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way to achieve this is through President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula. "Secondly, Ukraine needs long-term security. We must ensure a stable military force capable of protecting Ukraine now and deterring Russian aggression in the future. So that history does not repeat itself," said von der Leyen. In her opinion, this requires increasing the capacities of the European defense industry. "Thirdly, the best way to ensure Ukraine's stability and prosperity in the medium and long term is membership in the EU," concluded Ursula von der Leyen.
First 43 Ukrainians evacuated from Gaza. Ukraine has evacuated the first group of 43 Ukrainian nationals from the besieged Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 8.
Orban: 'EU must not start membership talks with Ukraine'. Hungary has a "clear stance" on the issue, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, and it is not connected to other issues that Hungary has with the EU.
Former Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen believes that Ukraine could join the alliance but that "collective self-defence" would not be extended to the Russian-occupied territories, The Guardian reported on November 11. This would mean that Ukraine could declare Article 5 in response to an attack on the territory it currently controls only, and not occupied areas. Rasmussen argues that partial membership would warn Russia that it cannot prevent Ukraine from joining the Western defensive alliance. He denied that the move would freeze the conflict.
The Hungarian government repeatedly said earlier that it would not support Ukraine's aspiration to become an EU member until Ukraine reinstates the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, including its right to use its native language. Hungary sees as cynical the actions of the Ukrainian authorities who still refuse to restore the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto said. The Ukrainian government "does not want to return the rights that the Transcarpathian Hungarians were stripped off," said the diplomat who took part in a EU foreign ministerial meeting in Brussels, calling this behavior "utterly cynical". The situation of Hungarians in Transcarpathia is "constantly deteriorating" since the Ukrainian authorities keep imposing new restrictions, Szijjarto said.
Trump promises to end the war in Ukraine before the inauguration if he wins the election. Ex-president Donald Trump said that the end of the war would mean the end of the "endless flow of American money to Ukraine." In addition, European allies must reimburse the US for the weapons provided to Ukraine. As the AP writes, it is currently unclear how Trump plans to end the war and whether he will demand the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine’s territory. Numerous investigations are ongoing against Trump, "but the election is less than a year away, and according to the latest polls, Trump is leading the race.” As well, the FT writes that economic problems are hindering Joe Biden's re-election, he does not pass the Reagan test - only 14% of Americans believe that they are in a better financial situation now than before his presidency. The US presidential election is scheduled for November 5, 2024, and the inauguration for January 20, 2025.
Finland considering closing border with Russia. Finland is reportedly considering closing its border with Russia completely, Finnish Prime Minister
23 UKRAINE Country Report December 2023 www.intellinews.com