Significant progress was made on reforms to make the country more prosperous, democratic, and transparent, but more improvements are needed.
Russian lawyer Nikolay Polozov has announced that Ukrainian political prisoners, Crimean Tatars Akhtem Chiygoz and Ilmi Umerov, who were convicted by the Russian occupying authorities in the annexed Crimea, have been freed from criminal prosecution.
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir says he is concerned over "the practice of detention and expulsion of foreign journalists from Ukraine," according to his letter addressing Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.
Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine Kees Klompenhauver is concerned about the pressure on anti-corruption activists and journalists that has recently appeared in Ukraine, according to his interview with the online newspaper ZN.UA.
The trial of Mykola Semena, an RFE/RL contributor who is fighting what he says is a politically motivated separatism charge on the Russian-controlled peninsula, has been adjourned until July 7, according to RFE/RL.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to revoke a ban on Russian social media platforms and news outlets, as it infringes the right to freedom of expression and information in Ukraine.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an end to "persecution of journalists," saying that freedom of the media is the guarantee of peace and justice, according to the UN News Center referring to Guterres's message dedicated to World Press Freedom Day marked on May 3.