"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
"We agreed to pursue ambitious measures to reduce Russia's ability to wage war by limiting Kremlin revenues, disrupting the shadow fleet, tightening the Oil Price Cap, and reducing our remaining imports of Russian energy."
Zelensky on May 12 removed Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk from the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for all branches of Ukraine's defense apparatus.
Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 17, 2014. Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
"I am grateful for the support and the readiness at the highest level to promote diplomacy," President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the phone conservation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We share the same view on the need for a ceasefire."
The convictions mark a significant development in Britain's efforts to counter Russian intelligence operations amid heightened tensions stemming from Moscow's war against Ukraine and repeated Kremlin threats toward Kyiv's allies.
According to the Verkhovna Rada's website, Ukraine completed the ratification of the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement on May 12. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the deal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at a news conference at the United Nations headquarters on April 25, 2023, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on May 12 to discuss a proposed meeting in Turkey between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian state-media outlet TASS reported.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
Russia, who unilaterally launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, rejected U.S.-backed calls for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Putin instead invited Ukraine to engage in direct talks in Istanbul later this week.
Zelensky responded by accepting the invitation, saying he was ready to meet Putin in Turkey on May 15 — a decision that various experts told the Kyiv Independent may have caught Putin off-guard.
To coordinate the meeting, Zelensky also held a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier in the day on May 12.
"We are ready for direct negotiations with Putin. And it is very important that all of us in Europe are working together for long-term security guarantees," Zelensky said following the phone call.
No details were immediately released on the phone call between the Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers.
Despite offering the meeting, Putin has yet to formally confirm his attendance on May 15.
"Moscow has remained silent all day regarding the proposal for a direct meeting. A very strange silence," Zelensky said in his evening addresson May 12.
Russia is facing mounting pressure from Western allies to agree to a ceasefire and begin top-level direct negotiations.
Following a meeting in Kyiv, the leaders of the U.K., Germany, France, and Poland threatened to implement additional sanctions if it did not agree to a ceasefire by May 12. Upping pressure on Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he believed "both leaders are going to be there," adding "I even thought about flying over — I'm not sure where I'll be on Thursday."
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
