U.S. and European officials held talks on May 12, during which Washington made it clear that it wanted to allow talks between Russia and Ukraine before increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin, sources told Bloomberg.
According to Steve Witkoff, the key topics in the peace discussions are the fate of the five partially or fully occupied Ukrainian regions, the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and Ukraine's access to the Dnipro River and the Black Sea.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is reportedly offering a deal that would give U.S. companies access to Syria's natural wealth, reminiscent of the minerals agreement Washington recently signed with Kyiv.
Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and guided bombs during the night, targeting multiple regions after the May 12 deadline for an unconditional ceasefire expired.
"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.
Illustrative image: The gas receiving compressor station of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. (Photo: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
EU officials are discussing the option of resuming purchases of Russian pipeline gas as part of a potential settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Financial Times reported on Jan. 30, citing undisclosed sources.
The proposal's advocates, including Hungarian and German officials, argue that the move could give both Russia and Europe incentives to maintain a peace deal while stabilizing the continent's energy market, the outlet wrote.
The news comes almost a month after Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas through its territory to the EU, putting an end to a scheme dating back to Soviet times. The decision has sparked protests from some EU members — Slovakia and Hungary — who continue to rely on Russian gas despite the bloc's efforts at diversifying supplies.
According to the FT, the proposal to resume Russian gas purchases has faced backlash from Ukraine's chief allies within the EU and officials from some "eastern" member states.
While most of the Russian pipeline gas flow to Europe came to a halt, European countries continue to buy Russian liquified natural gas (LNG). The TurkStream line remains the last operational pipeline connection funneling Russian gas to the EU.
Earlier this week, Hungary announced it had received "requested guarantees" from the EU on securing energy transit to European countries after threatening to veto sanctions against Moscow. Shortly after, Reuters reported that the European Commission will continue leading talks on gas supplies with Ukraine, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Before the full-scale war, Russian pipeline gas represented roughly 40% of the EU's overall purchases, with Germany being the chief buyer.
Fossil fuel exports represent a key portion of Russia's state revenue and help fuel Moscow's all-out war against Ukraine, leading to calls among Kyiv's partners to phase out the purchases completely.
The EU cut all Russian coal imports, most Russian oil imports, and over two-thirds of Russian gas imports to the EU, a Commission spokesperson said earlier in January. The EU aims to eliminate all Russian fossil fuels from its market by 2027.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who pledged to broker a peace settlement in Ukraine, urged Europe to purchase more American LNG and called for increasing oil production to push down the prices and stifle Russia's revenues, thus forcing it to the negotiating table.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
