Trukhin's case
Servant of the People MP Oleksandr Trukhin, who was involved in a car accident last August, has said that he is ready to give up his parliamentary mandate if the situation and the party demand it.
The accident involving the MP occurred on Boryspil highway on 23 August 2021. Six people were injured, including two children, and the chairman of the Football Federation of Ukraine's Referees Committee.
Yesterday journalists published a video from the scene of the accident. The footage shows the MP hinting at improper remuneration to law enforcers, while he himself wants to "quietly retreat to the woods".
Party head Olena Shulyak has expelled Trukhin from Servant of the People, her spokesperson said.
Netherlands
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a meeting in Kyiv with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
The main issue at the talks was security in Ukraine and on its borders, Zelenskyy said at a joint briefing with Rutte.
"We also discussed sanctions by the European Union, the Netherlands in case of an escalation. As far as relations between our states are concerned, I believe that this is an important visit because the last time the Dutch leader visited Kyiv 17 years ago. And it is timely - it comes at a time when we need support," he said.
Poland
The Polish government has decided to provide defence assistance to Ukraine, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Twitter.
"Good news. At my request, the Council of Ministers has approved a decision on assistance to Ukraine. We will provide the most modern Polish weapons - Piorun man-portable air defence systems and ammunition," Blaszczak said.
Polish help
On 2 February, another convoy of trucks with Polish aid arrived in Ukraine.
"The cargo weighing about 38 tonnes includes camp cots, blankets, medical bedding, respirators and elements for them, as well as IS type infusion sets. All of this is being handed over at the request of the Ukrainian side to combat COVID-19," the State Emergencies Service said.
Russia
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that the West is making a big mistake by allowing Russia to impose the discussion.
He was commenting on Russia's demand for new written "security guarantees" from the West.
Donbas
The Russian occupying troops targeted the Hnutove checkpoint on the line of contact in Donetsk Region this morning. They used a drone to drop a VOG fragmentation grenade.
Ukrainian army
Ukraine will continue to build up its army's combat efficiency and capabilities. The state understands the needs of the armed forces and is negotiating supplies with international partners, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a briefing today.
He noted that Ukraine's professional army should increase by 100,000 within 2-3 years, or even faster.
Protest
Several hundred activists have held a rally outside the Nash (Ours) TV channel, demanding sanctions against the channel and its owner MP Yevhen Murayev, an LB.ua correspondent has reported.
The protesters brought along the posters saying: "Ours is not ours, but theirs." They also staged a "performance" by burning cotton wool in a bucket with Murayev's picture on it.
Then they also covered the office door with stickers and wrote the word "separatists" in paint.
Belarus to ban Lithuanian oil shipments to Ukraine
Belarus will ban the railway transit of petroleum products, chemical and mineral fertilizers loaded at the stations of the Lithuanian Railways starting from 7 February, the Belta news agency has reported. Belarus says the decision was taken in response to Lithuania's ban on transit of Belarusian goods through the ports of that country.
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk has addressed the Education Ministry, the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor-General's Office regarding the situation around the election of the president of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
He asked Education Minister Serhiy Shkarlet to justify his office's refusal to recognize the results of the election of the NaUKMA president, as well as to substantiate the decision to schedule a repeat election. Stefanchuk also said that he had asked Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyy and Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova to ensure an impartial and prompt investigation into the theft of ballot boxes.
Kyiv
The Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on 2 February agreed to dismiss Vasyl Volodin from the post of head of the Kyiv regional state administration.
At the same time, it agreed the appointment of Oleksiy Kuleba for the post. He is the first deputy head of the Kyiv city state administration for exercising self-governing powers.
Gas
Russia's Gazprom on 1 February doubled gas transit through Ukraine to 107m cu.m. per day, the director-general of the Ukrainian gas transport system operator, Serhiy Makohon, has said.
He confirmed that the daily transport of gas had increased from 54m cu.m. to 107m cu.m. Makohon stressed that this volume of transit was stipulated by the existing contract with Gazprom.