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Venice Commission President, Gianni Buquicchio, has told UNIAN in an exclusive interview over the phone from Venice about the position of the Commission regarding Ukraine’s constitutional amendments, whether they meet the European standards and whether they will lead to the federalization of Ukraine.

A renowned Russian journalist, creator of Journalism without Intermediaries project, branded as “national traitor” by Putin’s regime, has told UNIAN about the reasons why the Russians crave for war, why they are so encouraged to come and fight in Donbas, why they don’t like the Ukrainians, and how he met the Ukrainian citizens in Chechnya during the war.

Ukraine celebrated its first Defender Day. Former head of the Security Service of Ukraine accused a President’s friend of financial fraud. Prosecutor General hinted he is aware of possible threat to his life.

Ukraine has become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The Netherlands released a report on the causes of an MH17 crash in the skies over the Donbas. Russian officials flaunt their unwillingness to fulfill the Minsk agreements.

Poroshenko talked of his vision of the prospects for returning Donbas in his televised address to the nation. The Members of Parliament were much more concerned about their own rating than resolving the country's problems. The Government’s reformatting has been halted.

Paris talks were echoing in Ukraine for several more days after they were completed. The separatists tried to present postponement of pseudo-elections as their success. Washington continues to implement a “carrot and stick” policy towards Ukraine.

While the Ukrainians have not yet had time to "digest" the issue of postponement of the pseudo-elections in the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the next year, the Parliament has already started discussing the need to pass a special draft law regulating such vote in the future.

Ukraine faces an uphill struggle for reintegration of Donbas and Crimea. Nadia Savchenko continues her battle against the Russian regime. Volodymyr Hroisman offered female MPs an innovation, which was publically disapproved.

UN General Assembly became the scene of a diplomatic confrontation. Tripartite Liaison Group in Minsk and representatives of the pro-Russian militants signed an agreement on the withdrawal of small-caliber weapons. Normandy Four meeting was no sensation and saw no breakthrough.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko turned 50. U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt publically subjected the work of the General Prosecutor’s Office to severe criticism. Volodymyr Hroisman called for increasing salaries of public officials and MPs. The local elections campaign provides more surprises.

Ukraine and NATO brought their positions unprecedentedly closer together, stressing their partnership. Representatives of the militants in Minsk peace talks decided to use the tactics of ultimatums. The international community is awaiting the political debate at the UN General Assembly.

This week marks the deadline for Moscow’s explanations regarding two complaints about the actions of the Russian Federation in Crimea and Donbas filed by Ukraine in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Meanwhile, the inter-state lawsuits in the ECHR are being gradually supplemented by civil suits.

UNIAN sits with Yehor Bozhok, acting chief of Ukraine’s Mission to NATO, to talk about the deeper cooperation between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the new standards for the Ukrainian Army, and the first steps on the path of the country’s military reforms.

Ukraine imposed sanctions against Russian businesses and individuals, as well as some foreigners, actively involved in the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and in destabilization in Donbas. The Russian president is trying to sell to the world community the recipe of Syrian conflict settlement, for his own benefit. Gazprom and Naftogaz unexpectedly brought their negotiating positions closer together ahead of the heating season.

Ukrainian authorities are yet to find an effective recipe for the Donbas crisis settlement in difficult conditions. The representatives of the president's party started the talk about the need to reduce the number of ministers and parliamentary committees. The local election campaign which has already started will increasingly influence the situation across the country.

With the cessation of active hostilities in Donbas, diplomatic efforts of various centers of influence to resolve the conflict have stepped up noticeably. Russian justice system decided to strike individual Ukrainian officials. Agreement on the construction of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline became a serious lesson not only for Ukraine, but also for the Central Europe.

Overall adverse foreign policy situation in Russia ahead of the UN General Assembly forces the Kremlin to look for ways to re-gain a foothold on the world political scene. But will the international community believe the aggressor who has been using double standards?

The struggle for constitutional amendments in the first reading has resulted in casualties. The first faction has left the parliamentary coalition, and this has affected the work of the "European Ukraine" majority. Viktor Shokin pledged the MPs who broke the law will face trouble, while Davit Sakvarelidze started selection of personnel for the prosecutor's office.

Andrej Plenkoviс, Croatian Member of the European Parliament, co-chairman of the EU-Ukraine Association Committee, tells in an exclusive interview with UNIAN of the new political season and EU-Ukraine relations.

Not only has Ukraine approved constitutional amendments in the first reading, but it has also passed a new military doctrine, defining Russia as military adversary. Vladimir Putin does not like how the Ukrainian government amends the Constitution without the consent of the "representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk." The problem of African refugees is reaching a pan-European scale, and Ukraine also has to think of its move on this issue.