The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced that Ukraine’s population has decreased by 10 million since Russia’s invasion began in 2022. Florence Bauer, UNFPA’s Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, highlighted that the war has worsened Ukraine’s already declining demographic situation. Factors such as mass emigration, reduced fertility rates, and war-related deaths have contributed to this sharp decline. Bauer noted that Ukraine’s birth rate is now one of the lowest globally, at around one child per woman, far below the 2.1 required for population stability.
The US flag has been hoisted once more at the US Embassy in Damascus, Syria, for the first time since its closure in 2012.
US Special Representative for Syria Thomas Barrack made his first official visit to Damascus and personally raised the flag during a ceremony attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Shaybani. The embassy had suspended operations amid the outbreak of civil conflict following anti-government protests.
No official statement has been issued regarding the resumption of embassy operations.
The move follows a surprise meeting earlier this month between US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara in Riyadh, where a decision was made to lift sanctions imposed during the Assad era, signaling a potential shift in Washington-Damascus relations.
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