Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 05-22-2025

The EU is set to debate the possibility of suspending Hungary’s voting rights in an upcoming meeting. Hungary has clashed with EU priorities and blocked aid and support for Ukraine multiple times.

The General Affairs Council of the EU will meet on May 27 to discuss the possibility of applying Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union to Hungary, which would allow the EU to suspend a member country’s voting rights.

Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union allows for the possibility of suspending EU membership rights if a country seriously and persistently breaches the principles of the EU, such as those of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, and the rule of law.

Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki is attempting to gain support from far-right voters by agreeing to several points condemned by many as too extreme for his country – and bad for Ukraine.

Poland’s top nationalist presidential hopeful – Karol Nawrocki – agreed on Thursday to a set of terms laid out by a far-right party with which the candidate hopes to build a coalition in the upcoming run-off election next month. 

Nawrocki, a member of the national opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, agreed to a set of eight pledges proposed in an appearance on the YouTube channel of far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen, another presidential candidate who was eliminated last week in Poland’s first round of presidential elections.

The MoF has rolled 82% of redemptions in euros and does not plan to offer FX-denominated bills again in 1H25. Bond Market Insight for May 21.

The MoF borrowed over UAH14bn, including EUR202m (UAH9.4bn) from FX-denominated bills.

Demand for 15-month military bills halved from last week, but all bids were within the usual range of interest rates. Therefore, the MoF accepted all of them.

G7 finance ministers highlighted progress on Ukraine aid amid ongoing tensions from Trump’s trade tariffs as key talks in Canada came to an end.

G7 finance leaders played down their differences Thursday, despite turmoil from US President Donald Trump‘s wide-ranging tariffs, and sought common ground on Ukraine as talks in Canada entered the final hours.

The Group of Seven advanced economies are expected to issue a joint statement at the end of their three-day gathering, a diplomatic source told AFP, but all eyes are on whether they can overcome tensions sparked by Trump’s trade wars.

Reflections of a French political analyst after his most recent visit to Ukraine.

(See Part 1 here)

History is the struggle against the erasure of crime, but it is also the primary basis of political consciousness. Perhaps we cannot ask other Europeans to show the same heroism as the Ukrainians, but we must at least demand that they do not give up on the legal and political consequences of these mass crimes.

Moscow has for weeks defied Western pressure for a full and unconditional truce in Ukraine, pressing on with its three-year offensive that has left tens of thousands dead.

New peace talks with Ukraine had “yet to be agreed,” the Kremlin said Thursday, disputing reports the two nations would soon hold negotiations at the Vatican.

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have stepped up a gear in recent weeks, with Russian and Ukrainian officials holding their first face-to-face talks in more than three years last week in Istanbul.

The rugged, thinly populated Bryansk Forests region in western Russia, home base to over 60,000 partisans during World War II, provides pro-Kyiv partisan raiders cover between engagements.

A so-called partisan unit thought to be fighting on Ukraine’s side and possibly numbering dozens of team members is operating in remote woods and wetlands deep inside Russia and has attacked local security forces, Ukrainian and Russian news reports on Wednesday said.

Russian milblogger Vladimir Romanov was among the first to report that law enforcers in Russia’s western Bryansk region had located and attempted to cut off and hunt down a commando group in a remote area of the Vygonichky district.

Artyom Uss, son of Siberian region governor Alexander Uss, faced US extradition over the alleged illegal export of military technology, some of which was found on the battlefields of Ukraine.

An Italian judge on Thursday found a Russian businessman guilty of helping a Russian governor’s son flee Italy while facing extradition to the United States, according to media reports.

Dmitry Chirakadze was sentenced to three years and two months behind bars for his role in the escape in March 2023 of Artyom Uss, the Corriere della Sera said.

Ukraine confirms it produced and handed over a list for the “1000-for-1000” POW exchange, contradicting Kremlin claims that no such list had been received.

Ukraine has already prepared and handed over a list of names for the proposed “1000-for-1000” prisoner exchange with Russia, Andriy Yusov, deputy head of Kyiv’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs), told Kyiv Post.

The proposed exchange was the only substantial outcome of last week’s negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Istanbul.

Ukraine’s HUR says four of Ramzan Kadyrov’s “Akhmat” officers were killed when a car exploded near Skadovsk followed by a second blast as Russian ammunition reportedly detonated.

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reports that four officers from Chechnya’s so-called “Akhmat” unit part of Russia’s forces were killed in a blast near Skadovsk in the occupied Kherson region.

Akhmat, categorized as a special rapid reaction unit, is part of the Russian National Guard but is effectively under the control of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Formed in 2009, the unit was originally tasked with fighting supporters of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.

The EU said it plans to eliminate all Russian energy from its market by 2030, after paying nearly $26 billion to Moscow in 2024 despite cutting back on Russian oil and gas imports.

The EU paid €23 billion (almost $26 billion) for Russian energy last year despite reducing oil and gas imports and completely stopping coal imports since 2022, said Dan Jørgensen, the EU commissioner for energy, during a debate in the European Parliament.

The European Commission plans to gradually remove Russian gas from EU markets by 2027 and all other sources of Russian energy by 2030, Jørgensen said, according to Radio Liberty.

Ukraine’s long-range drones are rewriting modern warfare—Chuck Pfarrer unpacks bold strikes, EW tactics, and how Kyiv turned Victory Day into a strategic win.

The Polish prime minister, in a statement that echoed Kyiv’s sentiment, questioned Moscow’s sincerity in pursuing peace considering its constant rejection of ceasefires.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that Russia needs to be pressured into serious negotiations, questioning Moscow’s sincerity for peace talks.

On Monday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin proposed plans to work on a memorandum with Kyiv on a possible ceasefire during his phone call with US President Donald Trump, again rejecting calls for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire that has been floating around since at least March.

Gen. Andrey Mordvichev who led Russia’s siege of Mariupol and the capture of Avdiivka ­­– battles that left cities in ruins and caused major civilian and military casualties – was appointed.

Col. Gen.l Andrey Mordvichev, a Russian commander notorious as the leader of brutal assaults in Ukraine, has been appointed head of Moscow’s ground forces, its Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday, May 22.

His promotion comes just a week after President Vladimir Putin dismissed General Oleg Salyukov, who had recently reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. He will draw a pension but in future serve as an advisor on Russia’s National Security Council, Russian news reports said. 

Merz said Germany was determined to defend the NATO territory, adding: “The security of our Baltic allies is also our security.”

Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned Thursday that Russia threatened security in Europe as he visited Lithuania to mark the official formation of Germany’s first permanent overseas military unit since World War II, aimed at bolstering NATO’s eastern flank.

The decision to build up a 5,000-strong armoured brigade in Lithuania over the coming years came in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Intercepted Russian radio messages obtained by CNN suggest troops were told to kill surrendering Ukrainians which, paired with drone footage, is evidence of more Russian war crimes Kyiv says.

Ukrainian officials say intercepted Russian radio transmissions provide chilling evidence that Russian commanders ordered their troops to execute surrendering Ukrainian soldiers – if proved is a violation of international law that is now under formal investigation.

The recordings, shared with CNN by a Ukrainian intelligence source, appear to match with drone footage obtained in November 2024 in the Zaporizhzhia region, where six Ukrainian soldiers were seen lying face down.

Trump ambushed South Africa’s president with a video falsely alleging white genocide in the country, drawing parallels to his infamous White House meeting with Ukraine’s Zelensky.

US President Donald Trump ambushed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a White House meeting by playing a video he claimed showed a “white genocide” in South Africa – an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory long promoted by far-right circles.

According to The Guardian, the Oval Office confrontation on Wednesday was marked by Trump’s insistence that South Africa is now experiencing “the opposite of apartheid.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stated that the new Pope Leo XIV is willing to mediate negotiations. The European press examines how realistic such a scenario is.

After his phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump suggested the Vatican as a venue for peace talks on the Ukraine war. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stated that the new Pope Leo XIV is willing to mediate negotiations. The European press examines how realistic such a scenario is.

Vatican no newcomer in the field

The Wall Street Journal reported that the talks are expected to take place in mid-June, citing unnamed sources reportedly familiar with the conversations.

US President Donald Trump told European leaders that the next round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine could take place at the Vatican, with US officials expected to participate.

Trump made the comments during a May 19 call with several European leaders following a separate phone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Wall Street Journal sources say Trump told European leaders for the first time that Vladimir Putin doesn’t want peace in Ukraine because the Kremlin leader believes Russia is winning the war.

Following his two-hour phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which he described as “excellent,” Donald Trump seems to have finally admitted that the Kremlin doesn’t want peace in Ukraine because it believes Russia is winning the war.

According to the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday Trump made the admission in a phone call with European leaders on Monday – the first time the US President acknowledged Putin’s true position. Also during that call he reportedly rowed back on earlier assertions that he would consider imposing further sanctions on Russia if it did not seek peace.

During his staged meeting in Kursk, the Russian president entertained calls to capture Sumy, fueling fears Moscow would try to annex more Ukrainian territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an undoubtedly orchestrated May 20 meeting with officials from the Kursk region tried to justify renewed efforts to seize Sumy City and potentially annex the Sumy region, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The city of Sumy lies just 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the border with Ukraine, and a buffer zone encompassing it would hamper Kyiv’s ability to launch tube artillery or tactical drone strikes into Russian territory.

Kim Jong-un was incandescent after witnessing the failure of the much-anticipated launch of North Korea’s latest 5,000-ton warship using a novel, unproven methodology, wherein events went “sideways.”

The ceremony to launch North Korea’s new 5,000-ton destroyer at the Chongjin shipyard on Thursday, was attended by Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju Ae, who many feel is being groomed as Kim’s successor. The event which saw the use of a “sideways launch” turned into a disaster.

The method, previously only employed on smaller commercial vessels, saw the ship’s hull being seriously damaged after the ship’s bow failed to detach as it slid down the improvised slipway.

Critics complain that the sanctions are leaky and components used by Moscow’s military still manage to reach Russia.

The EU is readying a fresh round of sanctions against Russia after leaders threatened Moscow with “massive” economic punishment for not agreeing a ceasefire in Ukraine.

But after 17 packages of sanctions since the Kremlin’s 2022 invasion, is there much more the bloc can do?

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, lies close to the Russian border and has been frequently targeted since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

A Russian missile strike hit a residential area in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early morning on Thursday, May 22, damaging several homes as Ukrainian officials warn of a growing Russian military presence near the border.

The explosion occurred in the Kholodnogirsk district, damaging eight private houses, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov. He initially reported one person injured, but later said two people were suffering from acute stress reactions and were receiving medical attention.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the incident “a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence.”

WASHINGTON DC – Two staff members of Israel’s Embassy in Washington DC, were shot dead Wednesday night outside the capital city’s Jewish Museum, Kyiv Post’s correspondent reports.

The victims were identified by Israel’s Foreign Ministry as Yaron Lischinsky, a research assistant at the Israeli embassy, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who worked in the embassy’s public diplomacy department.

The hackers reportedly gained access to about 10,000 cameras near border crossings, rail stations, and military sites to track the movement of aid shipments.

Russian military hackers tried to break into border security cameras to spy on and disrupt the delivery of Western aid to Ukraine, according to British intelligence officials and their allies.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said in an advisory note that Russia’s GRU Unit 26165, also known as Fancy Bear or APT28, led a wide-ranging cyber campaign targeting both public and private organizations in NATO countries since 2022.

New missile deal with US would boost Poland’s air defense and expand its Patriot arsenal amid growing regional tensions.

Poland has asked to buy nearly 800 missiles for its Patriot air defense system from the United States in a deal that could be worth $5.8 billion.

According to records from the US Congress, the government in Warsaw is interested in 788 units of the PAC-2 GEM-T missile to complement its 2017 order of the US main surface-to-air defense system. 

The two countries have deployed drones against one another on a near-daily basis since Russia launched its military offensive on Ukraine more than three years ago, but Moscow has rarely been targeted.

Air traffic around Moscow was disrupted on Thursday as the Russian capital came under attack from Ukrainian drones, with the defence ministry saying 35 targeting the city had been downed overnight.

“Air defence systems destroyed and intercepted 105 Ukrainian drones,” of which 35 were heading towards Moscow, the ministry said in a statement.

Reflections of a French political analyst after his most recent visit to Ukraine.

Two weeks ago, for the sixth time since the start of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine – a war of extermination, let us repeat this tirelessly – I traveled to Ukraine.

It is sometimes impossible to describe in a few words what one feels there, for fear of the inaccuracy that always lurks in an overall impression. Above all, as a Westerner living in safety in a Western European country, I cannot interpret the average feelings of people living in a country where death strikes blindly every day with no other purpose than to sow terror.

The top US diplomat urged to address Russian aggression ‘adequately’ as he dodged branding Putin war criminal during congressional panels in the Senate and House.

WASHINGTON DC – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced fresh criticism from lawmakers on Wednesday as he steered clear of calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal,” signaling that it could undermine President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.

“We can’t end the war without talking to Mr. Putin,” Rubio argued during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the State Department’s budget when pressed multiple times if he thought the Russian leader was a war criminal.