#Foreign Minister Kuleba

[tomorrowusa]

The brand new French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné made a point of making Kyiv his first official visit since taking office this week.

On Friday morning, Séjourné said support for Ukraine was one of his priorities alongside working toward the reform of international institutions and promoting Europe as "a powerhouse." "Helping Ukraine guarantees the victory of democracy over totalitarianism," he said as he took over responsibilities at the foreign ministry. Séjourné's trip to Ukraine comes on the heels of a visit from U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who pledged to give Kyiv £2.5 billion in military aid in 2024/25. The former Renew Europe Group president also said he would visit Warsaw and Berlin in a bid to "revive the Weimar triangle," a reference to the regional alliance between France, Germany and Poland set up after the Cold War.

Along with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Mr. Séjourné visited the Memory Wall in Kyiv.

[immaculatasknight]

Pulling the foot out of his mouth

[niveditaabaidya]

Ukraine Calls To Restore Grain Deal. #youtube #news #nato #ukraine #crimea

[telugutimesdigimedia]

Ukraine's appeal to the nations of the world… at least for the UN Charter

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba appealed to the world to support the resolution they are putting in the United Nations (UN) against Moscow on the anniversary of Russia's attack on their country. He told the UN General Assembly meeting that some countries want to be friends with Russia as well as with us. We have only one thing to say to them. There are no two sides to this war. There is only the aggressor and the victim. We want to live.

[zvaigzdelasas]

[Kyiv Independent is Private Ukrainian Media]

The European Union will urge its member states to shut off all EU funding to Budapest if Hungary does not back down on its pledge to veto the EU's proposed $55 billion military aid package for Ukraine, a leaked document prepared by EU officials and seen by the Financial Times revealed on Jan. 28.[...]

The leaked document, drawn up by officials in the European Council, criticizes the "unconstructive behaviour of the Hungarian PM," while establishing a framework for countries to permanently cut EU funding with the intention of "spooking the markets, precipitating a run on the country’s forint currency and a surge in the cost of its borrowing," according to the Financial Times.

The alleged document also notes that Brussels would aim to impact investor confidence in the country's ability to create jobs and drive growth.[...]

The EU has also considered using the "nuclear option" of revoking Hungary's voting rights if it again vetoes the $55 billion aid package for Ukraine at an upcoming European Council summit next week, Politico reported on Jan. 26.

The Hungarian far-right party Our Homeland declared its claim to Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast if Ukraine loses the war, party leader Laszlo Toroczkai said on Jan. 27.

Zakarpattia Oblast, bordering Slovakia and Hungary to the west, and Romania to the south, has a significant population of ethnic Hungarians. The issue of minority rights has created friction between Hungary and Ukraine, particularly centered around Ukrainian state linguistic policies.

The language law that has long been a source of strife between Hungary and Ukraine was instituted in 2017 and requires at least 70% of education above fifth grade to be conducted in Ukrainian.

In response to criticism, Ukraine has said that it does not intend to limit the linguistic rights of its minorities but rather to simply ensure that all Ukrainian citizens have the sufficient capability to speak the national language, Ukrainian.[...]

Hungary's Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment on Toroczkai's statements, Reuters said.

The news came ahead of a meeting between Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto scheduled to take place on Jan. 29 in the Zakarpattia Oblast city of Uzhhorod.

In the leadup to Szijjarto's visit, the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, considered to be closely affiliated with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, published an article condemning the state of Ukraine's press freedom. It also criticized Ukrainian media directives for journalists to use the official Ukrainian spelling of city names instead of the Russian version.

28 Jan 24

[Ukrinform is Private Ukrainian Media]

The Hungarian side is asking Ukraine that a Hungarian minority be given back all the rights it had before 2015.

This was stated by Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto at a joint briefing with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Andriy Yermak following the talks in Uzhhorod, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We have come here to reestablish good neighborly relations, we have a long way to go, but we, from the Hungarian side, are ready to do this work. In Zakarpattia, Hungarians and Ukrainians live in peace," Szijjarto said.[...]

"Since 2017, laws have been passed to reduce the rights of the Hungarian minority. In December, Parliament passed a law that stopped that. But we have a request - maybe it's too much, and you will think I'm not being polite - but we ask that the Hungarian minority be given back all the rights it had before 2015. We are not asking for anything else," the minister said.

The Foreign Minister said that the Hungarian side had formulated an 11-point request: including restoring the status of the national school, the possibility of taking a high school diploma in Hungarian and using Hungarian in social life. According to him, the commission was tasked with agreeing on these issues as soon as possible and developing proposals for the ministries.

29 Jan 24

[thelittleukrainianwell-armedgirl]

Glory to Ukraine (c) Boris Groh @ borisgroh

The New Voice of Ukraine:

A video of the execution-style murder by shooting of an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner of war after he said ‘Glory to Ukraine’ appeared on the internet on March 6.

...

As further evidence of Russian war crimes, a video of the murder of the Ukrainian POW was sent to international partners and ombudspersons from around the world by Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the murder of a Ukrainian POW a terrible war crime and more proof that Russia’s war against Ukraine is genocide.

[odinsblog]

“How about, for balance, encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine?” Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski wrote on X. “Peace would immediately ensue without the need for negotiations.”

Leaders in Ukraine vehemently rejected Pope Francis’s suggestion of negotiations with Russia to bring an end to the war — his use of the words “white flag” drawing particular scorn — reiterating that the country would never surrender.

In a recent interview, Francis used the term “white flag,” repeating the words of a journalist, which some read as a call to surrender.

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the pope without naming him in his nightly address Sunday.

Praising Ukrainian chaplains on the front line, Zelensky said: “This is what the church is — it is together with people, not two and a half thousand kilometers away somewhere, virtually mediating between someone who wants to live and someone who wants to destroy you.”

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the Vatican to support the Ukrainian people “in their just struggle for their lives,” writing: “Our flag is blue and yellow. Under it, we live, die, and triumph. We will not raise any other flags.” He thanked Francis for his prayers for peace and urged him to visit Ukraine.

The pope’s remarks were made in an interview with Swiss broadcaster Radio Télévision Suisse, recorded in February, part of which was released Saturday. The full interview is set to air March 20.

According to a transcript translated and shared by the Vatican news agency, interviewer Lorenzo Buccella asked Francis: “In Ukraine, some call for the courage of surrender, of the white flag. But others say that this would legitimize the stronger party. What do you think?”

Francis responded by saying that, in his opinion, the stronger side is the one “who has the courage of the white flag, to negotiate.”

The controversy prompted a clarification from the Vatican.

“The Pope uses the term white flag, and responds by picking up the image proposed by the interviewer, to indicate a cessation of hostilities, a truce reached with the courage of negotiation,” spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement, adding that the Pope stated that negotiations are never a “surrender.”

Though he has often condemned the war in Ukraine, Francis has provoked debate within the church over whether his messaging on the conflict has been too cautious and too focused on maintaining ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. His supporters argue that maintaining neutrality has long been at the center of Holy See diplomacy.

In May 2023, after his first private meeting with Francis following the outbreak of war, Zelensky said any peace formula “must be Ukrainian” and any role of the Vatican must be in service to Ukraine’s peace formula.

Ukrainian church leaders and Ukraine’s allies, too, pushed back against the pope’s latest remarks.

Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church, told a prayer gathering in New York that no one in Ukraine “even thinks of surrendering,” the same day that part of the interview was released. A later statement by church leaders said they would not “dwell” on the pope’s remarks and instead emphasized that Ukraine is a victim of Russia’s aggression.

“How about, for balance, encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine?” Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski wrote on X. “Peace would immediately ensue without the need for negotiations.”

(continue reading)

[mariacallous]

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said he is “99% certain” that Poland and Ukraine will have a security agreement signed before the NATO summit in July.

“I can say with 99% certainty that in Warsaw, still before the NATO summit, we will sign this agreement with President Zelenskyy,” Tusk said in Brussels following an EU summit. NATO leaders are set to meet in Washington from July 9–11. “Our agreement is practically completely ready,” Tusk added.

However, Tusk emphasized that the Polish government does not intend to “weaken Poland's defense capabilities” in any way, noting that some details still need to be finalized. Also on Friday, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met in Warsaw. They discussed Ukraine's accession to the EU, military aid to the Ukrainian armed forces, and work on a Ukrainian-Polish security agreement. “We welcomed the beginning of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations. Poland has consistently supported Ukraine's EU membership over the years. The practical start of talks is a success for Ukraine, Poland, and all of Europe,” Kuleba wrote on X.

“We paid special attention to negotiations with third countries about providing Ukraine with additional air defense capabilities. We also talked about the finalization of a bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and Poland,” Kuleba wrote. Kuleba also mentioned that he discussed with the Polish Foreign Minister various strategies to unlock European Peace Fund support for Ukraine with weapons, as well as “negotiations with third countries about providing Ukraine with additional air defense capabilities.” Kuleba did not detail the specifics, but media sources report that the United States, Israel, and Ukraine are negotiating to equip Kyiv with up to eight Patriot air defense systems to protect against Russian attacks.

[head-post]

Land for land: how Ukraine violated UN Charter with Kursk incursion, alarming message to Global South

Europe is getting dragged into the war in Ukraine, while EU and US officials endorse Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region. Kyiv’s actions violate the UN Charter and send an alarming signal to the global South about the double standard policy.

The incursion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) into the Kursk region, Russia, was a daring gamble for the country’s military commanders, who deployed their limited resources on a risky offensive with no guaranteed success, AP News reported.

After initial signs of progress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky broke the silence and outlined the interim results of Kyiv’s efforts. By Wednesday, Ukrainian officials claimed that the army allegedly controlled at least 74 minor settlements. However, a week after the Kursk invasion began, the overall purpose of the military operation remains unclear.

Military experts split in their opinions: some say that Ukraine will entrench itself in the positions it has already occupied, whereas others claim that the AFU will continue its active offensive without the intended end goal. However, the incursion has already affected the protracted standoff.

By attacking the Kursk region, Ukraine has reportedly brought in a lot of scarce equipment and manpower, resulting in weakened positions in other areas where active fighting is taking place. In the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions, Russian troops are breaking through the defences of the AFU, according to Ukrainian media. The Russians are rushing towards Pokrovsk, a key strategic hub.

In Niu-York, formerly Novhorodske, Russia advanced by almost 1.5 kilometres. Fighting continues in Hrodivka, Zhuravka, and along the railway towards Novohrodivka and Mykolaivka, Donetsk region. To the south, in the Vuhledar area, Russian forces are also attacking, breaking through to the major O0532 road and menacing to take the city of Vuhledar.

UN Charter violated, talks derailed

Having launched the incursion into the Kursk region, Ukraine has in fact violated Article 2, paragraph 4, of the UN Charter, which prohibits the forceful border violation of other States.

All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.

Previously, the Ukrainian authorities were actively accusing Russia of attacking the territory of another state, but now Kyiv is making the same move. Furthermore, President Zelensky derailed the possibility of negotiations in the near future, which Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine was ready for and which had been actively promoted by international mediators.

According to The Independent, Mykhailo Podolyak, the top aide to the Ukrainian president, stated that the invasion served as a tool to “coerce” Russia into peace talks.

We need to use absolutely clear tools to coerce Russia [into negotiation]. One of them is a military instrument of coercion. That is, we need to inflict significant tactical defeats on Russia, in addition to economic and diplomatic tools. In the Kursk region, we are seeing the optimisation of this military tool of coercion to force Russia into the negotiation process.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has already declared that the possibility of negotiations is lost after the incursion into the Kursk region.

The intrusion is moving into its second week, but the reaction of international observers is already raising questions. A senior US defence official revealed that Kyiv allegedly did not inform Washington of a long-term plan after the start of the incursion, according to Defense One.

We didn’t get any advanced notification. What the Ukrainians were able to do was operational security, and that is something that I think we should be giving credit for. It definitely surprised the Russians.

According to the official, the Pentagon is “asking the Ukrainians what their real intent is, kind of long term, and how it plays into future negotiations.” However, there has been no statement that Ukraine’s actions violate the UN Charter on international borders, nor has there been any condemnation.

The global community does not seem intent on imposing sanctions on Kyiv, whereas Moscow faces multiple packages of sanctions for exactly the same actions against Ukraine.

Read more HERE

[chuiko]

Like, sorry to be blunt, but writing off diplomacy kills people. An unwillingness to compromise or, at the very least, think of some, any sort of solution that addresses the concerns of the "enemy"... fucking kills people.

I don't know. I'm sick of drafted soldiers being used as cannon fodder because the Ukrainian MFA is too fucking incompetent to know how basic diplomacy works (and then blames the lack of diplomacy on the ACTUAL PROFESSIONALS doing their ACTUAL FUCKING JOBS, KULEBA).

And, like, Sergei Lavrov IS A GODDAMN PROFESSIONAL. He worked in the US for ~20 years and he's maintained those contacts. He's made even more contacts, and a name for himself as an Actual Goddamn Professional, during his ~20 years as Russia's Foreign Minister. This has taken WORK. And EFFORT. And means that if Ukraine just abandons diplomacy—real fucking diplomacy, not that guilt-trip nonsense—they've by default surrendered that side of warfare. If Lavrov has half the US NSC on hotdial, it's Ukraine's job to also try and build those connections.

(What, you think Lavrov's connections got handed to him on a silver platter? You think Russia was given any sort of respect by the Western establishment in 2004? 1998? 1992? No. But he's a diplomat who did diplomacy !)

But, well, it didn't. And the price is life itself.

[dertaglichedan]

The Trump Effect: Ukraine Says It Is ‘Willing and Ready’ for Dialogue with Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told top Chinese Communist Party diplomats in Beijing on Wednesday that his country is “willing and ready for dialogue and negotiations with Russia,” a stark change from repeated refusals by the administration of President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider direct talks.

Russia has been engaging in colonialist adventurism in Ukraine for a decade, first “annexing” Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 under President Barack Obama and backing pro-Russian “separatist” groups in the Donbas region. In February 2022, Russian strongman Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a “special operation” to oust Zelensky, consisting of a full-scale military invasion of the country that persists today. Zelensky has for two years refused talks with Putin on the grounds that no talks should take place until Russian soldiers are no longer present in his country.

His last direct contact with Putin occurred in December 2019 – talks chaperoned by French President Emmanuel Macron and then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel that a frustrated Zelensky dismissed as useless, demanding “serious” countries help mediate instead of France and Germany.

[tomorrowusa]

Ukraine is hitting Russia where it hurts – in its fossil fuel industry.

Ukrainian drones have attacked several oil refineries in Russia, hundreds of kilometres from the frontline in regions including Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Leningrad. The continuing attacks are part of a strategy to hurt Russia’s economy. The Ryazan oil refinery, Rosneft’s biggest refinery, was set ablaze, a regional governor said on Wednesday. It shut down two damaged primary oil refining units. Rosneft did not comment. The plant handles about 5.8% of Russia’s total refined crude, according to industry sources. A fire broke out at Norsi, Russia’s fourth-largest refinery, after a Ukrainian drone attack, Russian officials said on Tuesday. Its main crude distillation unit was damaged, which means that at least half of the refinery’s production is halted, according to industry sources. Norsi handles nearly 6% of Russia’s total refined crude. Before the latest drone attack, one of its two catalytic crackers had already been put out of action. The governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, said a Ukrainian drone targeted the Kirishi refinery. It is one of the top two refineries in Russia, handling 6.4% of Russia’s capacity, according to industry sources. And the Novoshakhtinsk export oil refinery in Russia’s southern Rostov region had to suspend operations on Wednesday after a drone attack.

Russia's economy is about the same size as that of Italy which has maybe 40% as many people as Russia. And much of that economy is centered on fossil fuels. Putin and his oligarch buddies skim off graft to enrich themselves; those superyachts, palaces, and prime real estate properties abroad are all ultimately paid for by countries which import Russian oil and gas. Meanwhile, Russians outside the big cities live in poverty; imagine a 1920s standard of living but with censored internet and state TV.

Ukraine is doing the climate a big favor by indirectly encouraging importers of Russian fossil fuels to look for cleaner replacements.

Some other bits of good news for Ukraine...

EU agrees to €5 billion boost in Ukraine military aid

European Union member states agreed Wednesday to provide Ukraine with an additional  €5 billion ($5.5 billion) in military aid. Belgium, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said ambassadors from the bloc's 27 nations had agreed "in principle" on the plan to support arms supplies to Kyiv in 2024.  The contribution of €5 billion will go on EU-managed fund called the European Peace Facility. The fund operates as a giant cashback scheme, giving EU members refunds for sending munitions to other countries. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called it a "powerful and timely demonstration of European unity."

White House announces $300 million military aid package for Ukraine

With new aid for Ukraine stalled in Congress since December, the White House on Tuesday announced it had cobbled together another $300 million in military assistance to use as a stopgap measure. "The package includes munitions and rounds to help Ukraine hold the line against Russia's brutal attacks for the next couple of weeks,” President Joe Biden said in a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the White House, adding, "we must act before it literally is too late.” National security adviser Jake Sullivan detailed the package at White House briefing, saying that the aid comes as Ukraine "does not have enough ammunition to fire back." "So today, on behalf of President Biden, I'm announcing an emergency package of security assistance of $300 million worth of weapons and equipment to address some of Ukraine's pressing needs," Sullivan said.

French National Assembly approves bilateral security agreement with Ukraine

The 10-year security pact with Ukraine includes commitments by Paris to deliver more arms, train soldiers and send up to 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in military aid to Ukraine in 2024. Macron has also adopted a tougher stance towards Russia, urging Ukraine's allies to urgently do more. He also did not rule out the presence of Western troops in Ukraine which has created a backlash among some Ukrainian officials had told Reuters they were worried that a vote not overwhelmingly in favour of Kyiv would be negative symbolically and could hurt President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to ramp up his country's support in the coming months.

AOC says Democrats must take advantage of ‘razor-thin’ House margin after Ken Buck steps down

In an unexpected Tuesday evening announcement, Mr Buck — a Republican from Colorado — said he would leave Congress next Friday, rather than retiring at the end of his term as originally planned. Afterwards, Republicans will hold just 218 seats out of 435 in the House, leaving Democrats one step closer to clinching the majority. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York and member of the progressive Squad, told The Independent her party must take advantage of Mr Buck’s early departure. Ms Ocasio-Cortez said Democrats “have to make sure that that we see that do the best we can to navigate how razor-thin the situation is.”

That last item is rather interesting. Ken Buck, a never-Trump Republican, is stepping down early. His seat in a deep red district will be vacant until late June when a special election is likely to take place. His departure will leave the House GOP (for now) with 218 seats – the bare minimum for a majority. This will make it easier for Democrats to persuade several remaining anti-Putin Republicans to defy Speaker "MAGA Mike" Johnson's wishes and support President Biden's aid package for Ukraine.

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

Fact Check: Is this overview true and did these people really became richer during the war?

Currently, this image is spreading through social media. According to the accounts who share it, this graph shows 5 Ukrainian officials (President Zelenskyy, Defense Minister Reznikov, Foreign Minister Kuleba, Vladimir Klitschko and Mykhailo Podolyak). The graph shows they all got richter during the war (light red: February 2022; dark red: December 2022) - claiming, all these people allegedly enriched themselves and benefited from the war. It's mostly used trying to accuse Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

So...is this true?

No. The image is fake and highly misleading. It also contains false facts and is not backed by Forbes or BBC.

What's the proof?

The image pretends it uses Forbes and the BBC as trusted sources. But a search shows that neither on Forbes nor on BBC this image can be found. A BBC person also said: "That infographic is fake and definitely was not produced by the BBC".

What else?

While the author remains unknown, it looks like the image first appeared on a Pro-Russian website - "DNR Pravda". They cover news mostly about the self-proclaimed "People's Republic of Donetsk" (Ukrainian territory, annexed by Russia). The site is known for fake news and misleading / false facts. Now, they seem to be the first ones who shared the image on December 30. It was then very quickly taken over by very influential pro-Kremlin accounts: f.e. (Pro-)Russian Telegram channels and social media accounts or Vladimir Soloviev, chief propagandist of the Kremlin.

Furthermore, the creator of this graph seems to have used an indeed existing BBC article for inspiration - about a completely different topic. But the image shown in this article and the false one seem very similiar when it comes to the style of the image.

And the informations in the picture are not true?

They are not true.

First of all, it claims to show the "wealth of Ukrainian politicians". While Zelenskyy, Reznikov and Kuleba are politicians - Mykhailo Podolyak and Vladimir Klitschko are not.

Podolyak is only an advisor to the President's Office.

And Klitschko is another proof that this image is a fake: While the name says "Vladimir Klitschko", who is a former boxer and has nothing to do with politics, the picture shows his brother "Vitali Klitschko", who is the major of Kyiv and hencewise indeed a politician.

The other wealth informations are also false. Take Zelenskyy as an example. According to the picture Zelenskyy's wealth was 650$ million before the war - an amount of money that is often shared and claimed by Russian Propagandists and Kremlins (as well as the 1.5$ billion or a a similiar amount of money), but it's not true. According to Forbes and and based on his tax declarations, his wealth is something between 20$-30$ million. There is also no proof he had any chance of getting that rich (1.5$ billion) during the war.

Furthermore, according to the image, all these people are now billionaires, but they don't show up on any official statistics. This also applies to pre-war statistics which proofs that the "pre-war wealth" numbers are fake.

[darkmaga-retard]

Russia's Medvedev called Trump an “establishment insider.”

Sep 11, 2024

Professor John Mearsheimer said in a recent interview that despite his bluster, Donald Trump would likely maintain the status quo in Washington and continue to support Ukraine’s war effort against Russia.

“The principal cause of that is that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s demands are not something that Trump can easily accept,” he told Shanghai Eye.

Trump repeated this claim during last night’s debate and said the war would end “before I even become president.”

Mearsheimer noted how Putin said earlier this summer that he has two demands before he even sits down for negotiations with the West: 1) the four eastern Ukrainian oblasts that Russia annexed are Russian territory; 2) Ukraine cannot join NATO and must be declared a neutral state.

Trump was asked during his earlier debate with U.S. President Joe Biden if he would agree to those preconditions, and he said he would not.

“So if he doesn't agree to those preconditions, there will be no negotiations, and there will be no settlement,” he said.

Vice President Kamala Harris promised to keep up the military support for Ukraine’s lost war, which Trump has been critical of. He says he is going to end it but doesn't say how. 

Ukraine is working overtime to appeal to evangelicals in Congress to make sure they support the war, even if Trump is elected.

The Washington Post reported today that Ukrainians believe that they could get evangelicals to “assist in their lobbying efforts for more aid.” Trump’s base includes white evangelical Christians, like House Speaker Mike Johnson, who wants Americans to fund his religious wars in Israel and Ukraine. Johnson said his first task as speaker was to support Israel and, even while he opposed Ukraine funding at first, he saw the light when Ukrainians played to his religious beliefs. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s former foreign minister, said Johnson’s support of billions more in war funding “came from his deep beliefs and not from political expediency.”

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s national security council, downplayed the chances of improved relations between the U.S. and Moscow if Trump was elected and said despite the billionaire’s bluster, he is nothing more than an “establishment insider.”

[warningsine]

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba submitted his letter of resignation, speaker of Ukraine's parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk reported on Sept. 4.

Stefanchuk said that Kuleba's potential resignation will be "considered at one of the upcoming plenary meetings" but did not provide a date.

"It is a big reshuffle. It was expected rather long ago," lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko told the Kyiv Independent.

"Ahead of us difficult times, difficult autumn and winter. Perhaps this reshuffle is somehow related to the new period of challenges for Ukraine."

Serving as foreign minister since 2020, Kuleba has been at the forefront of Ukraine's efforts to engage its international allies and secure new partnerships since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Following earlier rumors of his dismissal in August 2023, Kuleba said on national television that he was not concerned about the possibility.

"I work, no job is permanent, and I’m totally calm about everything," he said at the time. "I said at the very beginning that I would leave under two circumstances: the first is if the president asks me to do it. The second is if I get into some fundamental contradiction with foreign policy and don’t consider it possible to work with it," Kuleba added.

Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sept. 3, citing unnamed sources, that Kuleba would be dismissed, and that his replacement was still being considered. The most likely candidate to take the position would be Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, the sources said.

The news follows a number of other high-profile ministers submitting their letters of resignation the previous day — Strategic Industries Minister Alexander Kamyshin, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska, Ecology Minister Ruslan Strilets, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, and Deputy Prime Minister and Reintegration Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

Vitalii Koval, head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU), also submitted his resignation nine months after being in office.

The reasons for the resignations were not specified. The news came after months of reports about the possible replacement of several Ukrainian ministers.

David Arakhamia, the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People's party in parliament, said on Sept. 3 that the reshuffle would affect more than half of the government's staff.

"Tomorrow is the day of dismissals, and the day after that is the day of appointments," he added.

Zelensky said in March that Ukrainians can expect more government reshuffles in the future, following a shake-up of his inner circle.

Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksandr Kubrakov and Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi were then dismissed in May.