Katarína Mathernová is a representative of the highest level of European bureaucrats responsible for relations with Ukraine. She heads the EU Support Group for Ukraine in the EU. She is also the Deputy Director-General of the European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations.
The United States of America is the leading supplier of weapons to Ukraine and the primary partner in countering Russian aggression. Without the financial support of the USA, it would be difficult for Ukraine to survive the seven months of the war. Despite this, there is no question of complete trust between the capitals.
On September 13, the Office of the President of Ukraine presented the concept of security guarantees for Ukraine. It was developed by international advisers headed by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Radosław Sikorski is one of those Western diplomats who truly feels and understands Ukraine. Former Minister of Defense and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland worked with Ukraine on behalf of the Polish government for many years in a row - during the presidencies of Yushchenko, Yanukovych, and Poroshenko.
On September 9, the energy ministers of the EU countries called on the European Commission to introduce a price cap on the gas against the backdrop of rapidly growing energy supply costs borne by consumers and enterprises.
On Tuesday, the European Commission published two documents set to change visa rules for Russian travelers. The decision in the main document that suspends the Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russia has already been fulfilled, so the "visa punishment of Russians" should start working soon.
In Hungary, an EU and NATO member state, only 3% of the voters of the current ruling party believe that Russia is responsible for the war in Ukraine. The rest blame mainly the USA and Ukraine itself. The data is confirmed by surveys.
Olha Stefanishyna is the main Ukrainian official in matters of relations with the EU and NATO. As Deputy Prime Minister, she coordinates Ukraine's path to both organizations, working in this field for many years.
"Saint Francis is probably devastated that the Pope has taken his name," Donald Tusk, the former prime minister of Poland and ex-president of the European Council, responded to the recent statements of the Roman pontiff.
The Russian army can be defeated in Ukraine's internationally recognized territory, including Crimea. Nuclear weapons will not be used because even Putin still has some rationality. Zelenskyy should decide what to consider a victory for Ukraine, but he will consider public opinion, which doesn't like compromises.
Exactly two months ago, on June 23, the European Council granted Ukraine EU candidate status but came up with seven conditions for obtaining it, which Ukraine must fulfill. As they say in the EU, the non-standard procedure has become a signal of trust in Kyiv.
The visit of Türkiye's President to Ukraine, together with the UN Secretary-General, has stayed without historic agreements, but it got a lot of attention.
The accession process to the EU, aside from the normative and reform side, appears to be a unique blend of creative mechanisms to slow down the process but also speed it up. Making Ukraine and Moldova candidate states is by far the biggest positive process that has been taking place in the region for the last years.
Estonian Narva, all of a sudden, turned into the main newsmaker on August 16. The government removed the Soviet T-34 tank, which was extremely important for the Russian community.
The consequences of the second Russian aggression in Ukraine will change the world in many aspects from international law to nuclear safety, but also locally from regional cooperation to integration. Although Ukraine has now successfully applied to become a member of the European Union and by each passing day confirms it’s NATO membership worthy, it is perhaps more relevant today to focus on the pre-membership period.
Ukraine, which is waging a heroic war against the aggressor, is also achieving tangible and perceivable results on the diplomatic front. The joint efforts of diplomats, state representatives, and non-governmental players secure international support for Ukraine. But one foreign policy sector has wholly failed - Ukraine's policy towards Belarus. Ukraine is in touch neither with the self-proclaimed government nor with the anti-Lukashenka opposition.
