Ukraine's parliament passed a reform of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) on June 18, a key step toward European integration and a condition listed in the EU's Ukraine Facility plan.

The legislation passed with the support of 253 lawmakers "after months of obstructions... unblocking 600 million euros ($690 million) in EU funds," lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.

The ARMA is Ukraine's national agency tasked with locating, recovering, and managing assets seized in criminal proceedings, namely during corruption cases.

Proposed reforms include stricter integrity and qualification standards for leadership candidates and merit-based hiring through open competitions involving civil society. They also call for independent external audits, clear deadlines for appointing asset managers, and the use of certified professionals held legally accountable for mismanagement.

The Ukraine Facility, an EU program providing Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($58 billion) in multi-year financial support contingent on reforms, set the end of March as the deadline for the ARMA's reform.

Anti-corruption experts, lawmakers, and Transparency International in Ukraine have backed the reforms, but discussions have dragged on for months since several versions of the bill were introduced in December 2024 and January.

The ARMA has long criticized the proposed legislation, arguing it had already carried out substantial and "transformative" reforms since 2023.

Transparency International reacted by saying that the ARMA's "public communication suggests that the agency’s primary concern is not the introduction of meaningful reforms, but ensuring that its current leadership can continue operating as it has."

Ukraine has embarked on extensive reforms as part of its efforts to join the EU and other Western structures, though Russia's full-scale invasion has presented fresh challenges to this effort.

Ukraine’s parliament passes bill on multiple citizenship

Ukraine’s parliament on June 18 supported a bill allowing Ukrainian citizens to hold passports of foreign countries, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

Ukraine's parliament on June 18 supported a bill allowing Ukrainian citizens to hold passports of foreign countries, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.

The draft law, backed by 243 lawmakers in the second and final reading, outlines conditions for holding multiple citizenship and simplifies procedures for foreigners wanting to obtain Ukrainian passports.

The legislation must receive a presidential signature before entering force, largely a formality as President Volodymyr Zelensky himself submitted the bill last August.

Until now, the status of multiple citizenship has not been recognized by Ukrainian law.

The bill also establishes new grounds for losing citizenship, such as receiving a Russian passport or serving in the Russian Armed Forces.

The government will determine the list of countries whose citizens will be able to obtain Ukrainian passports in a simplified way, taking into account issues like EU membership or imposed sanctions in connection with Russian aggression.

Multiple citizenship will be recognized for foreigners from the listed countries who apply for Ukrainian citizenship, or if Ukrainian citizens apply for citizenship in these countries. It will also be recognized for Ukrainian spouses of foreign citizens and other specified cases.

Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia said the law is not applicable to Russian citizens or citizens of countries that do not recognize Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Even before the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian diaspora has been widespread around the world, with particularly large communities in the EU, the U.S., and Canada. The war drew millions more from their home, and 6.8 million Ukrainian refugees and asylum-seekers remain abroad as of 2025, according to U.N. data.

Among others, the bill is seen as part of Ukraine's effort to strengthen ties with Ukrainians living abroad. Zelensky said the document should allow ethnic Ukrainians born abroad to obtain citizenship.

The president included the step in his 10-point internal resilience plan last November.

Hungary’s soft power meets Ukraine’s hard reality in Zakarpattia

BEREHOVE, Zakarpattia Oblast — Thin gray smoke drifts beyond the patchwork of Soviet-era apartment blocks, historical buildings, and hillside vineyards that make up Berehove — the heart of the Hungarian community in Ukraine’s westernmost Zakarpattia Oblast. “That’s Hungary, over there,” gestures Vitalii Antipov, a member of the local council, toward the not-so-distant

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) detained former parliamentarian Aleksejs Rosļikovs on 16 June, following criminal charges related to his Russian-language outburst in parliament, Latvian Television reported.

The VDD opened criminal proceedings against Rosļikovs on 9 June on suspicion of assisting the aggressor state Russia in actions against Latvia and inciting national hatred and discord.

The case stems from Rosļikovs’ conduct during a 5 June parliamentary session, when he was expelled from the Saeima for rudeness and speaking Russian. During debate on a draft resolution titled “Declaration on the criminal Russification of Latvia by the Soviet occupation regime and the elimination of its linguistic consequences,” Rosļikovs took the podium to oppose including the project on the agenda.

At the end of his speech, he shouted a phrase in Russian that translates as: “There are more of us, our language is Russian!”

Following the incident, Rosļikovs told Latvian Television he did not regret his actions. “This was his response to restrictions on his native language, Russian,” the broadcaster reported.

The VDD had previously warned Rosļikovs “several times in preventive conversations about the expected criminal liability,” according to the security service.

Investigators identified signs of criminal offenses under Article 81.1 and Article 78 of the Criminal Law – assistance to a foreign state in actions directed against the Republic of Latvia, and inciting national hatred and discord. State officials face up to 20 years imprisonment for assisting foreign states in actions directed against Latvia.

The State Language Center initiated administrative violation proceedings regarding Rosļikovs’ actions, while the State Police will review complaints from several Saeima deputies about his conduct.

Rosļikovs, who represented the “Stability!” party, lost his parliamentary mandate after being elected to Riga City Council, meaning he can no longer be punished for potential ethics violations in his former role as MP.

Former President Valdis Zatlers commented that the deputy was trying to address his voters and that the incident demonstrated why it is important to participate in elections.

The European Union is considering placing Russia on its "gray list" of countries with inadequate controls against money laundering, the Financial Times reported June 6, citing officials from the European Commission.

Inclusion on the list would damage Russia's global financial standing and compel banks to apply stricter scrutiny to transactions involving Russian individuals or entities — raising compliance costs and increasing operational burdens.

Although the decision was expected this week, the European Commission delayed a final ruling due to “administrative or procedural reasons,” according to the Financial Times. A decision is now expected early next week.

"There is huge support for putting Russia on the list," said Markus Ferber, a German MEP who oversees economic affairs for the European People's Party, the EU's main center-right bloc.

Most European Parliament members reportedly back the move, though no consensus has yet been formalized. The EU's gray list generally mirrors the assessments of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international watchdog on money laundering and terrorism financing.

Russia's FATF membership was suspended in 2023, after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Efforts to list Russia on the grey list have faced resistance, as countries with close ties to Moscow are likely to block any formal move for enhanced monitoring.

The EU's most recent internal draft of the gray list includes countries such as Algeria, Kenya, Laos, and Venezuela. Several others — including Barbados, the United Arab Emirates, and Senegal — are expected to be removed.

If implemented, the designation would further isolate Moscow from global markets and tighten compliance obligations on any remaining cross-border financial operations involving Russian institutions.

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine strikes Russian missile base in Bryansk Oblast, damages Iskander launchers; Trump dismisses timeline to impose Russian sanctions

Key developments on June 5: * Ukraine strikes Russian missile base in Bryansk Oblast, damages Iskander launchers, Ukrainian military says * ‘Deadline is in my brain’ — Trump dismisses timeline to impose Russian sanctions * ‘Not destroyed but damaged’ — Russia claims it will repair bombers struck in Operation Spiderweb * Trump privately praises Ukraine’s drone

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

The Ukrainian parliament supported a bill on establishing the institution of a military ombudsman in the first reading on June 3, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.

The legislation was supported by 287 lawmakers, with 25 abstaining and none voting against it. Bills must pass two readings and be signed by the president before becoming law.

Ukraine first unveiled the office in April 2024 to ensure soldiers had a mechanism to report violations of their rights.

The military ombudsman "will be responsible for considering appeals and complaints of service members, providing primary legal assistance, conducting inspections, and investigating violations of the rights of service members and their family members," the Defense Ministry said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has tapped Olha Reshetylova, formerly a journalist and human rights activist, as the first military ombudsman.

The Military Ombudsman Office will be established as a civilian oversight body over the security and defense sector. The legislation also establishes procedures for military personnel to submit complaints and for the inspection of military units.

As Ukraine entered the fourth year of the full-scale war with Russia, several units have faced accusations of misconduct and abuse within their ranks.

Most recently, the French-trained 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Brigade is under investigation for alleged involvement of its command in handing out falsified bonus payments and demanding bribes.

Last December, the commander of the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade was detained for failing to address abuse and torture allegations involving his subordinates.

‘Closer to victory’ – Operation Spiderweb gives much-needed morale boost to Ukrainians after 3 years of full-scale war

A large-scale drone attack carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), which reportedly destroyed or damaged 41 Russian heavy bombers on June 1, brought a much-needed morale boost to Ukrainians. Codenamed “Spiderweb,” the operation targeted the strategic aircraft that Russia uses for long-range missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. The

The Kyiv IndependentLinda Hourani