"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.
Following this week's meetings between Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and U.S. President Donald Trump, a meeting convenes in London on March 2, 2025, with European leaders to discuss future peace in Ukraine. (Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and other top Western officials gathered on March 2 for a London summit to discuss support for Kyiv.
They are among the leaders and senior representatives of 15 countries invited to the U.K. by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss a path toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
Zelensky landed in London already on March 1 following his trip to the U.S. Ukraine's leader left Washington without signing the much-anticipated natural resources deal after a public spat with U.S. President Donald Trump, prompting shock and concerns about the future of U.S.-Ukraine ties.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and leaders or senior representatives of Germany, Canada, Czechia, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, and Turkey have also arrived for the crucial summit.
"On my way to London to highlight Europe’s ongoing support to Ukraine that can lead to just and lasting peace in Ukraine," von der Leyen said on X ahead of her trip.
"The path to peace is strength. Weakness breeds more war. We will support Ukraine while undertaking a surge in European defense."
The Baltic countries, which have been among Ukraine's staunchest supporters throughout the full-scale invasion, were not among the invitees, reportedly leading to Starmer issuing an apology.
"We gather here today because this is a once-in-a-generation moment for the security of Europe and we all need to step up," Starmer said as the summit kicked off, according to Sky News.
The summit is seen as a last-ditch effort to revive Western unity after seismic foreign policy shifts in Washington under the Trump administration.
Both Starmer and Macron visited the U.S. earlier this week to convince Trump to play a role in Ukraine's post-war stability, but their diplomatic efforts were overshadowed by the unprecedented and televised quarrel in the White House on Feb. 28.
The humiliating treatment Zelensky received from the U.S. president and Vice President JD Vance prompted Europe's leaders to speak out in support of the Ukrainian president. At the same time, some European officials have appealed to Zelensky to mend ties with Trump to ensure continued U.S. engagement.
Speaking ahead of the summit, the British prime minister revealed that the U.K., France, and Ukraine will spearhead efforts to create a joint ceasefire plan to present to Trump.
The London meeting is also a chance for Ukraine's EU allies to coordinate strategy ahead of the European summit on March 6, which is under threat of being derailed by Moscow-friendly Hungary and Slovakia.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Chris York
