© Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times
The Kremlin has once again erupted in threats and vitriol. Following the adoption of the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Moscow’s aggression, Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian former president, lashed out, calling European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen a “disgusting old hag” and branding Europeans as “imbeciles.”
Medvedev is often called the Kremlin’s “mouthpiece” for his apocalyptic social media statements reflecting Moscow’s official position. The former Russian president has frequently issued nuclear threats aimed at the West.
“European imbeciles have approved the 18th package of sanctions against our country. There’s no point in writing that it will change Russia’s stance any more than the previous seventeen did,” Medvedev said on social media.
EU agrees on new Russia sanctions package targeting energy and finance
He believes the Russian economy would endure and stated that the destruction of Ukraine would continue.
“Strikes on targets in the so-called Ukraine, including Kyiv, will be carried out with increasing force,” he stressed.
Medvedev then escalated his tirade, launching insults at EU nations including Poland, Germany, France, the Baltic states, and the UK. He urged maximum detachment from the EU, which he claimed is now home to “Brits mired in their own shit.”
He went further, stating that Russians should learn to hate Europeans, just as their ancestors once did.
“Hatred is the most powerful weapon, allowing us to move most effectively toward its opposite—love. Naturally, toward those who deserve it,” he claimed.
Von der Leyen received particular scorn, with Medvedev attempting to mock her medical background.
“I’m not sure she even knows where the heart is. Though it seems she’s always thought with the part of her body she used during her failed medical career,” he said.
Medvedev’s outburst once again illustrates the tone of official Russian rhetoric amid intensified missile strikes on Ukrainian civilians, Russia’s answer to US President Donald Trump’s recent peace efforts.
© Ingmar Nolting for The New York Times
© Saher Alghorra for The New York Times
The European Union is considering establishing a fund for Ukraine worth 100 billion euros ($117 billion) in the next seven-year EU budget, Bloomberg reported on July 8, citing sources familiar with the proposal.
Sources told Bloomberg that the proposed funding, which is set to be presented later in July, would begin to be disbursed in 2028 as a means to provide additional assistance to the war-torn country amid waning U.S. support.
The proposal for an approximately 100 billion euro fund was previously touted by European Union Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, who called for the additional funding to be included in the seven-year EU budget in December 2024.
The fund, alongside other options, will be discussed before the Multiannual Financial Framework are released on July 16, according to Bloomberg.
Early in his second term as president, U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly lambasted the EU for not providing an equal amount of support for Ukraine, urging the bloc to match spending on the war.
Since then, U.S. military and financial support have become unreliable, with contradictory statements coming out of the White House on additional military shipments in recent days.
On July 2 announced a halt in weapons shipments to Kyiv due to dwindling U.S. stockpiles, Trump later claimed he wasn't responsible for the decision and wanted to send more weapons to Ukraine.
Axios reported on July 8 that the White House is pursuing a plan to have Germany sell another Patriot battery to Ukraine, with the U.S. and European allies splitting the cost of the purchase. Sources told the outlet that Trump also pledged to send 10 Patriot interceptor missiles to Kyiv.
As support from the U.S. remains unpredictable, European countries are looking into additional ways to how it can continue to support Ukraine.
The proposed new funding agreement would follow previous support provided through the European Commission through grants and loans.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the EU has provided 160 billion euros ($187 billion) in aid to Ukraine. Along with Group of Seven (G7) countries, the EU has also provided loans as part of its $50 billion loan back by frozen Russian assets.
As Ukraine's budget deficit continues to grow amid the full-scale war, the European Commission is also discussing with EU member states separate options to help Kyiv sustain its economy, the Financial Times reported on July 8. The deficit could range from $8 billion to $19 billion in 2026.
The Kyiv IndependentYana Prots
© Jean-Christophe Verhaegen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged on July 4 that the European Union will help Moldova defend itself against hybrid threats by "agents of autocracy."
"We are committed to protecting you against the hybrid attacks and the energy shocks that your country has been a victim of," von der Leyen said following the EU-Moldova summit in Chisinau.
"Who is behind those attacks is clear to all of us here. These are the same agents of autocracy trying to undermine our democracies everywhere in Europe."
Von der Leyen praised Moldova's support for Ukraine and the EU, noting its acceptance of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees and its assistance with European wildfire response efforts.
The visit was made in show of solidarity with Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, as it prepares for high-stakes parliamentary elections on Sept. 28.
The pro-European government of President Maia Sandu faces a challenge from the pro-Russian Socialist Party, amid growing fears of destabilization ahead of the vote.
Sandu has accused Russia of using its military presence in Moldova's Russian-occupied Transnistria region to stir unrest and derail the country's EU aspirations. On June 12, she warned that Moscow could provoke a crisis in Transnistria to influence the election outcome.
Transnistria has been under Russian-backed separatist control since the early 1990s, with approximately 1,000 to 1,500 Russian troops still stationed in the region.
On June 11, Transnistrian authorities declared a 30-day state of emergency after a sharp drop in natural gas supplies. The unrecognized region has faced mounting energy shortages since January, when Russian energy giant Gazprom halted deliveries in what many see as an attempt to destabilize the situation in Moldova.
Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022. Sandu's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity aims to maintain its parliamentary majority and move the country closer to full membership by 2030.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean earlier told the Financial Times that Russia plans to send 10,000 troops to Transnistria and establish a pro-Kremlin government in Moldova.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy
Ukraine has fulfilled key conditions to open formal accession negotiations with the European Union, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She stated that it is now the EU’s responsibility to move forward and open the first negotiation cluster.
Speaking on 27 June, Ursula von der Leyen praised Ukraine’s pace of reforms, saying, “Under relentless fire, Ukraine is passing reform after reform.” In her post on X, she emphasized that the EU accession process is merit-based and declared, “Ukraine has delivered – now we must too.”
At a press conference following a European Council session, von der Leyen reiterated the EU’s backing for Ukraine’s EU path. Suspilne reports that she confirmed Ukraine has done its share of the work, and now it is the European Union’s turn to respond by opening the first negotiation cluster.
Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna stated that Ukraine’s partners “commended Ukraine’s pace of reforms under the most difficult circumstances” and confirmed readiness to open the first cluster of negotiations. However, for talks to begin, all 27 EU member states must agree.
According to Liga, Hungary continues to block the move. On 26 June during the EU summit in Brussels, Hungary, under its pro-Russian government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, announced its opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession.
Ahead of the EU summit in Brussels, Viktor Orbán claimed that 95% of over 2.1 million participants in his Voks2025 anti-Ukrainian consultative referendum allegedly voted against Ukraine’s EU membership.
Despite its unofficial nature, Orbán is using the vote that is not legally binding as a tool of political leverage within the EU. Kyiv, however, dismisses the move. Stefanishyna called it a “small obstacle” that “won’t prevent the start of negotiations.”
Suspilne also reports that von der Leyen confirmed €1 billion in EU funding has already been allocated to Ukraine’s defense industry, using profits from frozen Russian assets. She added that Brussels is ready to frontload €11 billion more from the G7 loan package, stressing the urgency of Kyiv’s financial needs.
Von der Leyen also mentioned the EU’s commitment to delivering 2 million artillery shells to Ukraine by 2025. Meanwhile, Brussels is preparing its 18th package of sanctions against Russia, aiming to pressure Moscow into serious talks beginning with a real ceasefire.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Ukraine’s EU membership application on 28 February 2022, days after Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On 23 June 2022, the European Council granted Ukraine candidate status. Ukraine was tasked with seven key reforms, including tackling corruption and strengthening the rule of law.
On 26 September 2023, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that all the Commission’s recommendations had been fulfilled. The EU Commission then formally recommended starting accession talks on 8 November 2023. EU ambassadors approved a negotiating mandate, and the European Council endorsed it on 21 June 2024.
Talks officially began on 25 June 2024 in Luxembourg, with the bilateral screening of Ukrainian legislation. However, Hungary’s ongoing blockade has stalled the formal opening of negotiation clusters since early 2025.
The European Commission has proposed that Ukraine join the European Union's mobile roaming area starting January 1, 2026, providing Ukrainian users the ability to make phone calls, texts, and use mobile data in the bloc's 27 countries at no extra charge.
"We want Ukrainian citizens to stay connected to their loved ones across the EU, as well as in their home country. That's why we propose that Ukraine join our roaming family," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
The proposal, first announced on June 16, will serve as a means of integration into the European Union's "Roam like at Home" provision in affect between all EU nations. The proposed change will impact the over four million Ukrainian refugees living in the EU.
Ukraine's full integration in the roaming provisions will replace voluntary measures that "allowed for roaming without surcharges and affordable international calls for EU and Ukrainian citizens abroad," according to the European Commission. The current measure will extend to December 31, 2025, ahead of the planned integration.
If approved, Ukraine will become the only country outside of the EU to join the bloc's "Roam like at Home" policy.
The move, which awaits European Council approval, comes as Ukraine continues to implement reforms in pursuing membership in the European Union.
Ukraine applied for EU membership at the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The country has made quick progress, achieving candidate status within months, with the initial negotiations formally launching in June 2024.
Since the start of 2025, Ukraine has opened three negotiation clusters under Poland's rotating presidency.
Poland lead the EU Council's presidency until June, and Denmark will take over the role in July. Ukraine aims to open the remaining three negotiation clusters in the second half of 2025 under the Danish chairmanship, the President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
There are six accession negotiation clusters, consisting of several individual chapters. Negotiations prepare a candidate country to become an EU member.
The EU’s Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, said that Ukraine could potentially join the bloc by 2029 if it successfully implements necessary reforms.
The Kyiv IndependentVolodymyr Ivanyshyn
The Group of Seven (G7) nations need to impose harsher sanctions on Moscow in order to secure a ceasefire in the war against Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said at the start of the G7 summit in Canada.
The G7 Leaders Summit kicked off on June 15 in Kananaskis, Canada, with official talks held June 16-17. While Ukraine hopes to win economic support and unified pressure against Russia, the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran may dominate this year's conference.
"To achieve peaceful strength we must put more pressure on Russia to secure a real ceasefire, to bring Russia to the negotiating table, and to end this war. Sanctions are critical to that end," von der Leyen said at a press briefing on June 15 attended by a Kyiv Independent journalist.
Economic sanctions have been an effective intervention since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, von der Leyen said. She noted that combined G7 and European Union sanctions have decreased Russian oil and gas revenues by nearly 80% since February 2022.
"(T)he sanctions are working, and we will do more," she said.
Von der Leyen urged the G7 to adapt the economic restrictions proposed in the EU's 18th sanctions package, announced on June 10. The new measures target Russia's energy and banking sectors and propose a further reduction in the oil price cap, bringing the cap down from $60 to $45 per barrel.
"I will invite all G7 partners to join us in this endeavor," she said.
The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova
Costa echoed the call for sanctions and the necessity of economic pressure in order to achieve a ceasefire. Europe is committed to "increasing additional sanctions to cripple (Russia's) ability to wage war and pressing for an unconditional ceasefire," he said.
Europe's call for unity may meet with resistance from the United States, which has assumed a dramatically different posture towards Ukraine and Russia since President Donald Trump took office in January. Trump has not imposed any new sanctions against Russia, even Moscow blatantly obstructs peace efforts and escalates mass strikes against Ukrainian cities.
The U.S. also reportedly opposes lowering the G7 oil price cap — a measure first introduced in December 2022 that prohibits Western companies from shipping, insuring, or otherwise servicing Russian oil sold above $60 per barrel.
The price cap debate has become more urgent as oil prices, which had fallen below the $60 cap in recent months, surged following Israel's recent strikes against Iran.
Despite U.S. resistance, the EU and the United Kingdom — backed by other European G7 countries and Canada — have said they are prepared to move forward with the proposal, even without Washington's endorsement.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, on the other hand, has said the EU sanctions and proposed price cap drop don't go far enough. Zelensky on June 11 said the EU's 18th round of sanctions "could be stronger" and proposed further slashing the oil price cap to $30 per barrel.
"A ceiling of $45 per barrel of oil is better than $60, that's clear, that's true. But real peace will come with a ceiling of $30," he said. "That's the level that will really change the mindset in Moscow."
Zelensky and Trump are expected to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit on June 17. The meeting will mark their third in-person encounter since Trump took office.
The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat
Ylva Johansson, former European Commissioner for Home Affairs, will serve as the European Union's new special envoy for Ukrainians in the bloc, POLITICO reported on June 12.
According to anonymous officials that spoke to POLITICO, Johansson will fill the newly created post, overseeing the Commission's long-term strategy for Ukrainian refugees currently residing in the European Union.
Johansson, a former Swedish minister and European Commission official, previously visited Ukraine on several occasions, including a refugee camp on the border with Romania. She received the Ukrainian order of merit in September 2024.
As special envoy, Johansson will be responsible for EU initiatives focused on helping Ukrainian refugees transition into permanent legal statuses or return home.
As part of these initiatives, the EU will launch "unity hubs" – information centers jointly managed with the Ukrainian government. The hubs will support Ukrainian refugees to integrate with EU host countries or repatriate to Ukraine.
Germany, which has has taken in more than 1 million Ukrainian refugees since the start of the full-scale invasion, recently committed to establishing unity hubs in Berlin. The unity hubs in Berlin will provide Ukrainians with access to educational and career opportunities both in Ukraine and Germany.
The European Commission also recently extended temporary protection Ukrainian refugees who fled to the EU following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to Eurostat, 4.26 million Ukrainians currently hold temporary protection status in the EU as of April 2025.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy
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