The Ukrainian government resists appointing the head of one of its anti-corruption agencies, delaying the start of its work. Meanwhile, the EU says this setback in the Economic Security Bureau (BEB) running endangers Kyiv’s credibility and $3 billion in support, European Pravda reports.
European Commission demands: appoint Tsyvinsky according to the law
The European Commission calls on the Ukrainian government to immediately appoint the head of the agency, which has already been chosen in accor
The Ukrainian government resists appointing the head of one of its anti-corruption agencies, delaying the start of its work. Meanwhile, the EU says this setback in the Economic Security Bureau (BEB) running endangers Kyiv’s credibility and $3 billion in support, European Pravda reports.
European Commission demands: appoint Tsyvinsky according to the law
The European Commission calls on the Ukrainian government to immediately appoint the head of the agency, which has already been chosen in accordance with current legislation and transparent procedures.
Oleksandr Tsyvinsky is a National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) detective who won the BEB director position in June 2025. The competition involved international experts. The BEB reform is one condition for Ukraine to receive $3 billion in international aid.
Tsyvinsky leads one of NABU’s elite detective units and became known for his participation in the “Clean City” investigation. His appointment was to symbolize the restoration of trust in anti-corruption bodies.
However, on 7 July, the Ukrainian government refused to approve him, citing “security concerns” as assessed by the Security Service. In response, Tsyvinsky stated that the government’s decision “does not comply with the law.”
Confrontation with NABU: a new round of pressure
The government’s refusal to approve the competition winner marked another escalation in tense relations between Ukrainian authorities and NABU, which sharply intensified this summer.
On 22 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the controversial bill, which curtails the NABU’s independence, as well as the liberty of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), by requiring their key decisions to be coordinated with the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The law led to mass civil society protests and criticism from international partners as it contradicts Ukraine’s commitments to the EU and the US on anti-corruption reforms.
The EU has already warned diplomatically that undermining NABU’s independence will have serious consequences for further EU integration and aid volumes. The situation around BEB only deepens the trust crisis.
Business and partners demand appointment
The business community, over 124 associations and 27,000 companies, published an open letter urging the authorities not to delay appointing the competition winner.
“Kyiv must promptly appoint the BEB director according to the law on BEB reform and current procedures,” says a European Commission spokesperson.
Appointing Tsyvinsky is a key condition for advancing the BEB reform and preserving the institution’s independence. The EU enlargement report for 2024 emphasized that the competition must be transparent, based on personal merits and integrity.
The Selection Commission has sent Tsyvinsky’s documents to the Cabinet for the second time, and Europeans are closely watching whether the government will fulfill its commitments.
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Russia threatens not only Ukraine. The Kremlin’s imperial ambitions also target Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence reports.
During the Soviet era, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Georgia were under Moscow’s control and subjected to centralized governance. The Kremlin wants to unify all of these countries into one fellow state.
Ukraine defends the freedom and choice of nations
Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence
Russia threatens not only Ukraine. The Kremlin’s imperial ambitions also target Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence reports.
During the Soviet era, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Georgia were under Moscow’s control and subjected to centralized governance. The Kremlin wants to unify all of these countries into one fellow state.
Ukraine defends the freedom and choice of nations
Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, states that Russia’s war against Ukraine is not only a struggle for Ukrainian independence but also a fight for the right of all peoples to live freely and choose their own path.
“Ukraine defends the idea of integration into the European Union and pays a high, heavy price for it,” Yusov says, highlighting the European and democratic dimension of the conflict.
The Kremlin’s imperial ambitions — a regional threat
Yusov warns that Russia’s imperial ambitions pose a danger not only to Ukraine but also to neighboring states: Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Historical parallels and the Kremlin’s current policies indicate a desire to expand influence and control over its neighbors.
“Every missile, every drone destroyed by Ukrainians during the Russian aggression means that this arsenal will not be used against any peaceful country,” he adds.
Azerbaijan is at the forefront of the fight against Russian imperialism
The intelligence representative highly praised Azerbaijan’s position, which actively opposes Russian imperialism and demonstrates the capability to give a worthy response to aggressors.
Ukrainian-Azerbaijani relations significantly improved in 2024–2025 following a series of aggressive actions by Russia. In December 2024, Russian forces shot down an Azerbaijani aircraft near Grozny, killing 38 passengers. Shortly afterward, Russia launched raids on its territory, resulting in the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens. In response, Baku began openly strengthening ties with Kyiv.
This is an important signal for the entire region that free countries are ready to unite in resisting the common threat.
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The Russians are continuing to vacation while war rages on. As Russian missiles rain down on Ukrainian cities, Russian citizens are sunbathing undisturbed on the beaches of France, Italy, and Spain, The Telegraph reports.
As of late July 2025, approximately 74% of Russian citizens support the war, while 24% say they want to launch a nuclear missile strike on Ukraine.
Visas for Russians despite the war
Despite Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine and ongoing sanctions, Europe co
The Russians are continuing to vacation while war rages on. As Russian missiles rain down on Ukrainian cities, Russian citizens are sunbathing undisturbed on the beaches of France, Italy, and Spain, The Telegraph reports.
As of late July 2025, approximately 74% of Russian citizens support the war, while 24% say they want to launch a nuclear missile strike on Ukraine.
Visas for Russians despite the war
Despite Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine and ongoing sanctions, Europe continues to welcome Russian tourists. Overnight stays by Russians in French and Italian hotels rose by 19% over the past year.
These countries, both NATO and EU members, are still opening their doors to citizens of the aggressor state.
“In the fourth year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, it is extremely surprising to see statistics showing an increase in the number of visas issued to Russian citizens,” emphasized Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov.
France and Italy keep their doors open
France, a member of the “Coalition of the Willing” and an active supporter of Ukraine, is in no hurry to restrict tourist flows from Russia. Along with Italy, it advocates keeping borders open, at least for “wealthy Russians.”
Russia does not intend to end its war against Ukraine. On the contrary, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has told US President Donald Trump that military actions will escalate during the summer offensive. In the first half of 2025, Russia killed or injured 6,754 civilians in Ukraine, the highest number for a six-month period since 2022, the UN reports. In June 2025 alone, the UN documented232 civilian deaths and 1,343 injuries, marking the highest monthly casualty toll in three years.
“There are many Russians who support the war, and particularly the Russians who have money. What we absolutely don’t want to do is allow these Russians to enjoy the privileges and resources of Europe, while at the same time they’re supporting Putin’s war efforts,” said financier and anti-Putin activist Bill Browder.
Hybrid warfare and EU security
Experts believe that access for Russians is not only morally questionable but also a security risk. Browder calls for a ban on entry for Russian citizens unless they can prove they oppose Putin’s regime.
He stressed that denying visas can pressure the Putin regime and reduce the security threat posed by Russia’s hybrid war against the West.
Despite a ban on direct flights, dozens of travel routes between Russia and Europe still operate via Türkiye, Georgia, and Serbia. Meanwhile, Ukraine pays in blood for every day of freedom, as Europe hosts those who support the aggressor.
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Ukraine will receive only part of the fourth tranche of financial assistance under the Ukraine Facility mechanism. The reason is the failure to implement three out of sixteen key reforms stipulated in agreements with the EU, says Guillaume Mercier, European Commission spokesperson, European Pravda reports.
The European Commission’s Ukraine Facility is aimed at supporting Ukraine’s state budget, encouraging investment and economic modernization, rebuilding critical infrastructure, supporting ci
Ukraine will receive only part of the fourth tranche of financial assistance under the Ukraine Facility mechanism. The reason is the failure to implement three out of sixteen key reforms stipulated in agreements with the EU, says Guillaume Mercier, European Commission spokesperson, European Pravda reports.
The European Commission’s Ukraine Facility is aimed at supporting Ukraine’s state budget, encouraging investment and economic modernization, rebuilding critical infrastructure, supporting civil society, and helping the country to prepare for EU membership.
If Kyiv had implemented all 16 reforms, Ukraine would have received€4.5 billion. But according to Mercier, the European Commission assessed only 13 indicators as fulfilled, and therefore proposes a reduced tranche of €3.05 billion.
Which reforms were not implemented?
The three reforms that remain unfulfilled are:
decentralization
reform of ARMA (Asset Recovery and Management Agency),
transparent selection of judges for the High Anti-Corruption Court.
Ukraine submitted a request to the EU for a partial payment back in June 2025.
The Ukraine Facility program envisions providing Ukraine with up to €50 billion over several years, conditional on the successful implementation of reforms. Each tranche is tied to specific steps.
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Masked men appeared at anti-corruption demonstrations in Kyiv Thursday evening, carrying inflammatory signs targeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally—exactly 24 hours after Ukrainian intelligence warned that Russia would deploy provocateurs to exploit the crisis.
The timing wasn’t coincidental. Defense Intelligence had warned Wednesday that “Kremlin agents are actively studying the internal situation” to weaponize protests against the law that subordinates Ukraine’s anti-corruption b
Masked men appeared at anti-corruption demonstrations in Kyiv Thursday evening, carrying inflammatory signs targeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally—exactly 24 hours after Ukrainian intelligence warned that Russia would deploy provocateurs to exploit the crisis.
The timing wasn’t coincidental. Defense Intelligence had warned Wednesday that “Kremlin agents are actively studying the internal situation” to weaponize protests against the law that subordinates Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
When the real protesters left, others appeared
The incident unfolded around evening as legitimate demonstrators wrapped up their third day of protests against Law No. 12414. What happened next looked like textbook destabilization.
Masked individuals emerged with signs reading “Ukraine is not Kvartal! Ukrainians are not slaves!” “Killers of democracy traitors of Ukraine,” and “Heroes are dying for Ukraine and these two are destroying it!”—directly targeting Zelenskyy and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak, according to footage captured by a Euromaidan Press correspondent.
Legitimate protesters had focused on defending institutions: “Hands off NABU and SAP!” and “The lost generation wants democracy.” These newcomers turned it into a vitriolic attack on the country’s leadership.
Why target Zelenskyy and Yermak specifically? The anti-corruption law represents broader concerns about power centralization during wartime.
When investigators began targeting Zelenskyy’s closest associates—including Oleksiy Chernyshov, the only Cabinet minister invited to Zelenskyy’s COVID birthday party, and business partner Tymur Mindych from Kvartal 95—the response was to subordinate the investigators rather than allow the process to continue.
The law effectively places NABU and SAPO under the Prosecutor General’s control, ending a decade of institutional independence. The protesters aren’t calling for Zelenskyy’s removal—they want the law repealed while maintaining effective war leadership. Most Ukrainians still oppose holding elections while fighting Russia. Their primary concern remains winning the war.
That’s precisely what makes this moment valuable to Moscow. The Kremlin hopes to exploit these real institutional tensions to destabilize Zelenskyy’s government entirely.
Explore further
Explained: why Ukraine nuked its own anti-corruption agencies
Surgical timing raises questions
Witness Mladena Kachurets documented the evening’s events. The suspicious activity began about 10 minutes before an air raid alert—perfect timing for dramatic effect.
“Masked individuals gathered the remaining protesters around them and delivered some kind of recorded speech,” she wrote. Multiple distractions played out simultaneously. While media focused on MP Maryana Bezuhla giving comments, “behind her was a verbal altercation between two young men, drawing part of the attention away.”
Then came the crescendo. When the air raid alert sounded, “the masked individuals demonstratively lit flares—an impressive picture, you’ll agree.”
Classic Russian influence operation
The provocateurs’ work didn’t end with the flares. Multiple Russian media outlets, starting from TASS, quickly fabricated coverage, with headlines like “Protesters in Kyiv called Zelenskyy and Yermak ‘traitors of Ukraine'” appearing the next day.
“They unfurled posters with images of Zelenskyy and Yermak, accompanied by inscriptions: ‘Killers of democracy – traitors of Ukraine’ and ‘Dictators.’ The posters also indicated that ‘these two’ are destroying the country, and ‘Ukrainians are not slaves,’” TASS reported on the provocateurs.
They cited Strana.ua, a pro-Russian media outlet that Ukraine sanctioned in 2021, as their source without providing actual links to any such article. Strana indeed reported on the event, on their Telegram channel, using a video by UNIAN with a comment presenting this as legitimate sentiments of the protesters.
The catch is that Ukrainian media, sensing Russian hybrid warfare operations from a mile away, either did not report on the men or reported them as provocateurs. Even the opposition 5 Kanal tweeted the video with a comment “provocative action” and followed up with a comment from the organizers that dismissed the burned Yermak and Zelenskyy portraits as a “provocation.”
The UNIAN video that Strana.ua shared the video with this comment: “At a protest in Kyiv, a group of planted provocateurs are lighting flares to the sound of air raid sirens. It looks like these uninvited guests are clearly and openly staging a photo op. Makes you wonder who needs this footage besides Russian propaganda—and who’s pulling the strings?”
As Ukrainian media turned out to be immune to this Russian propaganda narrative, so Russian media used the Strana socket outlet to create the illusion of Ukrainian domestic coverage validating their narrative—that Ukrainians don’t support their leadership, are happy to be invaded, and become a Russian vassal state.
What unraveled in the backyard of the President’s Office in Kyiv on 24 July was a classic Russian influence operation. Its aim was to fabricate a virtual reality inside the heads of Russians to validate the propaganda narratives driving Russia’s war—that Ukrainians want this, because they don’t support Zelenskyy anyway.
The inflammatory signs calling Zelenskyy a “dictator” and “traitor” now circulate in Russian information space—manufacturing evidence that Ukraine is fragmenting internally to validate Moscow’s narrative that its invasion “liberates” Ukrainians from their government.
We’ve seen multiple examples of how these operations work in the Surkov Leaks, a collection of Vladimir Putin’s gray cardinal Vladislav Surkov, who worked to destabilize Ukraine from within after the Euromaidan revolution with hybrid warfare means. So far, it appears that the operation has influenced solely Russians, as the incendiary narrative of “down with the dictators” proved too radical for Ukrainians.
But that doesn’t mean that the Kremlin won’t keep trying and finding other ways to mess with the minds of Ukrainians—and anybody else gullible enough to fall for the Kremlin’s information warfare.
Explore further
What Surkov’s hacked emails tell about Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine
What happens next?
But here’s what actually happened to the supposed “dictator”: within three days of signing the controversial law, Zelenskyy submitted corrective legislation under intense public pressure.
“We heard the street,” he admitted, promising new legislation to restore anti-corruption agency independence. Parliament has scheduled July 31 to vote on the bill—though passage isn’t guaranteed.
Protesters haven’t declared victory yet. They’ve vowed to keep demonstrating until the corrective law actually passes and institutional independence is genuinely restored. The danger to democratic institutions was real, and vigilance remains essential.
But that’s precisely the point. The provocateur operation aimed to show Russians that Ukrainians reject their leadership and welcome “liberation.” Instead, it captured something different: a democracy under stress but still functioning. Public pressure forced a presidential retreat. Protests work. Institutions push back. Citizens stay engaged.
Ukraine’s democracy is imperfect and fragile—but it’s alive. The operation succeeded only in Russian information space, manufacturing the illusion of internal collapse for domestic consumption while the real Ukraine continued the messy, contentious work of democratic governance.
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The company EasyStaff, founded by Russians in Vilnius, has transferred over €50 million to Russia while facilitating the hiring of Russian freelancers by Western companies, LTR reports.
As Western governments work to block financial flows to Russia, certain business entities exploit loopholes, undermining the effectiveness of global sanctions.
Founded in 2020 by Russian citizens Vitaly Mikhailov and Yevgeny Fedorov, EasyStaff brands itself as a global freelancing platform. In reality, however
The company EasyStaff, founded by Russians in Vilnius, has transferred over €50 million to Russia while facilitating the hiring of Russian freelancers by Western companies, LTR reports.
As Western governments work to block financial flows to Russia, certain business entities exploit loopholes, undermining the effectiveness of global sanctions.
Founded in 2020 by Russian citizens Vitaly Mikhailov and Yevgeny Fedorov, EasyStaff brands itself as a global freelancing platform. In reality, however, it may act as a mechanism that may allow EU and US sanctions to be circumvented.
EasyStaff utilizes alternative payment methods such as PayPal, Skrill, card transactions, and cryptocurrency, thereby bypassing SWIFT restrictions.
According to Lithuania’s State Data Agency, imports of computer services from Russia rose from €2.64 million in 2023 to over €56 million in 2024, which is nearly twice the pre-pandemic level. Yet when contacted by LRT’s investigative team, no government agency could initially explain this surge.
Eventually, the reporters discovered that most of the €56 million traced back to a single company: EasyStaff.
Though EasyStaff presents itself as a global platform helping companies hire and pay foreign freelancers, in practice it serves as a bridge for EU and US businesses seeking to contract Russian workers without direct interaction with sanctioned banks.
Mikhailov insists the platform is globally oriented and denies that Russians form its main client base.
When asked whether EasyStaff helps Russian firms navigate sanctions, Mikhailov replied that the company breaks no laws and works only with non-sanctioned banks. He added that EasyStaff consults with two law firms to ensure full compliance with restrictions and claimed that clients choose the company for its efficiency, not to evade sanctions.
Since EasyStaff lacks a payment institution license in Lithuania, it is not regulated by the Bank of Lithuania. A spokesperson for the central bank noted that EasyStaff appears to function more like a marketplace for service contracts than a payment processor.
Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service has confirmed awareness of the company but said it has detected any threats.
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law Tuesday dismantling Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies.
The timing was disastrous: Brussels had secretly scheduled 18 July to open Ukraine’s first EU negotiating cluster, bypassing Hungary entirely, but abandoned the plan after Ukraine’s anti-corruption crackdown, according to European Pravda sources within EU institutions.
Zelenskyy knew about the plan. He’d been personally involved in discussions with Danish officials and EU leadership since la
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law Tuesday dismantling Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies.
The timing was disastrous: Brussels had secretly scheduled 18 July to open Ukraine’s first EU negotiating cluster, bypassing Hungary entirely, but abandoned the plan after Ukraine’s anti-corruption crackdown, according to European Pravda sources within EU institutions.
Zelenskyy knew about the plan. He’d been personally involved in discussions with Danish officials and EU leadership since late June, European Pravda reported, citing unnamed European officials. But instead of supporting this diplomatic breakthrough, Ukraine systematically undermined its reform credentials by rejecting the Bureau of Economic Security selection results, conducting searches of activist Vitalii Shabunin’s home, and finally signing the law gutting NABU and SAPO independence.
Brussels was ready to break its own rules for Ukraine
Hungarian PM Victor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, 5 July 2024. Photo: RIA Novosti.
The Danish EU presidency and European Commission had crafted something unprecedented: legal measures to sideline Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, who had systematically blocked Ukraine’s accession, completely.
Bloomberg reported in May that member states pushed the Commission to explore options for opening Ukraine’s first negotiating chapter despite Hungarian objections.
The breakthrough insight: while unanimity is required to start and complete EU accession negotiations, sources told Bloomberg it’s not a legal requirement for opening individual clusters. The Commission informed member states that it intended to send the European Council a first report on starting cluster discussions with Ukraine and Moldova.
EU lawyers acknowledged the plan was “legally flawed” but calculated Hungary would need three years to challenge it in court.
After years of Hungarian obstruction, 26 member states were willing to risk institutional precedent.
The “parallel negotiations” mechanism
The mechanism was elegant: conduct “parallel negotiations” where 26 EU states would negotiate with Ukraine while Moldova received formal recognition. When Moldova opened negotiating clusters, the 26 states would issue statements confirming Ukraine had completed the same work and that only Hungary’s veto prevented legal advancement.
Inter-Governmental Conferences: The Danish presidency was prepared to convene working bodies pivotal to enlargement that don’t require Hungarian consent
Political weight: Though legally non-binding for Ukraine, these would carry enormous political significance
Synchronized progress: Ukraine’s advancement would be coordinated with Moldova’s formal recognition
The Danish presidency, which described enlargement as a “geopolitical necessity,” had exhausted diplomatic options with Hungary.
Hungary systematic obstruction
Orbán had forced Brussels into this position through relentless obstruction. After blocking progress during Hungary’s 2024 EU presidency, he staged a “national consultation” where 95% of 2.3 million participants opposed Ukraine membership—though an opposition poll found 58% Hungarian support for Ukraine’s EU bid.
Zelenskyy met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during the NATO summit in The Hague. He flew to Denmark on 3 July for private negotiations. Final details were hammered out in Rome on 10 July. Everything was set for the 18 July ceremony in Brussels.
European officials were prepared to risk institutional precedent. Ukraine chose that exact moment to implode its reform credentials.
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: President.gov.ua
How Ukraine sabotaged itself
The self-sabotage unfolded in a devastating sequence:
9 July: The Ukrainian government rejected the winner of a transparent, EU-supported competition to head the Bureau of Economic Security. The government simply overturned the selection results with no explanation.
11 July: Law enforcement raided anti-corruption activist Vitalii Shabunin’s home without a court warrant. They also searched the mother of fallen Hero of Ukraine pilot Andrii “Juice” Pilshchykov simply because Shabunin had briefly stayed there.
14 July: Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna announced her resignation as Ukraine’s chief EU negotiator—replacing a negotiator at such a sensitive moment gave Brussels another reason to pause.
Denmark quietly abandoned the 18 July proposal. European Pravda sources reported EU officials asking: “WTF? What is going on?”
Brussels draws the line
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos warned Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka that the anti-corruption law would have “serious consequences for the entire negotiation process.” Some member states now believe “it would have been better not to rush into opening the first cluster.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Zelenskyy directly to express “strong concerns.” Brussels views this as democratic backsliding comparable to Georgia’s retreat.
Economic consequences mounting
The OECD warned that undermining anti-corruption agencies will hurt:
Defense investments in Ukraine
Reconstruction funding from international partners
Future borrowing capacity as creditors reassess risk
But European officials doubt the Presidential Office takes these warnings seriously—they are accustomed to Brussels making threats without decisive action.
Explore further
Zelenskyy’s scandalous law weakening anti-graft watchdogs takes effect (updated)
Putin wins without trying
Anti-corruption architect Daria Kaleniuk pointed out the bitter irony: Zelenskyy “just gave Putin his best argument.”
Putin’s original justification for war was that Ukraine was “losing sovereignty to foreign partners, establishing anti-corruption institutions with foreign experts.” Ukrainian MPs are now making Putin’s argument for him.
Ukraine will fall behind Moldova in EU accession talks. The “decoupling” Brussels tried to avoid becomes inevitable—not because of Hungarian obstruction, but because of Ukraine own choices. As one European official noted: “Ukraine has done the dirty work instead of Viktor Orbán.”
What the law actually does
The legislation Zelenskyy signed grants the Prosecutor General sweeping authority to:
Reassign NABUinvestigations to other agencies
Issue binding instructions to anti-corruption bodies
Unilaterally close high-level corruption cases
Control SAPOoperations through mandatory coordination
NABU and SAPO were established in 2015 under Western pressure following the Euromaidan Revolution. Independent anti-corruption institutions were central to EU integration and remain a key condition for visa-free travel, which stays secure despite current developments.
The timing was particularly damaging. Just as European officials prepared to risk institutional precedent for Ukraine’s benefit, Kyiv chose to demolish its reform credentials.
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Russian intelligence services are attempting to destabilize Ukraine amid the anti-corruption crisis, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence warns. Kremlin agents are actively studying the internal situation in order to exploit the wave of protests linked to the adoption of the new law, which enables control over independent anti-corruption bodies.
On 23 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law that allows the Prosecutor General’s Office to interfere in the work of the National Anti-C
Russian intelligence services are attempting to destabilize Ukraine amid the anti-corruption crisis, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence warns. Kremlin agents are actively studying the internal situation in order to exploit the wave of protests linked to the adoption of the new law, which enables control over independent anti-corruption bodies.
On 23 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law that allows the Prosecutor General’s Office to interfere in the work of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Experts call this move a grave mistake. On one hand, it destabilizes society during wartime; on the other, it undermines Ukraine’s image among its Western allies, whose support is crucial in the fight against Russia.
According to the agency, Russia’s goal is to undermine Ukraine’s ability to resist full-scale military aggression and to discredit the country on the international stage.
“Russia intends to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the world to weaken or destroy Western support for the armed struggle against the aggressor,” the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence says.
Inside Ukraine, the Kremlin sees an opportunity to capitalize on public discontent to stir chaos and polarize society. This is not just about propaganda — intelligence warns of possible provocations orchestrated directly from Moscow.
“To escalate the protests, deepen polarization, and plunge Ukrainian society into chaos… provocations inspired by Moscow are not ruled out,” the agency cautions.
The Defense Intelligence stresses that the country is in the midst of a genocidal war, in which Russia employs not only weapons but also manipulations, disinformation, and internal sabotage.
“The Ukrainian nation is living through a genocidal war in which the aggressor is trying by all means to destroy our state,” the agency emphasizes.
On 22 July, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, called for internal disagreements to be resolved through open dialogue.
“Ukrainian history has taught us, a nation loses when it is torn apart by internal strife. We face a common misfortune and a common enemy. That is why internal disagreements should be resolved through open dialogue to achieve a single shared goal, to defend our country,” he claimed.
He added that he is confident: Ukraine will be saved by strong armed forces and institutions.
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Ukrainian deputies prepare a counterstrike against a new controversial law in the Constitutional Court. After President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the controversial law narrowing the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), MPs from the Holos parliamentary faction announced the start of collecting signatures for an appeal to the court.
The law that grants the Prosecutor General’s Office control over NABU and SAP was adop
Ukrainian deputies prepare a counterstrike against a new controversial law in the Constitutional Court. After President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the controversial law narrowing the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), MPs from the Holos parliamentary faction announced the start of collecting signatures for an appeal to the court.
The law that grants the Prosecutor General’s Office control over NABU and SAP was adopted amid a major scandal: an FSB agent was discovered inside NABU. While the authorities are trying to use this incident as an argument for centralization, human rights defenders and activists see it as the dismantling of the independent anti-corruption system created after the Revolution of Dignity.
“In fact, the only thing that can be done now to fix the situation is to strike down this law in the Constitutional Court,”says MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, emphasizing that the parliamentary procedure was violated during the consideration of the bill.
He believes the initiative is entirely realistic: “We will need 45 signatures from deputies… but I think we can still find that many in the Ukrainian Parliament.”
Protesters have already taken to the streets in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and other cities. They are demanding the repeal of the law, which they believe will bring the country to the era of former President Victor Yanukovych, when the government controlled investigations, the prosecutor’s office, and the courts.
The morning after signing the law, Zelenskyy gathered the heads of all key law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, including NABU Director Semen Kryvonos, SAP Head Oleksandr Klymenko, SBU Chief Vasyl Maliuk, and Prosecutor Kravchenko.
The president stated that “criminal proceedings must not last for years without verdicts”and said that “we all hear what society is saying.” According to him, a joint plan to protect public interests must be ready within two weeks, followed by an in-depth working meeting with all sides the week after.
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On 22 July, the Ukrainian Parliament passed bill No. 12414, which effectively destroys the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), says the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO).
Under the new rules, key decisions of these bodies must be coordinated with the Prosecutor General’s Office, calling into question their impartiality.
The NAKO emphasizes that this decision will severely undermine tr
On 22 July, the Ukrainian Parliament passed bill No. 12414, which effectively destroys the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), says the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO).
Under the new rules, key decisions of these bodies must be coordinated with the Prosecutor General’s Office, calling into question their impartiality.
The NAKO emphasizes that this decision will severely undermine trust in Ukraine on the international stage. The development of anti-corruption institutions, supported by civil society and international partners since 2015, was a key condition for Ukraine’s progress towards the EU and NATO.
The liquidation of NABU’s and SAPO’s independence threatens further international aid.
The law was adopted amid high-profile searches at NABU, where security forces uncovered an FSB agent working inside the bureau who passed information to Russia.
“Yesterday we saw SBU searches that showed NABU is not perfect, and that is true, but today these searches have been used by the authorities to dismantle an independent anti-corruption investigation,” says NAKO senior researcher Tetiana Nikolaienko.
Now the Prosecutor General becomes the de facto head of SAPO prosecutors, gains full access to NABU cases, has the right to transfer them to other bodies, decides jurisdiction disputes, and signs indictments against high-ranking officials. This destroys the possibility of conducting impartial investigations according to the law.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Action Center stresses that President Zelenskyy’s signature under this law will return the country to the times of former pro-Russian President Victor Yanukovych.
“Under these conditions, NABU, SAPO, and the High Anti-Corruption Court lose all meaning as Zelenskyy-installed Prosecutor General will stop investigations against all the president’s friends,” adds NAKO.
Accordingly, there is no point in electronic asset declarations, punishment for illegal enrichment, special confiscation, or other anti-corruption reforms.
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The Civil Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense says Ukraine’s anti-corruption system has lost its independence within several minutes. The organization is urging President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to veto a bill No. 12414, passed by Ukrainian lawmakers, which curtails the freedom of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO)
On 22 July, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted bill No. 12414, which requires key decisions by thes
The Civil Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense says Ukraine’s anti-corruption system has lost its independence within several minutes.The organization is urging President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to veto a bill No. 12414, passed by Ukrainian lawmakers, which curtails the freedom of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO)
On 22 July, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted bill No. 12414, which requires key decisions by these institutions to be coordinated with the Prosecutor General’s Office. Vitali Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, published the full text of the amendments, which he says “de facto nullify the independence of NABU and SAPO.”
While the bill was introduced as addressing the investigation of wartime disappearances, last-minute amendments radically altered its essence. Both the relevant committee and the parliamentary chamber approved the changes at record speed.
“This law strips SAPO of its independence,”states the Civil Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense.
From now on, the Prosecutor General will have direct control over prosecutors in the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, can reassign their powers, seize NABU cases, and issue directives.
This opens the door to manual control, political interference, impunity for loyal officials, and the destruction of independent investigations into high-level corruption.
“We are fighting for justice. But this law is about abuse of power and shielding installed persons,” the Council emphasizes.
The West has reacted swiftly to the law. The European Commission has voiced concern, stressing that EU financial support depends on progress in democratic governance. G7 ambassadors have said they plan to raise the issue with Ukrainian officials.
Guillaume Mercier, the spokesperson for the European Commission for Enlargement, has claimed that the EU is providing Ukraine with significant financial assistance “subject to progress in transparency, judicial reform, and democratic governance.”
“These bodies are crucial to Ukraine’s reform agenda and must act independently to fight corruption and maintain public trust,” he says.
NABU was established in 2015 under pressure from Western partners and civil society.
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Valery Gergiev, the Russian conductor and longtime ally of Vladimir Putin, is scheduled to perform on July 27 at the Un’estate da Re festival in the Royal Palace of Caserta, Italy. Tickets are already on sale.
This marks his loud and controversial return to the European stage after years of exclusion due to his vocal support for Russia’s war against Ukraine — and, astonishingly, with the help of public funding, including European Union cohesion funds, despite the fact that Gergiev has been s
Valery Gergiev, the Russian conductor and longtime ally of Vladimir Putin, is scheduled to perform on July 27 at the Un’estate da Re festival in the Royal Palace of Caserta, Italy. Tickets are already on sale.
This marks his loud and controversial return to the European stage after years of exclusion due to his vocal support for Russia’s war against Ukraine — and, astonishingly, with the help of public funding, including European Union cohesion funds, despite the fact that Gergiev has been sanctioned in several countries.
But behind the mask of the great conductor lies something far more troubling. A recent Linkiesta investigation exposes a sophisticated network of shady foundations, fictitious companies, and significant real estate holdings spanning Venice, Milan, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast.
At its center sits a monumental estate in Massa Lubrense that allegedly hosts meetings aimed at circumventing international sanctions and diffusing Russian propaganda narratives through cultural interventions.
Where Gergiev is banned vs. where he’s welcome
A protest against a concert of Gergiev in London on 12 May 2014. Screenshot from video
Unlike Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Scandinavian nations — where cultural institutions severed ties with pro-Kremlin artists — Italy has chosen a more “tolerant” or “neutral” approach. Some even echo the favorite mantra of Russian propaganda: “Art is above politics.”
Here’s a reminder of where Gergiev has been banned:
Germany: Fired from the Munich Philharmonic.
UK: Removed from the Edinburgh Festival and other programming.
USA: Canceled performances and tours.
France: Banned from Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and other venues.
Canada: Included in the list of individual sanctions.
But in Italy, Gergiev seems to be welcomed with open arms — all in the name of “cultural dialogue,” even as war crimes continue in Ukraine.
Putin’s conductor: A history of regime support
Gergiev, Putin’s most loyal cultural ally who received the specially revived Hero of Labour award in 2013, has never hidden his loyalty to the Putin regime.
He publicly praised the president, supported Russia’s “great revival,” and in 2014, endorsed the annexation of Crimea. That same year, he led a concert in Moscow honoring Russia’s armed forces.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, cultural leaders around the world called for a boycott of Gergiev, accusing him of direct complicity in the Kremlin’s aggression. Major orchestras and opera houses in Europe and the US dropped him. In 2022, La Scala dropped him from its programming after he refused to condemn the war in Ukraine.
His appointment to control both the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters wasn’t just ceremonial — it followed the ouster of Vladimir Urin, who had dared to sign an anti-war petition in 2022, making Gergiev’s loyalty even more valuable to the Kremlin.
His fondness for dictators and warlords predates Ukraine. In 2016, following the Russian and Syrian military seizure of Palmyra, Gergiev performed a highly publicized “liberation concert” among the ruins. Broadcast widely on Russian state TV, the concert served as cultural propaganda to legitimize Moscow’s role in Syria and reinforce Putin’s image as a “defender of civilization.”
The €100 million Italian empire and sanctions evasion network
The Palazzo Barbarigo in Venice belonging to Gergiev. Image: By Tony Hisgett, Wikimedia Commons
The financial mechanics behind his Italian operations reveal a more complex picture. As early as 2022, Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation documented that Gergiev had diverted over 300 million rubles into personal accounts, using cultural foundations funded by Gazprombank, Rosneft, and VTB.
Gergiev owns a real estate empire in Italy, reportedly worth more than €100 million, inherited from Countess Yoko Nagae Ceschina, a Japanese harpist and philanthropist. Her will granted him the Barbarigo Palace on Venice’s Grand Canal, the historic Caffè Quadri in Piazza San Marco, an 18-room villa in Olgiate, vast land holdings in Romagna, and a villa on the Sorrento Coast.
Recently, Italy’s famous Alajmo restaurant family renewed its rental agreement for Caffè Quadri — paying Gergiev €3.5 million over seven years. This means a sanctioned Kremlin-aligned figure is directly profiting from Italy’s most prestigious public spaces.
Caffe Quadri in Venice, leased to Valery Gergiev. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Massimiliano Coccia’s Linkiesta investigation reveals something more systematic: at least a dozen satellite companies orbiting around Gergiev’s main operations, spanning real estate, cultural, and logistics sectors across Campania, Lazio, and Lombardy.
Their common trait? Opacity. A portion of the revenue from these activities is reinvested into pseudo-cultural initiatives that bolster Russian propaganda.
EU funds for Putin’s ally
And now, in July 2025, Gergiev is scheduled to perform in Campania — at a festival funded in part by the Italian government, the Campania regional administration, the Teatro Verdi in Salerno, and Italy’s Ministry of Culture. It is officially branded as a cultural initiative supported by EU Cohesion Funds (Fondi Coesione Italia 21/27).
This makes any attempt to “normalize” Gergiev’s presence even more troubling.
Art as propaganda: The Bolshoi’s latest production
Gergiev himself constantly proves art isn’t neutral. Just this month, his Bolshoi Theatre closed its season with a production of Prokofiev’s opera Semyon Kotko that ended with a message glorifying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:
“In 2014, a junta seized power in Kyiv and began repressions against its own citizens. In response, the residents of the city and region proclaimed the Luhansk People’s Republic. Instead of negotiations, the criminal Kyiv regime began the destruction of Donbas.”
Bolshoi Teatr airs Russian propaganda. Source: La Stampa
Immediately following that, the next paragraph was projected:
“In February 2022, the Russian army came to the aid of the people of Donbas, who had been fighting for their lives and freedom for eight years. As a result of a nationwide referendum, Luhansk has forever returned to being part of Russia.”
This wasn’t art — it was state propaganda using opera as a delivery system, reversing historical facts to justify war crimes. As La Repubblica noted in its coverage, Gergiev’s own theater made it explicitly clear that the opposite of “art is outside politics” is true.
Why cultural neutrality during wartime is complicity
And now — after three years of genocide, missile strikes on residential buildings, torture and executions of prisoners, and mass atrocities documented by international bodies — this concert in Campania becomes part of a broader trend: the normalization of brutality through culture.
At this point, let’s be clear: art is never apolitical — especially during a war. We cannot ignore the fact that Valery Gergiev is not merely a world-class conductor, but a public ally of a regime internationally accused of war crimes. His return to the European stage is not a neutral cultural gesture — it is a political act.
Gergiev’s return to the European stage is not a neutral cultural gesture — it is a political act.
Yes, in peacetime, one might argue for “separating art and politics.” But in wartime — especially a war of conquest launched in 2014 and escalated into full invasion in 2022 — such neutrality becomes complicity.
Allowing figures like Gergiev — whose regime is bombing cities, deporting children, and jailing dissidents — to perform on publicly funded stages is not just tone-deaf. It is an ethical failure.
The unanswered question about local facilitators
Inviting Gergiev to Campania — with European funds — is a dangerous appeasement of Russia’s cultural offensive, which seeks to blur the line between art and propaganda.
As EU Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno rightly noted, publicly funding Putin’s allies is unacceptable. It sends the wrong signal — a signal of surrender.
While De Luca tries to mask this performance under the guise of tolerance, peace, and dialogue, Picierno confronts him with a point that is hard to refute: among the many equally famous and talented Russian musicians who have condemned the war, the Campania Region chooses Putin’s faithful friend and ally.
But the crucial question raised by investigators remains unanswered: which local entrepreneur or company proposed Gergiev’s engagement to the Campania Region? Who acted as facilitator for an event that showcases Russian power while a war rages?
A protest against a concert of Gergiev at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2015. Photo: Arts against Aggression
The protests growing internationally
The announcement has ignited protests across Italy and abroad.
Over 700 intellectuals—including Nobel laureates—signed an open letter declaring the event “a gift to the dictator.”
Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the Russian opposition leader killed in a Russian prison camp, stressed that Gergiev is part of the regime that killed her husband.
The Europa Radicale party launched its own petition and started buying tickets to bring protests inside the venue.
Italy’s Culture Minister withdrew approval for the concert, warning that using cultural platforms to amplify propaganda is unacceptable. Despite mounting criticism, the concert remains scheduled for 27 July, with the Caserta Police Headquarters monitoring the event through DIGOS (Italian Special Operations Unit).
There are fears that the protest, promoted by Ukrainian associations as well as Russian dissidents, could spill over into the Royal Palace. Many of the tickets for the front rows have sold out, and those who purchased them were representatives of Italian and Ukrainian associations, as confirmed by the president of one of these.
Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani responded to criticism by noting that Gergiev holds a Dutch passport, so he can travel freely within the EU. The questions about how Gergiev obtained his Dutch passport while maintaining Russian citizenship have remained unanswered for almost a decade.
Russian state media celebrates the “return to Europe”
Russian state media is already hailing the concert as Gergiev’s triumphant “return to Europe,” claiming Italy will not cancel the event.
Once again, culture is weaponized. Since Soviet times, music, ballet, and the arts have been key tools of Kremlin messaging. The KGB had entire departments focused on shaping the regime’s image through culture.
This is not about freedom of expression. It’s about responsibility. Art can either support humanism or whitewash violence. When Gergiev conducts in war zones or imperial ruins, he’s not just waving a baton. He’s legitimizing state terror.
What message is Italy sending by supporting Ukraine politically, but welcoming Kremlin propagandists culturally?
When sanctions are among the few peaceful forms of pressure we have left, any cultural compromise becomes a form of complicity. Those who claim “art is above politics” must ask: above whose politics? Above human rights? Democracy? Solidarity?
And in the end — as always — it is the innocent who pay the price.
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As the EU ramps up economic pressure, the Kremlin scrambles to downplay sanctions by pushing claims of immunity and resilience. But behind the bravado, top Russian officials are quietly conceding the growing toll on the country’s economy, according to the think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Despite Western sanctions and growing geopolitical isolation since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has maintained a militarized economy powered by energy revenues and expanded public and def
As the EU ramps up economic pressure, the Kremlin scrambles to downplay sanctions by pushing claims of immunity and resilience. But behind the bravado, top Russian officials are quietly conceding the growing toll on the country’s economy, according to the think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Despite Western sanctions and growing geopolitical isolation since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has maintained a militarized economy powered by energy revenues and expanded public and defense spending. The increasing sanctions are designed to curb foreign income and block tech imports to weaken Moscow’s capacity to wage war.
Russian officials claim immunity while signs of economic damage emerge
ISW reported on 18 July that Russian officials are continuing to falsely claim that the European Union’s newest sanctions have no significant impact on the Russian economy. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov alleged for no reason that the EU’s sanctions are illegal, and insisted Russia had already adapted to life under restrictive measures. He stated that the Kremlin would analyze the effects of the latest sanctions package and minimize their impact. Peskov also stated that the sanctions ostensibly ultimately harm those who imposed them.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev responded to the EU’s newest package by asserting that Russia’s stance remains unchanged and that the country’s economy will endure. He went further, threatening to increase strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities — which has already been happening for years. Medvedev declared that Russia must learn to “hate” the EU and what he described as its “Russophobia” as much as its ancestors did.
Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Putin’s Special Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, echoed similar showy defiance. He claimed that the sanctions hurt Europe more than Russia by closing Russian markets to European businesses and disrupting the continent’s energy supply. Meanwhile, Head of the Russian State Duma Committee on Financial Markets Anatoly Aksakov dismissed the new financial sanctions as insignificant, calling them “just a fluctuation in the air,” since Russian banks were already operating under EU restrictions.
Top Russian ministers admit critical sanctions impact
Despite these bold public statements, ISW highlighted that some senior Russian officials are now quietly admitting that sanctions are taking a toll on the economy. The Moscow Times reported on 17 July that Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev recently told the Russian Federation Council that Western sanctions are making it difficult for Russian oil companies to obtain parts needed to repair refineries.
Explore further
NYT: Putin believes Ukraine’s collapse is near — and he’s acting like it
Russian Central Bank Chairperson Elvira Nabiullina openly stated on 19 June that Russia has “exhausted many of its free resources” since the start of the full-scale invasion and must now search for a new growth model. Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov also acknowledged during SPIEF that the Russian economy stands “on the brink of recession.”
Kremlin relies on evasive schemes to soften sanctions blow
ISW underscored that sanctions evasion through the People’s Republic of China and other third-party networks is now a key pillar of Moscow’s strategy. The Kremlin has built a network of actors designed to bypass Western restrictions, and has started reconfiguring its economic policies and business models to survive sanctions in the long run. However, ISW wrote, hinting on Washington’s hesitation to adopt news sanctions against Russia:
“The EU’s newest sanctions are a positive step, but wider Western compliance and enforcement are necessary to inflict maximum economic pressure on Russia.“
The EU’s 18th sanctions package, approved on 18 July by the European Council, sharply undercuts Russian oil revenues. It slashes the oil price cap to $47.60 per barrel, bans Nord Stream pipeline transactions, and blacklists 105 more shadow fleet tankers—bringing the total to 444. It also targets entities tied to Rosneft and ends Czechia’s exemption for Russian oil.
Refined products from Russian crude are banned unless processed in select Western countries. Though the Kremlin budgeted for losses, these sanctions are expected to cut far deeper—threatening the third of federal revenue tied to oil.
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London and Brussels jointly cut the Kremlin’s oil revenues. The UK government decided to lower the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $47.60 per barrel after the EU adopted the 18th EU sanctions package on 18 July.
The new Russia sanctions package will include a formal ban on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. It will also target 105 ships from Russia’s shadow fleet and the entities enabling their operations. In addition, 22 Russian banks will face new financial restrictions aimed at cutting
London and Brussels jointly cut the Kremlin’s oil revenues. The UK government decided to lower the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $47.60 per barrel after the EU adopted the 18th EU sanctions package on 18 July.
The new Russia sanctions package will include a formal ban on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. It will also target 105 ships from Russia’s shadow fleet and the entities enabling their operations. In addition, 22 Russian banks will face new financial restrictions aimed at cutting their access to international funding. Brussels will also ban the export of European technologies used in Russian drone production.
According to Western analysts, Moscow’s oil profits have already dropped by 35% compared to last year. The new lower price cap will further restrict the Kremlin’s financial resources used to fund its aggression against Ukraine.
“The UK and its EU allies are turning the screw on the Kremlin’s war chest by stemming the most valuable funding stream of its illegal war in Ukraine even further,” said UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.
The official added that this decisive step to lower the crude oil price cap will target Russia’s oil revenues and intensify pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin by exploiting his greatest vulnerability.
London emphasized that the sanctions are intended to punish the aggressor and preserve the stability of the global energy market.
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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 frequ
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.
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.
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The EU has agreed on a new Russia sanctions package, with ambassadors reaching consensus on the bloc’s 18th sanctions round targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, Suspilne reports. Malta and Slovakia reportedly lifted their vetoes after receiving critical assurances, clearing the way for formal adoption at the EU Council’s meeting later today, 18 July.
Malta and Slovakia lift vetoes, clearing way for approval
According to Suspilne, Malta withdrew its objection after receiving written guar
The EU has agreed on a new Russia sanctions package, with ambassadors reaching consensus on the bloc’s 18th sanctions round targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, Suspilne reports. Malta and Slovakia reportedly lifted their vetoes after receiving critical assurances, clearing the way for formal adoption at the EU Council’s meeting later today, 18 July.
Malta and Slovakia lift vetoes, clearing way for approval
According to Suspilne, Malta withdrew its objection after receiving written guarantees from the European Commission. The country wanted confirmation that the proposed oil price cap would not strengthen Russia’s shadow fleet, a concern tied to Malta’s large shipping sector.
Pro-Russian Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced earlier on Facebook that Slovakia had also dropped its veto. His government received EU guarantees related to gas prices and supply stability. Fico, however, underlined that Slovakia would never support ending Russian gas imports after 1 January 2028.
Both countries had previously blocked consensus on the package, which was introduced by the European Commission in June.
Package includes pipeline bans and price cap changes
The new Russia sanctions package will include a formal ban on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said the bloc will also reduce the oil price cap as part of efforts to cut the Kremlin’s war revenues.
Kallas called the deal “one of the strongest” sanctions packages yet, noting it is designed to shrink Russia’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine. She also confirmed that the EU will continue to increase the costs of aggression for Moscow.
Germany and Sweden requested that the package be placed on the Council’s agenda under “Other business.” Once the General Affairs Council formally approves it, the sanctions will become legally binding.
Shadow fleet, banks, and drone tech also targeted
The package includes sanctions on 105 ships from Russia’s shadow fleet and on the entities enabling their operations. A registry of ship flags will be introduced to identify and track these vessels, which are used to obscure the origin of Russian oil.
In addition, 22 Russian banks will face new financial restrictions aimed at cutting their access to international funding. Brussels will also ban the export of European technologies used in Russian drone production.
Kallas confirmed that Chinese banks helping Russia evade restrictions are among the foreign entities targeted. The EU plans to limit their ability to support Russian financial transactions that bypass sanctions.
Rosneft refinery in India and indoctrination networks included
For the first time, the EU will sanction a foreign-based refinery—India’s largest Rosneft facility—due to its role in processing and moving Russian oil. The package also targets individuals and organizations involved in indoctrinating Ukrainian children in Russian-occupied territories.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys welcomed the agreement, stating that the combination of shipping, energy, and financial measures would ensure Russia remains on track to lose access to “blood money.” He also urged the US Senate to pass its own Russia sanctions legislation to align with EU efforts.
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Ukraine to receive record-breaking financial aid package from EU and partners for recovery, energy, air defense, and agriculture. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has announced multi-billion euro agreements reached during the Ukrine Recovery Conference in Rome.
On 10-11 July, Italy hosted the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference. The event was dedicated to the country’s recovery and long-term reconstruction. brought together a broad and high-level international delegation of over 6,000 to 8,000 partic
Ukraine to receive record-breaking financial aid package from EU and partners for recovery, energy, air defense, and agriculture. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has announced multi-billion euro agreements reached during the Ukrine Recovery Conference in Rome.
On 10-11 July, Italy hosted the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference. The event was dedicated to the country’s recovery and long-term reconstruction. brought together a broad and high-level international delegation of over 6,000 to 8,000 participants from around 70 countries and 100 government delegations.
Among them is the creation of a new European Flagship Fund worth €500 million, set to launch in 2026 with a focus on energy and infrastructure investment.
In addition, under the Ukraine Facility, agreements have been signed for:
€1.8 billion in loan guarantees,
€580 million in grants,
and blended financing mechanisms.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, commenting on the deal, stated that the EU aims to unlock up to €10 billion in investments to “rebuild destroyed homes, reopen hospitals, support businesses, and ensure energy security.”
Switzerland has committed €5 billion for economic recovery efforts.
The European Investment Bank is providing Ukraine with:
€134 million for transport infrastructure,
and a €200 million loan to Ukrhydroenergo (with the first €120 million tranche) to help restore hydropower plants.
Separately, the UK is offering a $2.3 billion loan for Ukraine’s air defense needs. The funds will be used to procure weapons and defense materials from the UK. The loan has a 19-year term with a 6-year grace period.
Ukrainian farmers will also receive €50 million in grant aid.
Shmyhal added, “We’ve reached an agreement with the Council of Europe Development Bank to fund €100 million in housing certificates under the eRecovery program, and an additional €200 million loan to support internally displaced persons.”
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The US is ready to hit the Kremlin with tariffs if peace isn’t reached soon. President Donald Trump has announced that he will impose strict secondary tariffs on Russia and its allies if a peace agreement on Ukraine is not reached within the next 50 days, UNIAN reports.
The statements came amid escalated Russian attacks. In June alone, Moscow launched 330 missiles and 5,000 drones on Ukraine.
He believes the proposed 100% tariff restrictions could serve as a decisive lever of pressure on Mos
The US is ready to hit the Kremlin with tariffs if peace isn’t reached soon. President Donald Trump has announced that he will impose strict secondary tariffs on Russia and its allies if a peace agreement on Ukraine is not reached within the next 50 days, UNIAN reports.
The statements came amid escalated Russian attacks. In June alone, Moscow launched 330 missiles and 5,000 drones on Ukraine.
He believes the proposed100% tariff restrictions could serve as a decisive lever of pressure on Moscow.
In addition, Washington will supply Ukraine with 17 Patriot air defense systems, some of which are expected to arrive within days. The countries that agreed to transfer the systems will receive replacements from the US The coordination of deliveries will be overseen by Matthew Whitaker, the US representative to NATO, in cooperation with the Alliance.
Patriots, the only weapons Ukraine possesses that are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, are essential for protecting its cities from Russian aerial assaults. Moscow uses such missiles mainly to terrorize civilians.
Trump has also agreed with the EU on a joint program to supply weapons to Ukraine. Production will remain US-based, but the financial burden will fall largely on EU countries.
The US president has also recognized the bravery of the Ukrainians resisting Russia’s massive strikes on a daily basis. According to Trump, Russia continues targeting civilian infrastructure, not just military targets, destroying cities, power grids, and residential areas, posing a long-term humanitarian crisis for Ukraine’s population.
He has also voiced disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin, from whom he had expected a readiness for a ceasefire two months ago. However, the Kremlin has continued its aggressive course, prompting the US to prepare a powerful economic response.
Earlier, reports emerged that Trump was considering providing Ukraine with powerful air-launched JASSM cruise missiles.
With a range of up to 370 km, a 450 kg warhead, and high-precision targeting, the JASSM could change the dynamics of Ukraine’s defense capabilities, especially amid Russia’s summer offensive.
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Kyiv has secured record-breaking aid at the latest international summit in Italy. During the fourth and largest Recovery Conference in Rome, Ukraine signed nearly 200 agreements and memorandums totaling €11 billion in support, says First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko.
On 10-11 July, Italy hosted the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference. The event was dedicated to the country’s recovery and long-term reconstruction. Rome gathered over 6,000 to 8,000 participants fr
Kyiv has secured record-breaking aid at the latest international summit in Italy.During the fourth and largest Recovery Conference in Rome, Ukraine signed nearly 200 agreements and memorandums totaling €11 billion in support, says First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko.
On 10-11 July, Italy hosted the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference. The event was dedicated to the country’s recovery and long-term reconstruction. Rome gathered over 6,000 to 8,000participants from around 70 countries and 100 government delegations.
“The Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome was the most extensive yet, both in terms of participants and the quality of agreements. Over 6,000 participants from 70 countries, around 200 agreements signed, worth approximately €11 billion,” Svyrydenko states.
One key outcome was the launch of the largest European investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction, with four countries and major European development banks pledging support.
Under the Ukraine Investment Framework, a new aid package worth over €2 billion was announced. The Netherlands committed an additional €500 million over 10 years, while Switzerland pledged close to €5 billion in assistance.
Defense industry cooperation was also a central focus of the summit, with discussions on localizing production, creating joint ventures, and sharing technologies.
Among the major industrial initiatives:
NovaSklo signed an agreement to build a float glass plant
Bila Tserkva industrial park will launch a new factory in cooperation with the Italian company Gualapack
The Ukrainian Ministry of Economy signed a €188 million agreement with UNIDO for joint ventures with Japan
Ukraine also focused on new employment programs for women, initiatives to support female entrepreneurship, and commitments to modernize labor legislation.
The conference took place amid an escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine. Recently, Moscow began launching over 700 drones in a single night, targeting Ukrainian cities. Therefore, the focus of the conference extended beyond reconstruction and included defense.
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We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.
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