Here's more on the Firtash extradition case from RFE/RL correspondent Mike Eckel:
Top EU Court Rejects Extradition Appeal By Ukrainian Oligarch Firtash
The European Union’s top court turned away an appeal by Dmytro Firtash, the latest twist for the Ukrainian oligarch whose extradition from Austria the United States has been fighting for since his 2014 arrest in Vienna.
The October 24 ruling by the EU Court of Justice paves the way for the Austrian Supreme Court to hear Firtash’s challenge to the U.S. extradition request.
If the Austrian Supreme Court rules for his extradition, a final decision will then be made by the country's justice minister.
A former business partner of President Donald Trump's ex-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and one of Ukraine's wealthiest men, Firtash has been charged in a U.S. federal court in Chicago, as part of an alleged bribery scheme involving titanium supplies for aircraft giant Boeing.
His case has seen several twists, including being rearrested in Vienna on a Spanish warrant in February 2017, just minutes after an Austrian court cleared the way for his U.S. extradition.
It’s unclear when the Austrian Supreme Court will hear the case.
However, his lead U.S. lawyer, former federal prosecutor Dan Webb, told the Chicago federal court earlier this month that it was believed "that the Austrian Supreme Court will move quickly and Mr. Firtash could face extradition in a short time frame following the decision by the Court of Justice.”
Firtash, who has denied the charges, has been out on bail since shortly after his arrest, but barred from leaving Austria. His lawyers had argued that the U.S. prosecution was politically motivated.
Firtash’s wealth stems in large part from the lucrative natural gas trade in Ukraine, whose pipelines have long served as the key conduit for Russian gas supplies heading to Western Europe.
He is also considered an important financier of the Party of Regions political party, and was involved in hiring Manafort, then a U.S. political consultant and lobbyist, in 2005 to help rebuild the party after its then-leader, Viktor Yanukovych, was defeated for the presidency by Viktor Yushchenko following the 2004 Orange Revolution.
Firtash also had a brief partnership with Manafort in 2008 to invest in New York City real estate, although that deal never materialized.
Manafort was Trump's campaign chairman in 2016, until he was fired that August, amid revelations about his extensive work in Ukraine.
After a jury convicted him of bank and tax fraud in August, Manafort decided to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his sprawling investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections and interactions between Trump associates and Russian officials.
We are now closing the live blog today, but we'll be back again tomorrow morning to follow all the latest developments. Until then, you can keep up with all our other Ukraine coverage here.
Lech Walesa Calls For Global 'Solidarity' Movement In Response To Russia
Noble Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa, co-founder of Poland's Solidarity movement and the country's first postcommunist president, tells RFE/RL that he thinks President Vladimir Putin made a "huge mistake" when Russian military forces seized and annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
"In the 21st century, this is not a proper way of resolving disputes," Walesa said. "There might be attempts to use those old methods, but it will be very costly" in the end. Ultimately, he said, what matters is the price a country has to pay for such aggression.
"There are ways [of dealing with international issues] that are more open and democratic, and they bring about better results," Walesa said. "It is just a question of time before Putin will have to abandon his policy [on Crimea]. The sooner he realizes that, the less the costs he has to bear will be."
Read the full interview here.
Italian Leader Urges End To EU Sanctions On Russia During Moscow Visit
By RFE/RL
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is urging an end to European Union sanctions on Russia and said he is committed to boosting trade with Moscow, despite the sanctions.
On his first trip to Moscow since taking office in June, Conte on October 24 hailed Russia as an essential global player and invited Putin to visit Italy.
The Italian premier said he believes the split between the EU and Russia over the Ukrainian conflict that began in 2014 has lasted too long, and he would like to see the sanctions against Russia lifted.
"For Italy, the sanctions aren't the goal. They are an instrument that must be overcome as soon as possible," said Conte, the head of Italy's new populist governing coalition.
However, he declined to say if Rome is ready to veto a planned renewal of the sanctions expected to come before EU leaders in December.
"Italy would like to persuade other European countries that the only way forward is through dialogue," he said.
Read the full story here.