ukraine clearly states that our course is towards the EU… There are very important reforms and corresponding steps. Nothing that could endanger… Ukraine's accession to the EU can be accepted," Zelenskyy stated. He added that he would consider the agreement "when there are no relevant legislative threats in it". Background: Earlier, European Pravda reported that the new text of the US mineral resources agreement could contradict Ukraine's EU accession plans due to strict restrictions significantly affecting Ukraine's economic sovereignty. Additionally, the Trump administration reintroduced a clause into a proposed agreement on Ukrainian subsoil resources that obliges Ukraine to repay the full amount of US aid provided since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
France has been discussing development of Ukrainian mineral resources for its defence industry since autumn
French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu has stated that since October 2024, France has been discussing with Ukraine the use of Ukrainian mineral resources for the French defence industry. Source: France Info, as reported by European Pravda Details: Lecornu noted that France had been working on this issue for several months, starting from "last autumn" when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy included raw materials in his "victory plan" during his visit to Paris. Lecornu said that Zelenskyy made "a number of proposals not only to the United States but also to France". Quote from Lecornu: "President Zelenskyy and his team saw that the issue of raw materials could be one of the elements of an agreement with us to create resilience. So, President Trump did not completely invent this – it was the Ukrainians themselves who initiated it. We will need a range of key raw materials for our own weapons systems not just next year but over the next 30-40 years." Details: Lecornu stated that French President Emmanuel Macron had asked him "to engage in discussions with the Ukrainians". Quote from Lecornu: "Whether we like it or not, economic issues are always intertwined with military, strategic or security matters. In any case, this is particularly true for energy." Read also: The full text of the Ukraine-US Minerals Agreement Background: On 26 February, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (the Ukrainian government) approved the decision required for the signing of an agreement between Ukraine and the US on the use of mineral resources. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
