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.
The number includes 1,070 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
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.
The deepening labor shortage reflects growing strain on Russia's workforce as the Kremlin aggressively recruits men for its war against Ukraine.
An explosion occurred in an industrial area of Biysk in Russia's Altai region, possibly at a military plant that produces ammunition, among other things, a local media outlet reported on Feb. 15, citing residents.
Biysk Mayor Viktor Shchigrev called the explosion "a bang" and claimed it was part of a "technological process" happening at an enterprise. "There is no reason to worry," he said on Telegram, without specifying at which facility the explosion took place.
No casualties were reported.
Biysk residents heard an explosion and saw how a pillar of smoke rose over the city, reporting a "powerful blast wave," the Sibirsky Express outlet wrote.
A resident told Sibirsky Express that the explosion could have occurred at a plant of the Federal Research and Production Center (FRPC) Altai, sanctioned by the EU, U.S., Ukraine, and Japan.
The FRPC Altai is part of Russia's state space agency Roskosmos. The facility produces, among other things, ammunition, solid propellant charges for rocket engines, and explosives for industrial purposes.
Biysk lies in south-central Russia, over 3,000 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
Abbey Fenbert
