Top 5 News Stories 20 June

1. As of 19 June, Ukraine currently has 34 984 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those, 921 were diagnosed in the last 24 hours. So far, 985 people have died while 16 033 have recovered. Link

2. European Union government leaders have decided to extend economic sanctions related to Russia’s banking, financial and energy sectors for another six months. This was announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba on Twitter. Link

3. “Svyatoslav Vakarchuk wrote a statement on leaving the Golos faction, which Razumkov just announced at a parliament meeting. Since Vakarchuk was not elected by the majority vote, but by the list, this will be followed by the removal of his deputy’s mandate,” Non-factional MP Anton Polyakov wrote in his Telegram channel. Link

4. The proceedings against President Volodymyr Zelensky for violating the quarantine in a cafe have been suspended, since the head of state is an inviolable person, according to the Constitution. This decision was made today by the Khmelnytskyi City District Court. Link

5. In relation to the ex-president of Ukraine, more charges have been brought against MP Petro Poroshenko – for inciting inter-religious hatred. According to a UNIAN correspondent, when speaking to the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv, Poroshenko said that “it turns out they brought another case against me. It’s called ‘inciting religious hatred by obtaining the Tomos and creating the Orthodox Church of Ukraine’. ” Link