Ukraine said Friday it had exposed a network of Hungarian spies trying to obtain defense secrets in a border region of Ukraine – the first time it said such an operation has been discovered.

Ukraine's SBU security agency said on Friday it had uncovered a spy network run by the Hungarian state to obtain intelligence about its defences, with Hungary responding to what it called "propaganda" by expelling two people at the Ukrainian embassy in Budapest.

Ukraine's security service says the state-backed spy network sought to obtain information about military defences on its border with Hungary.

The visit to Ukraine will be the first for Mr. Merz as German chancellor, and is the first time leaders of four European nations have traveled together to Ukrainian soil.

The leaders of four European countries have arrived in Kyiv as calls intensify for Russia to agree to a monthlong ceasefire in the war

The leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Poland have arrived in Kyiv for key meetings with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, a symbol of a united European position to publicly pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Press service of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Europe threw its support on Friday behind a special tribunal to prosecute President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine,

Meantime, the Red Square lineup of leaders marking the World War II anniversary discloses a new Cold War chasm between East and West.

In 2026, a special tribunal is set to begin operations to address Russia's crimes of aggression against Ukraine. The primary aim will be to hold the senior Russian leaders accountable. The special tribunal,