UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed his long-planned visit to Ukraine due to disagreements with allies on Russia policy, as reported by Politico. According to a French diplomat, Macron intends to "take the necessary time" for negotiations with allies to ensure that his visit to Ukraine yields "tangible results."
On Tuesday, the European Commission is expected to present a negotiating framework for Ukraine's accession to the EU, but its approval may take several months, — Politico.
During the plenary session, the judges of the International Criminal Court elected Tomoko Akane as the head of the court.
In her address, Akane emphasized her commitment to facilitating dialogue between judicial authorities, defense representatives, and victims, while also aiming to strengthen dialogue with states parties and those that have not yet ratified the Rome Statute.
At the event "Fighting Corruption in Ukraine: Progress on the Road to EU Membership" in Kyiv, Allan Pag Christensen, the head of the European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI), commended Ukraine's significant strides in combating corruption.
"We have observed notable progress in Ukraine's anti-corruption efforts. Despite ongoing challenges, Ukraine has achieved commendable results in the fight against corruption, demonstrating one of the best performances in recent years.
Progress is evident in various aspects, including anti-corruption legislation, investigation of major cases, the number of cases opened, and the implementation of anti-corruption programs.
While there is still much work to be done ....we remain hopeful that further progress will be made"
According to the draft federal budget for the next fiscal year, the United States plans to allocate $1.5 billion in 2025 to "deter Russia". Additionally, $231 million will be earmarked for financial intelligence efforts, particularly targeting Russia, as stated by the White House.
The Biden administration has proposed to Congress an increase in the defense budget to $850 billion for the fiscal year 2025, representing a 4.1% rise compared to fiscal year 2023. Moreover, a request to allocate $61.4 billion to Kyiv has been put forward.
Further allocations include $100 million in military aid to Taiwan and $2.2 billion for the purchase of uranium. Significant funding is also slated for the continuation and expansion of the development of Nuclear Forces. [@MissConductUS Mind you, perhaps you already knew this, but it's interesting stuff]
The victory of "20 Days in Mariupol" in the "Best Feature Documentary" category was omitted from the international TV broadcast of the 96th Oscar Awards Ceremony, as announced "Suspilne" channel.
Scheduled to air on March 11 at 8:30 p.m., the international version was set to be broadcast on Suspilne Kultura TV channel. However, upon receiving the broadcast materials from the organizers, the team discovered that the segment featuring the awarding of Ukrainian documentarians was missing.
The fragment showcasing the victory of the Ukrainian film "20 Days in Mariupol" was cut from the international television version of the Oscars, alongside some other nominations.
Pope Francis is ready to come to Kyiv on a working visit, but on the condition of a visit to Moscow as well, — Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See Andrii Yurash.
Yurash specified that, quite likely, such a visit would still be unrealistic, since there is no interest on the part of the Russian Federation.
Spring in the meadow of Kukul in the Carpathians 😍