Topic: Politics
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Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada cancels September 18 plenary session; opposition MPs complain of lack of notice
The Verkhovna Rada abruptly cancelled its September 18 plenary session and Hour of Questions to the Government, with MPs and ministers learning of the cancellation upon arriving at parliament. Opposition lawmakers from European Solidarity and Holos publicly criticized the last-minute, poorly communicated decision. The Hour of Questions has been rescheduled to October 12.
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Pentagon weighs pulling up to 25,000 U.S. troops out of Europe in largest post-Cold War drawdown
The Pentagon is weighing a large-scale withdrawal of U.S. aircraft, ships, weapons and tens of thousands of military personnel from Europe, with one scenario envisioning roughly 25,000 troops removed — about a third of the 80,000-strong American contingent on the continent. Supreme Allied Commander Europe Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich is delivering his analysis to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on September 18, with a final recommendation due November 6. Lawmakers from both parties and European allies have warned the cuts could embolden Russia.
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Estonia ready to close border with Russia immediately if Moscow announces general mobilization, PM says
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated that Estonia is prepared to immediately close its border with Russia should Moscow announce general mobilization. The statement was made at a government press conference alongside Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and follows an Estonian government review of a scenario document on a possible Russian mobilization.
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Zelenskyy's trust rating holds at 54% despite corruption scandals, KIIS poll finds
A poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology conducted from 21 August to 10 September shows that 54% of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, virtually unchanged from late July/early August. The result comes amid recent NABU and SAP anti-corruption investigations linked to his office, and KIIS's executive director warned that the cumulative effect of such cases could become irreversible.
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Czech PM Babiš proposes joint European missile defense system called Euro Patriot
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš proposed creating a joint European missile defense system named Euro Patriot at the Prague Defense Summit. He framed the proposal as a response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call for Europe to develop its own ballistic, anti-ballistic, and counter-drone defense capabilities, and suggested Europe could acquire licenses to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.
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Ukraine's parliament backs bill boosting parliamentary oversight of law enforcement
On 17 September, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, adopted draft law No. 14130 in first reading with 240 votes in favor. The bill strengthens parliamentary control over law enforcement and prosecutorial bodies, including mandatory annual reporting by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecutor General on torture and ill-treatment investigations.
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U.S. House passes sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill, sending it to Trump
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for signature. The bill imposes mandatory sanctions on Russian leadership, oligarchs, banks, energy firms and the shadow fleet, and authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on countries among the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas. Ukraine welcomed the measure; China, India and Russia sharply criticized it; Germany praised it; Hungary is seeking an exemption.
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Le Pen says France can no longer provide Ukraine with the same level of financial aid
Marine Le Pen, informal leader of France's far-right National Rally party, said in an LCI interview reported by Le Figaro that France can no longer afford to provide Ukraine with the same level of financial assistance due to the country's deteriorating financial situation. She insisted the position "is not an act of hostility toward Ukraine" and said France can continue to train Ukrainian soldiers and supply equipment for self-defence.
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Zelensky appoints Anton Kovalsky as acting Prosecutor General of Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decree No. 946/2026 appointing Anton Kovalsky, previously the head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor's Office, as acting Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The appointment comes days after the Verkhovna Rada voted to accept the resignation of Ruslan Kravchenko, whose dismissal followed an NABU and SAP investigation into a criminal organization operating in the Office of the Prosecutor General.
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Zelensky orders return of asset declarations for rear-echelon security officials, signs call-center fraud law
On 16 September 2026, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the preparation of a decision to reinstate mandatory asset declarations for law enforcement officers and Security Forces members who are not at war, in a scope sufficient to monitor their property and lifestyle. In the same address he signed a law introducing criminal liability for fraudulent call centers and ordered a vetting of all heads of central executive bodies, citing high corruption risks at the tax service, ARMA, and various inspectorates.
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Ukrainian anti-corruption court upholds detention of prosecutor's office official in "Carthage" case
Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court Appeals Chamber on September 16 upheld the detention of Serhiy Kropyva, a former deputy head of the Office of the Prosecutor General's Department of International Cooperation, with an alternative bail of 120 million hryvnia in the "Carthage" case. The court rejected the defense's request to reduce the bail to 2 million hryvnia or to impose house arrest with an electronic bracelet. Kropyva remains in custody as the bail has not been posted.
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Ukrainian parliament dismisses Prosecutor General Kravchenko after he announced suspicion against NABU chief and left Ukraine
Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada voted 317-0 to dismiss Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko on 15 September 2026, one day after he announced suspicions against NABU director Semen Kryvonos and a person close to the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), and left the country. President Volodymyr Zelensky had suspended Kravchenko the previous evening. The dismissal comes against the backdrop of the 'Carthage' operation, conducted by NABU and SAP, which has exposed a corruption scheme involving officials of the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG).
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Ukraine's government submits 2027 draft budget to parliament: defense at 44% of GDP, $52.6 billion external financing required
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved and submitted the draft State Budget for 2027 to the Verkhovna Rada on September 15, 2026. The bill, registered as No. 16000, allocates 4 trillion 885 billion hryvnias (about 43.8–44% of GDP) to defense and security, projects total expenditures of 7 trillion 272 billion hryvnias, and identifies an external financing requirement of $52.6 billion, of which only $20 billion has been confirmed by partners.
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Zelensky formally appoints Kovalenko as commander of Ukraine's Communications and Cyber Security Forces
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decree №931/2026 on 15 September appointing Brigadier General Oleksiy Kovalenko as commander of the Communications and Cyber Security Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The decree formalizes a role Kovalenko had held in an acting capacity since 2023.
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Ukraine's parliament votes 317-0 to dismiss Prosecutor General Kravchenko
On 15 September 2026, the Verkhovna Rada voted unanimously, 317 to 0, to dismiss Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decree No. 932/2026 formalizing the dismissal. The vote came a day after Zelensky suspended Kravchenko from the post under Ukraine's martial law provisions and after Kravchenko left Ukraine overnight claiming to be on an official business trip abroad. Kravchenko's removal follows a public confrontation with the country's independent anti-corruption bodies over the NABU/SAP "Carthage" operation and his announcement of a suspicion notice against NABU director Semen Kryvonos.
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EU commissioners set conditions in letter to Ukrainian lawmakers on extra defence funding
European commissioners have sent a letter to Ukrainian members of parliament setting out the conditions under which the EU would provide additional financing, responding to Ukraine's request for an extra $27 billion in defence funding. The letter, signed by Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, spells out legislative commitments Ukraine must meet under the Ukraine Facility and Ukraine Support Loan programmes.
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NABU exposes group suspected of stealing 100,000 tonnes of Ukrnafta fuel worth over 2.88 billion hryvnias
Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies NABU and SAPO announced they had exposed an organized group suspected of misappropriating 100,000 tonnes of oil products belonging to Ukrnafta, Ukraine's largest oil producer. The estimated value exceeds 2.88 billion hryvnias. Four suspects have been formally notified in the first episode of the case, with several others identified. The investigation covers a 2017–2020 scheme in which fuel was routed through affiliated companies and proceeds were diverted via offshore entities.
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Anti-corruption court extends Yermak's procedural obligations for 60 days, lifts electronic bracelet on medical grounds
Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (ВАКС) extended for 60 days the procedural obligations imposed on Andriy Yermak, the former head of the Office of the President, who is suspected of laundering property obtained through criminal means. The court declined to extend the requirement that Yermak wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, citing an independent medical specialist's finding that continued use could threaten his life and health.
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Valdai Discussion Club moved from Sochi to Moscow Oblast over Ukrainian drone threat
The annual Valdai Discussion Club meeting, traditionally held in Sochi each autumn, has been relocated to Moscow Oblast because of security concerns linked to intensified Ukrainian drone attacks, the Financial Times reported, citing four sources. About 120 invited participants learned in August that the venue had changed, after initially receiving invitations to Sochi; the forum is scheduled for 28 September to 1 October.
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Ukraine’s Prosecutor General announces suspicion against NABU director, then leaves the country; Zelensky moves to dismiss him
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, who had resigned a week earlier amid the NABU/SAPO “Carthage” operation against his own office, announced on 14 September that he had signed a notice of suspicion against NABU director Semen Kryvonos. The same night he left Ukraine. President Zelensky publicly called for his immediate dismissal, submitted the motion to the Verkhovna Rada, and signed a decree suspending him under martial-law provisions. The European Commission said it was aware of the events and stressed that independent anti-corruption bodies are a cornerstone of the rule of law in Ukraine.