Travel, property, and local info for Ukraine

11+ min ago (1055+ words) This article contains distressing details and references to suicide. Some of the names have been changed to protect identities. Kateryna cannot talk about her son, Orest, without tears. Her voice trembles with anger as she explains how she found out the news that he had died on the front line in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine in 2023. According to the official investigation by the army, he died by a "self-inflicted wound", something Katernya finds hard to believe. Kateryna has asked for her and her late son to remain anonymous due to the stigma that surrounds suicide and mental health in Ukraine. Orest was a quiet 25-year-old who loved books and dreamed of an academic career. His poor eyesight had made him initially unfit for service at the start of the war, his mother says. But in 2023, a recruitment patrol…...

50+ min ago (958+ words) Ultimately, funding to Kyiv is secured, but not the way most of the EU wanted. BRUSSELS " European governments failed to reach a deal on sending Russian frozen state assets to Ukraine after a 16-hour summit in Brussels, in a major setback for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Countries were forced instead to agree on an emergency backup plan based on EU joint debt that was pushed for weeks by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and was deemed a long shot until hours before the deal was done. In a further blow to EU unity, three countries " Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic " won't take part. "The bottom line, after today, is that our support for Ukraine is guaranteed," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said as the summit wrapped up at 3 a.m. The agreement…...

2+ hour, 42+ min ago (593+ words) First of all, this is the Constitution of Ukraine, and it is up to the Ukrainian people to decide what to do with it, not anyone else," Zelensky said in Brussels. President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said he sees no need to change the country's Constitution in order to reverse course and formally disavow its eventual bid for NATO membership. One of Russia's primary stated reasons for launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was its concern about the Westward alliance's eastward expansion ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. When meeting with NATO member leaders in Berlin this week, Zelensky said that, because the US and some European countries had put an end to Ukraine's NATO aspirations, Ukraine would be forced to expect Article-Five-like assurances" that Russia would not once again push into Ukrainian sovereign territory after…...

4+ hour, 42+ min ago (607+ words) Belgium and other opponents of the move to loan Kyiv "201B in immobilized Russian funds bring a deadlock in Brussels, although one proposal ensures other members would kick in funds if Moscow sues. Representatives from the European Union gathered in Belgium this week vowed to meet as long as it takes to work out an agreement on whether to use frozen Russian assets to fund reparations to Kyiv to help cover billions of dollars in damages resulting from Moscow's almost four-year, near-decimation of Ukraine's economy. Under such a plan, Kyiv would then only pay back the "reparations loan" once the Kremlin itself compensates it for its share of the damage. But EU leaders on Thursday remained deadlocked in late-night talks over the issue, as echoes of President Volodymyr Zelensky's insistence that they had the "moral" and legal right to make the…...

4+ hour, 53+ min ago (274+ words) US President Donald Trump has unleashed an extensive diplomatic push to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict(File Image) Trump's remarks come ahead of fresh talks expected in Miami, Florida during the weekend. Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are likely to meet a Russian delegation in Miami this weekend to negotiate a peace deal. The Miami talks come after two days of negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation in Berlin, Germany. Following the meeting, the US officials have indicated that the two sides are not far apart, although the thorniest issue, Russia's insistence on gaining Ukrainian territory in any settlement, remains outstanding. Opinion polls in Ukraine have shown that few Ukrainians are willing to accept territorial concessions, which remain a key Russian condition for ending its war. The Russians have shown little willingness to compromise on their demands. Russian President Vladimir…...

6+ hour, 16+ min ago (491+ words) Estonia says three Russian border guards briefly entered its territory near the Narva River, prompting talks with Moscow and the summoning of Russia's top diplomat in Tallinn. Three Russian border guards briefly entered Estonian territory on Wednesday, Dec. 17, and remained there for about 20 minutes, according to Estonia's border protection agency. The agency said Estonian and Russian officials are set to meet on Thursday to discuss the incident, adding that Estonia will summon Russia's top diplomatic envoy in Tallinn. According to Bloomberg, Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said it was too early to determine whether the crossing was accidental or a deliberate provocation. The incident was captured on video, and border patrols in the area have since been reinforced. The incursion occurred along a narrow strip of land near the Narva River, where Estonian territory extends to the eastern bank. Estonia…...

6+ hour, 30+ min ago (35+ words) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for EU leaders to agree to a multi-billion euro loan in frozen Russian money to fund Ukraine's war effort. Could the EU release frozen assets to fund Ukraine?...

8+ hour, 16+ min ago (471+ words) The attacks targeted a water utility in K'ge, a Danish seaport, as well as the websites of political parties, municipalities and public institutions amid elections last month. The Danish government said on Thursday it would summon the Russian ambassador after accusing Russia of being behind two "destructive and disruptive" cyberattacks targeting water systems and elections in 2024 and last month respectively. The Danish Defense Intelligence Service (DDIS) alleged on Thursday that Moscow had been responsible for a cyberattack on a Danish water utility in 2024 and a spate of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Danish websites on the eve of elections last month. The first was carried out by the Z-Pentest pro-Russian group and the second by the government-linked NoName057, according to the DDIS. "We are very confident that these are pro-Russian groups linked to the Russian state," said the director of the…...

8+ hour, 56+ min ago (198+ words) A key question is on the table at today's EU summit in Brussels: should the EU grant Ukraine a loan for tens of billions of euros guaranteed by'frozen Russian assets? Don't leave Kyiv in the lurch "esk" rozhlas calls for the Ukraine loan to be approved (Czech Republic): Using the frozen Russian assets is the best option, De Volkskrant concurs (Netherlands): In case of default, the citizens will pay In the end, it will probably be Europe's taxpayers who have to make good on the loan, writes Die Welt (Germany): Euroclear deposits a double-edged sword Corriere della Sera considers the risks (Italy): The bloc in a stalemate Trud sees no sensible solution to the dispute over the loan (Bulgaria): Meloni sets the course De Morgen points out that the debates over the'Mercosur agreement and the Euroclear funds highlight how much…...

9+ hour, 10+ min ago (342+ words) Ukraine approves draft laws to join SEPA, aiming to cut euro transfer costs, speed payments, and align financial rules with EU standards. The Ukrainian government has approved a package of draft laws to join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), a system used by more than 500 million people and businesses across 42 European countries. Currently, Ukraine faces substantial fees and delays on international euro transfers, adding costs for businesses and consumers. The new legislation brings Ukraine's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules in line with EU and Financial Action Task Force (FATF( standards, one of the key steps in the country's euro-integration process. The changes will allow Ukrainians and businesses to make euro transfers faster, cheaper, and under common SEPA rules, Ukraine's Ministry of Finance reported in a press release. The government estimates annual savings of "70-100 million ($82-117 million) on international transfers....