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.
A memorial for Georgian and Belarusian fighters killed in Ukraine off of Heroes Square, Tbilisi, Georgia, on Feb. 2, 2024. (Nate Ostiller/The Kyiv Independent)
Several Georgian volunteer fighters returning from Ukraine have been summoned for questioning by Georgia's State Security Service (SUS) in connection to a purported coup plot, opposition media and former soldiers have said in recent days.
Hundreds of Georgians have volunteered to fight against Russia in Ukraine, dating back to the beginning of the Russian incursion into the country in 2014. Estimates vary, but around 60 Georgians have been killed fighting in Ukraine, possibly the highest death toll of any foreign nationality fighting for Ukraine.
While the Georgian people have remained firmly in support of Ukraine's fight against Russia, demonstrated by the high number of fighters and numerous opinion polls, the government has taken a more mixed approach.
The opposition media outlet Mtavari reported on July 21 that at least four Georgians who fought in Ukraine have been sought for interrogation by the SUS.
The investigation is reportedly connected to an alleged coup plot in September 2023 against the ruling Georgian Dream party. At the time, Georgian authorities claimed that the plot had been orchestrated by Mamulashvili and officials connected with the imprisoned Georgian ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, along with the support of Ukraine.
Oleh Nikolenko, who served as Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson at the time, flatly denied the accusations, saying, "The information is not true. The current Georgian authorities are once again trying to demonize Ukraine in order to solve its internal political issues."
"The Ukrainian state did not interfere, does not interfere, and does not plan to interfere in the internal affairs of Georgia."
Mamulashvili and other fighters who have been summoned for questioning said that the current investigation into the alleged coup is politically motivated and directly connected to their service in Ukraine.
Russia has sentenced Mamulashvili and dozens of other Georgian fighters in absentia. Mamulashvili claimed that Georgian and Russian security services are "working synchronously today" and alleged that some Georgian fighters may be extradited to Russia should Georgian Dream win the October parliamentary elections.
Originally elected on a pro-Western platform in 2012, Georgian Dream has since drifted away, with many in Georgia now accusing the party of being pro-Russian.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Kateryna Hodunova
