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standards, and the end of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. The diplomat also reported that the structure of the Ukraine-NATO Council and its operational plan are currently being developed for further approval by the end of the year. Moreover, the government will adopt the National Annual Program to reform Ukraine to achieve NATO standards.
The new defence secretary of Great Britain arrived in Kyiv to clarify Ukraine's need for a means of victory. "I returned to Kyiv this week to ask President Zelenskyy what he needs to win. As Ukraine reclaims its territory, UK support remains steadfast. We will work tirelessly to bring our partners together to help Ukraine defeat Putin's illegal invasion", said Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom. He discussed with the Ukrainian president the issue of strengthening Ukrainian air defenses and further negotiations with Great Britain on the conclusion of a bilateral agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine. Shapps also met with the new Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Rustem Umyerov, to discuss supplies of anti-aircraft defenses, artillery, and anti-drone systems. Moreover, French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecorne visited Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy and discuss the possibilities of joint production of certain types of weapons.
No plans to send British troops to Ukraine. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Oct. 1 that there were no current plans to send British troops to Ukraine, even in a limited capacity as trainers.
The US avoided a shutdown by sacrificing aid to Ukraine. Both houses of the US Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, on the evening of September 30, supported a temporary budget resolution to finance federal spending for 45 days. The package does not contain new aid to Ukraine. The White House announced that US President Joe Biden has decided to sign the law. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that adopting the US budget resolution without new aid to Ukraine will not stop its receipt of US aid, as unused balances from past aid packages remain. These include $1.6B for the defense industry and $1.23B in direct budget support, noted ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko. Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, clarified that at least $1.6B is currently available for defense aid, and the $1.23B that Nikolenko mentioned is the September tranche that has just been transferred to the World Bank. US President Joe Biden called on Republicans in Congress to prevent delays with aid to Ukraine after the interim budget was approved without these funds.
● Domestic Politics
The Kyiv Court of Appeals has ruled to keep oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky in custody with a UAH 3.89bn ($105mn) bail after rejecting an appeal from Kolomoisky’s lawyers, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported on September 25.
Members of the European Parliament issued a statement asking President Volodymyr Zelenskiy not to pass the draft law on asset declarations due to concerns the law will undermine trust in reforms, German MEP Michael Gahler said on September 7. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, passed a bill on September 5 to restore the requirement for top officials to declare their assets, an anti-corruption measure central to talks on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. "We support the
18 UKRAINE Country Report October 2023 www.intellinews.com