The measures target almost 200 ships of Russia's "shadow fleet," 30 companies involved in sanctions evasion, 75 sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, and more.
The EU plans to significantly increase tariffs on Ukrainian goods after the current duty-free deal lapses on June 6, the Financial Times reported on May 14, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources.
The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
In an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on May 13, Macron discussed new Russia sanctions and stationing French nuclear weapons in other European countries as a deterrent against Russia.
Performing their song "Bird of Pray," Ukrainian band Ziferblat passed the Eurovision semi-finals on May 13, qualifying Ukraine for the grand final on May 17.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on May 15 for direct peace talks with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov will likely represent Russia.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron speaks to a reporter outside St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 2, 2024. (Thomas Peter/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron is expected to say NATO needs to adopt a harder edge for a tougher world during a speech at the National Cyber Security Centre on May 9.
In his first big-picture policy speech as foreign secretary outside parliament, Cameron is to warn that the West is not learning the lesson of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and that authoritarian adversaries will only be spurred on if western leaders show hesitation or caution, according to the Guardian.
Cameron will stress that there has been insufficient engagement from allies in facing the realities of an increasingly confrontational global landscape, whether through ramping up defense expenditures, confronting Iranian proxy activities, or advocating for women’s rights within the Islamic world.
"We must embrace a more assertive stance in a world that demands resilience. If we take anything away from Putin’s unlawful incursion, it should be the understanding that hesitancy and minimal action only embolden aggressors. Regrettably, I have witnessed numerous instances in my role where this crucial lesson seems to have been disregarded," Cameron will say, according to early released excerpts of his speech.
During his Ukraine visit on May 2, Cameron said "...we must all step up to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to win."
"Through our multi-year military funding, weapons provision and vital support to protect and repair Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the U.K. is standing with Ukraine." The U.K. has consistently voiced strong support for Ukraine, alongside the U.S. and Germany. The country has pledged 12.5 billion pounds ($15.6 billion) in support to Ukraine since February 2022, of which 7.6 billion pounds ($9.5 billion) is for military assistance.
"We must all step up to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to win," Cameron said. "Through our multi-year military funding, weapons provision and vital support to protect and repair Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the U.K. is standing with Ukraine."
Cameron will also call upon all NATO members to ensure they are on course to allocate 2% of their GDP to defense by the time of the alliance’s summit in Washington in July. He will emphasize that despite ongoing conflict within our continent, some European nations appear reluctant to prioritize defense spending.
He will stress that the immediate imperative is not only to attain the 2% threshold unanimously agreed upon at the Newport summit in 2014 but also to work towards establishing 2.5% as the new standard. Countries such as Spain, Belgium, and Canada still fall significantly below the 2% target.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Abbey Fenbert
